Solid Lotion Bar HELP! (Update)

[TammyTX]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.....

I have cocoa butter that is really hard and I melted down about 4 oz with two teaspoons of jojoba oil and 1/2 tsp of FO. It wouldn't set until I put it in the fridge.

So, I thought maybe it was like chocolate and you can't heat it too hot or it breaks down the crystals, or whatever, SO I heated it gently on a food warmer plate with a towel under the bottom and this morning it looked hard...until I poked it with my finger! It was still mush! What am I doing wrong???

PS: I don't have any beeswax but the cocoa butter is sooo hard I thought that would make a solid bar all by itself.

 

[Bettacreek]

I'd put some beeswax in it, or some other type of wax, cocoabutter with added liquid wouldn't be solid.

 

[TammyTX]

The cocoa butter was very hard...I had to use a knife to cut out pieces of it.

Do you really think so little jojoba would make a soft bar? I was hoping for softer but not mush!!

 

[Morgaine]

I've only made lotion bars with beeswax, but maybe you got too much air in it and it's like a whipped shea? Maybe try to put it in the fridge? Hope you get it worked out.

 

[ametauss]

I thought you had to use beeswax....

 

[TammyTX]

Well, I guess I jumped the gun on worrying about the bars not setting up. They are hard!

I put the first ones in the fridge and they did get hard. I was worried they would start to melt after they warmed up, but they are fine too.

You can make lotion bars out of all solid butters.

Yea!

FYI - I used the Mango Tango and the Paradise (something) FO's from Mystic Mountain. The Mango Tango is very fruity but nice and it seemed to soap well, no discoloration. The Paradise (something) smells okay, but once mixed with the cocoa butter for the lotion bars it smells like a baby lotion fragrance. I didn't use a bunch, just a light scent.

 

[ametauss]

Congrats!!!

I'm gonna make some for my family for Christmas and it's nice to know that I can omit the beeswax....

I found someone locally that raises bees and I hope they're going to be able to provide me with some fresh beeswax.

 

[TammyTX]

Quote:
If you can get it cheap that's great!

Just don't freak out if they don't get hard for 24 hours!! I would also melt the butters very gently and maybe even pull them off the heat just before they are completely melted.

Good luck and let me know how they turn out.

 

[kassy68]

wow.. havent made these in years.. I never had to really whip or mix.. I just melted , added essential oils and like you a little of some other premium oil.. But I will say , I never did like jojoba in anything.. it seemed to make things sticky.. I only made cp soap though