All Natural Lotion Bars

I love lotion!  I know I'm not the only one.  Using my homemade soap has done some incredible things for my skin and I've pretty much quit using body lotion, but it's been a tough flu season so I'm constantly washing my hands - anywhere and everywhere, with whatever kind of soap I can get my hands on (pun intended).  And if I can't find a sink, I'm using hand sanitizer.

Is it terrible for my hands?  Yes.

Is it worse than the flu?  Nope.

So I turn to lotion to put that moisture back into my hands.  As a mom of 4, my diaper bag has everything you could ever need - and then some.  And with one of my kiddos having some seriously dry skin due to her PRP, I must have 3 different types of lotion in there on any given day.  They always end up on the bottom, and a lot of times, they end up open because my kids don't know how to close anything (I'm not just talking lotions here - doors, cereal boxes, toothpaste, the list is endless).  From time to time, I end up with lotion everywhere, and so I was delighted when I came across the idea of lotion bars!

What a fantastic idea!  Little bars of lotion that you rub in your hands.  The heat from your hands melt them a little and the oils go right into your skin!  Plus, depending on the size of the mold you use, they can fit into a little tin and you can stick them right in your pocket!  This past Christmas, I put them in gift card tins and used them as Stocking Stuffers. They were a big hit!

The first batch I tried used coconut oil, beeswax, and olive oil.  I scented them with lavender and lemongrass essential oils (I'm obsessed with this combo).  I used an ice cube mold for my bars and tucked them into a gift card tin.  They're great.  Even my husband uses them - and loves the smell.  They work great for on the go when my hands (or my kiddo) need a little extra moisture, but they have an oiliness to them that I don't love in a hand lotion.

I made one using beeswax, Shea butter, and castor oil.  Why castor oil?  It doesn't leave the same oily feel that so many other oils do IMO, and it has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and moisturizing benefits.  It is even believed to be a humectant - meaning it pulls moisture from the air and brings it into your skin when you absorb the oil.  And when I tried this lotion bar out, my skin was very soft.  Unfortunately, I thought it was still oilier than I would like for a hand lotion.

Eventually, I made one with just beeswax and Shea butter.  Since I am not a fan of the natural smell of Shea butter, I added a touch of orange essential oil.  I keep hoping the citrus smell will repel germs, lol. But, seriously, this stuff is great!  It has all the benefits of straight up Shea butter, but adding the beeswax in helps solidify it up enough to carry around with me, and I didn't notice the grainy texture I sometimes get with Shea butter. This batch was molded into little candy molds I found on sale.  The resulting bars are about the size of a quarter and just under a half inch tall.

Tbh, I liked them all - and the difference in recipes didn't really impact the final product enough for me to be able to tell them apart.  I have to smell them to know which one is which.  They're just the ticket for when I have to use gas station soap or hand sanitizer and work great in a pinch when I've left my lip balm behind.
I'll have to bring some out and about with me over the summer and see how it handles the heat.

What is your favorite way to combat those dry winter hands? Let me know in the comments!  Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know!