Making your own DIY lotion bar and salve is more important than you may think. I love making my own salve and DIY lotion bar, it is the best way I can guarantee what ingredients go into my skin care products.
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Avoiding Unneeded Antibacterial Lotions
Just recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally issued a ruling (1) that officially bans the use of triclocarban, triclosan, and 17 other dangerous chemicals in hand and body washes. These products have been marketed as being more effective than good ol’ fashioned soap and water and consumers have been mislead to purchasing them. And, what most people don’t realize, is that these chemicals are in most antibacterial lotions and body care products!
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) said. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”
Antibacterial product manufacturers have until 2017 to comply with the new law by removing all products from the market or that violate this ruling or remove antibacterial active ingredients. But this still isn’t enough to keep us safe. Triclosan is still in countless other products like deodorants, antiperspirants, body spray and toothpastes. For a list of products that include triclosan, click HERE.
Simply put: antibacterial products kill ALL the bacteria on your hands; including the GOOD bacteria you need for healthy skin and a properly functioning immune system. In fact, they have been shown to weaken your immune system!
Using essential oils in your DIY lotion will not only soothe dry skin, but also can be used for antimicrobial action. It allows you to get creative with personalizing your lotion.
- Lavender is a staple essential oil for relaxation and smells heavenly.
- Melaleuca helps with skin rashes and fungal infections.
- Orange is uplifting and energizing.
- Oregano has a strong antibiotic action
- Rosemary helps balance blood pressure.
Of course you can mix and match as desired. 🙂
Lastly, keep in mind that certain citrus oils are photosensitizing and can cause your skin to burn or develop sunspots. For a list of photosensitizing oils click here.
By making your own DIY lotion bar and other skin care products, you can choose from a variety of healthy oils to include in your products. This means not only lovely essential oils, but base oils like coconut oil, olive oil, or shea butter.
Raw organic coconut oil is great for its anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, jojoba oil does well because it penetrates the dermis of the skin, and vitamin E is wonderful for its awesome skin repair as well as it helps the collagen & elastin bond tight behind the skin.
When making your DIY lotion, be aware that it is a very thick base that does not melt very easily, so I recommend using a quart size mason jar as the inside of your double broiler so that you don’t mess up any of your dishes or measuring cups.
Be sure to wait to add any essential oils until you have melted the base oils together to avoid overheating them. Then simply add in 5 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of the base and fill up a deodorant, balm, or salve container!
To reheat this mixture, either do so on a gas stove in the warm spot after everything is turned off, outside in the sun, or in a room with a space heater. By heating your salve too quickly or to a temperature that is too high, you will lose some of the amazing benefits the raw ingredients offer.
- 1 cup yellow beeswax*
- ⅓ cup kokum butter
- ⅓ cup virgin (organic) unrefined shea butter
- ⅓ cup mango butter
- ½ cup Mama Z’s Oil Base
- 1 cup carrier oil**
- Essential oils*** (optional when making lotion bars)
- Double boiler or glass jar
- Wide mouth mason jar
- Empty deodorant,salve, or balm container for storage
- Use a double boiler, or make one by setting a glass jar or measuring cup in a medium pot with 1-2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, turn down to medium-high, and add the beeswax, kokum butter, shea butter, and mango butter to the double boiler.
- Melt the ingredients thoroughly and remove them from heat immediately.
- After 5-10 minutes, add Mama Z's Oil Base before it starts to solidify.
- Store the base salve mixture in quart or pint wide mouth mason jars.
- To make a lotion bar – mix in 5 drops of essential oils per 1 ounce of the warmed base salve and fill up an empty deodorant, salve, or balm container.
**No matter what allergies you may have, there's a carrier oil that's right for you. You can use any or a combination of these: Avocado, Fractionated Coconut, Grapeseed, Jojoba, Sweet Almond.
***Christmas Blend – Fir needle (Balsam fir, Douglas fir, white fir), peppermint, and vanilla absolute
Deep Breathing Blend – Cardamom, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, tea tree
Focus Blend – Cedarwood, frankincense, sandalwood, and vetiver
Goodbye Allergy Blend – Lavender, lemon, and peppermint
Healthy Digestion Blend – Anise, caraway, fennel, ginger, lemon, tarragon
Holy Anointing Blend – cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh
Immune Boosting Blend – Cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, orange, and lemon
Happy Blend – Orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, and vanilla absolute
Sleepy Time Blend – Roman chamomile, lavender, and vetiver
