Top 5 Lotion Bar Recipes (Easy + Portable!) - Little Pine Kitchen (2024)

Whoever invented the original lotion bar recipe is genius, pure genius.

I mean seriously, why would you ever use boring ole lotion again?

Especially when there’s an ultra moisturizing homemade lotion bar waiting for you to caress your skin with!

The easiest of DIYs, the most perfect of gifts, these lotion bar recipes are my jam and I’m so excited to share them with you!

If you’re looking for other gift ideas, check out our 5 Favorite Sugar Scrub Recipes + our 5 Super Easy Homemade Lotions!

Let’s cut to the chase. These lotion bars will rock your world! Here are a few reasons why:

• Shelf Life.

Homemade beauty products don’t have the same shelf life as store bought. Why? Because they aren’t filled with a bunch of chemicals/preservatives – yay!

But these bars… these bars! They’ll last an awful lot longer than most homemade recipes because they don’t use water as an ingredient.

Most DIYers slap a 6 month to 1-year shelf life on them.

Keep in mind, they will melt when heated, so I recommend keeping them in a baggy out of direct sunlight and not next to a heater (duh).

• Saves mooola!

As you know, toiletries can be ridiculously over priced and making them at home is a huge money saver.

Since these bars have a longish shelf life, they’re the perfect recipe to make in bulk!

Saving you loads of money and time.

Have you ever gotten a dirty look for whipping out a giant bottle of lotion from your purse?

Then these bars are perfect for you. Toss them in a baggie and into your purse. No glass, no leaks, no problem!

• Lotion Bar Recipes to the rescue!

In the winter months we all have areas on our skin that get a little extra chapped.

I find it far more convenient to rub a lotion bar on my elbows and heals than regular lotion.

How Do You Use A Hard Lotion

Alright, they’re cool, but they aren’t the lotion you’re used to. So how do you use a hard lotion?!

Homemade lotion bars are solid at room temperature, and are activated by the warmth of your skin.

When you’re ready to moisturize, simply rub the bar over the surface of desired area, and voila! You’ve got lotion where you need it.

This makes them extremely portable and easy to use.

Lotion Bar Recipe Vs. Lotion Recipe

It all boils down the personal preference when it comes to lotion bars vs. lotion.

I think these bars are pretty groovy although they both play a serious role in my beauty routine.

Compared to regular lotion, I find lotion bars to be far more convenient.

They typically have a longer shelf life (since these recipes don’t call for water), and are easier to use on the go and on hard to get areas.

That said, I use most of these homemade lotion recipes on the regular, and absolutely love giving them out as gifts around the holidays.

Lotion Bar Molds

Guess what? Despite how cute they look, these bars don’t require a fancy-shmazy mold to make, you have no excuse!

This formula can be poured into just about anything. So get creative!

I’ve made these bad boys in muffin cups, silicon ice cube trays, and silicon soap molds.

You can also spray the sides of a larger pan with cooking oil and cut the lotion bars into manageable slices. Try using a bread pan for this.

If you’re looking for the same shape I used in the photos, check out this mold on Amazon!

I also REALLY love the idea of using these Christmas shapes for holiday gifts, and these flower shapes for any other time of year!

The Ingredients and Why I Love Them

Alright, if you don’t know this by now, I avoid store bought toiletries.

I’ll keep this part short and simple, but to sum up my thoughts on those products:

• There’s a lot of unknown when it comes to what we put on our skin, such as:

How much do our bodies absorb from topical application? What effect (if any) do the absorbed chemicals used in over the counter beauty products have on our bodies?

• Although the science hasn’t proven or disproven these questions, some ingredients are being heavily scrutinized from their potentially harmful affects.

Jury is still out. But I’m not waiting. And have chosen to avoid these chemicals in the interim.

Ergo, for the most part I make my own toiletries.

Now, let’s talk about how awesome, not questionable and totally nourishing the ingredients used in these lotion bars are:

• Coconut Oil is super moisturizing for your skin and hair, plus has a decent amount of antioxidant Vitamin E (source).

Studies show that topical application of this oil eleveates aptopic dermatitis and eczema far better than mineral oil (source) (source).

• Shea Butter.

