I made lotion for the first time! I used a simple recipe of almond, shea butter and jojoba oil. My emulsifying wax was the conditioning e-wax Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol found here. It's also known as BTMS. Many love to use beeswax but I've read about it being difficult to hold the emulsion and I wanted my first time making a lotion to be successful. I may try out other waxes that can be used for emulsions but for now I'm happy with the result.
I used a paraben free preservative, Optiphen (Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol). From all my research I've decided that preservatives are a necessary thing in lotion. If you want "all natural" that will potentially include bacteria and fungi and the habit of keeping your lotion in the fridge and tossing it after about a week. Yuck. No thank you. I think the tiny amount of preservative is much better than spreading a fungal or bacterial infection across my skin.
I've had 8 oz blue PET bottles in my soap making area for years. The silver caps are so classy (though the silver part seems to pop off easily so future orders will be standard white disk caps). I don't know what I feared with making lotion. All it is is mixing ingredients.
Well that and sanitizing everything that may touch your ingredients. I used the recommended 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to sanitize everything. No residue is left with rubbing alcohol that could irritate the skin like some other disinfectants. I soaked the counters, all my tools and the bottles. Once all was dry I melted my oils, e-wax and stearic acid in the pot. I heated distilled water in a Pyrex pitcher. Once the water and oils were both around the same temperature 150 or so, I combined them and stick blended the mixture. I added more heat to help the combination and prevent cooling and oil solidification. Getting the oil and water emulsified was really quick.
Once the mixture lowered to the right temperature for Optiphen to be added I poured/mixed the preservative into my lotion and then I incorporated my essential oil, Lavender. Optiphen needs to be added at temperatures below 176 F to stay effective. I for some reason thought 140 F was the temperature, which was still fine, the lotion was very liquid and so I was able to pour from my heating and mixing pot into my bottle via the funnel. I hadn't realized how much lotion the recipe would make. I filled three of the 8 oz bottles and had to run for another little container as well.
The lotion is thick and absorbs quickly leaving a protective layer; not greasy or waxy at all. I can't believe the few grams of Lavender essential oil has made this lotion smell so lovely. I used only 3 grams of EO; for soap I use 60 grams and sometimes have issues smelling the scent.
I'm excited to try out new combinations of oil and come up with some base lotion recipes that I like. I want something nice and thick, perhaps with lanolin, for my feet and perhaps when I have chapped skin. Something light and something medium in weight. I can combine different e-waxes to different effects and reduce or increase the stearic acid for thickness as well. For now I won't do too much different from known recipes until I get a better feel for this new aspect of the hobby.