In addition to being an awesome moisturizer, shea butter contains a substance that can reduce skin swelling, therefore may help treat conditions such as eczema (source)

• Cocoa Butter is yet another extremely moisturizing ingredient used in these bars to nourish your skin.

Studies have found that cocoa polyphenols, an ingredient found in cocoa butter can improve skin elasticity and skin tone! (source).

• Beeswax

Beeswax is made from the honeycomb of the bee and is used in cosmetics as a thickener and emulsifier (source).

It’s primarily used in these recipes to keep the ingredients together, however it’s light scent is an appreciated addition.

Beeswax, when combined with honey and olive oil, has been found to help patients with psoriasis and dermatitis (source).

Lotion Bar Recipe Without Beeswax

Beeswax: the good, the bad and the ugly….

The good: Beeswax has a light floral fragrance I love adding to my concoctions. It helps to harden the lotion bars so they’ll remain solid at room temperature.

The bad: Beeswax is not an easy ingredient to work with.

It typically comes in a large block of wax that’s hard to melt/measure. However, it can be purchased in pellets, making it far more manageable!

The ugly: The main problem people have with this ingredient is the waxy feeling it leaves on your skin.

I’ll be honest, I don’t love the waxy feeling.

BUT I do add beeswax to most of my lotions. I’ve found (and have no evidence to back this up other than personal experience) that beeswax “locks in” the moisture of the lotion, leading to more nourished skin.

Is beeswax your thing? If not, try one of the homemade lotion bar recipes below that doesn’t call for beeswax.

Top 5 Homemade Lotion Bar Recipes

Here are out top 5 favorite homemade lotion bar recipes! Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

3 Ingredient Lotion Bar

Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter or Mango Butter (flexible, use a combo of whatever you’d like)
1/3 Cup Beeswax

Instructions:
1. Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water. Place a glass jar (I use an old mason jar) in the center of the water. Bring water around the jar to a gentle boil.
2. Add all ingredients to jarand stir to combine (I do this with a chopstick, or popsicle stick).
3. Pour melted lotion into molds.
4. Set aside and allowtocool (I typically put it in the fridge to cool faster!)

Peppermint Lotion Bar

Instructions:
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter or Mango Butter (flexible, use a combo of whatever you’d like)
1/3 Cup Beeswax
10 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Optional: 1 Teaspoon Matcha

Instructions:
1. Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water. Place a glass jar (I use an old mason jar) in the center of the water. Bring water around the jar to a gentle boil.
2. Add all ingredients except Peppermint Essential Oil to jarand stir to combine (I do this with a chopstick, or popsicle stick).
3. Once the jar has been removed from heat, add the Essential Oil and stir to combine.
4. Pour melted lotion into molds. (Side note, this is the perfect recipe for Christmas molds)
5. Set aside and allowtocool (I typically put it in the fridge to cool faster!)

Rose Lotion Bars,No Beeswax Lotion Bar

Instructions:
1/3 Cup Shea Butter
1/3 cup Cocoa Butter
1/3 cup Almond Meal
10 drop Rose Water

Instructions:
1. Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water. Place a glass jar (I use an old mason jar) in the center of the water. Bring water around the jar to a gentle boil.
2. Add all ingredients except RoseExtract to jarand stir to combine (I do this with a chopstick, or popsicle stick).
3. Once the jar has been removed from heat, add the Rose Extractand stir to combine.
4. Pour melted lotion into molds.
5. Set aside and allowtocool (I typically put it in the fridge to cool faster!)

Lavender Lotion Bar

Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter or Mango Butter (flexible, use a combo of whatever you’d like)
1/3 Cup Beeswax
10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
Optional: 1 Tablespoon Dried Lavender

Instructions:
1. Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water. Place a glass jar (I use an old mason jar) in the center of the water. Bring water around the jar to a gentle boil.
2. Add all ingredients except LavenderEssential Oil to jarand stir to combine (I do this with a chopstick, or popsicle stick).
3. Once the jar has been removed from heat, add the Essential Oil and stir to combine.
4. Pour melted lotion into molds.
5. Set aside and allowtocool (I typically put it in the fridge to cool faster!)

In Conclusion…

So excited you’ve joined us on the lotion bar train! Let us know in the comments below your favorite lotion bar recipe or any tweeks you made!