Although a lotion bar is less greasy than a liquid lotion, even a slightly greasy lotion bar can be off-putting, especially if you are going to have a day out. So how to make your lotion bars less greasy? To my surprise, I have found that the solution to this problem was not that hard at all.
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You can make your lotion bar less greasy by using mango butter instead of shea/cocoa butter to decrease greasiness. Or by using light, quick-absorbing oils, like Grapeseed, hemp, hazelnut, and safflower. Also, adding tapioca starch or arrowroot powder helps to lower the lotion bar’s greasiness.
They are a health-conscious choice as they escape all the harmful ingredients used in commercial creamy lotions. They are mostly made of beeswax, oils, and butter, such as shea and cocoa.
Many times, especially if you made it for the first time and have not used a recipe online (which usually is tested) or used a soap calculator (which can help with your measurements), you’ll probably end up with a greasy lotion bar. Why this happens and what you can do to avoid it is what we will discuss in this article, but also how you can fix one that is already made, so let’s dive in!
Why Is My Lotion Bar Too Greasy?
Lotion bars can be oil-based or water-based. As you may have guessed, an oil-based lotion bar is greasier compared to a water-based lotion bar for obvious reasons.
Suppose you’re making your lotion bar with shea or cocoa butter, then the chances are that it will be greasier compared to one made with mango butter, which is drier.
And finally, as mentioned earlier, or wrong measurements can also be the cause of greasy and sticky lotion bars.
How to Make Lotion Bars Less Greasy?
But no fear, as there is an easy fix to your problem. However, this fix may not be one to your liking. The reason is, you might like one particular oil or butter like shea or cacao butter but might end up having to use something else.
Here are some easy and fast ways to make lotion bars less greasy.
- Using Virgin, safflower, or fractionated Coconut oil is the easiest fix. Your skin can absorb these types of oils much better. They are also known as light and penetrating oils and have a long shelf life.
- Jojoba oil is also non-greasy. It is an excellent moisturizer and won’t clog your pores.
- Grapeseed, hemp, hazelnut, and safflower are also light, quick-absorbing oils.
- Add tapioca starch or arrowroot powder while making your lotion bar.
- Use mango butter instead of shea or cocoa butter.
What Are the Basic Methods to Make Your Lotion Bars Less Greasy?
The easiest way to make your lotion bars less greasy is by increasing the amount of mango butter and decreasing the amount of grapeseed oil used. Although mango butter is not as popular as the other kinds of butter, such as shea and cocoa, it is a drier butter, which means it will not feel as greasy to the skin.
And if you’re not a fan of mango butter, a good alternative is avocado butter. Just don’t forget that all lotion bars will have a little greasy feel as it is oil-based. If the feeling of greasiness completely repels you, I would advise you to switch over using a water-based lotion bar.
Another sure shot method of avoiding the greasiness is to add Tapioca starch to your recipe. Tapioca starch is velvety smooth and leaves your skin feeling silky soft and smooth.
In case you have made a water-based lotion and do not want to use tapioca, you can increase the amount of water and decrease the liquid oils to lower the greasiness feeling.
Another good solution is to add corn-starch to your lotion to reduce the greasiness feel. Or clay in case you don’t have corn-starch or want an alternative to it.
How to Fix A Greasy Lotion Bar?
If you have already made your lotion bar and find it too greasy, you can always remelt them. This is actually the best part about lotion bars. You can alter the ingredients in them very quickly and easily. Just melt again and adjust the ratio of ingredients. If you carefully choose ingredients that get absorbed by the skin, you should do just fine. After you cool it, it will harden again.
How to Store A Lotion Bar?
A lotion bar looks like a soap bar and is in most cases also maintained in a solid-state at room temperature or lower temperatures. To store the lotion bar in a hard state, make sure you keep it in a dry, cool place out of direct sunlight. Lotion bars have a shelf life of at least six months. To maximize their shelf life, they can be stored in small containers.
Is Making A Lotion Bar Quicker Than Making A Creamy Lotion?
Yes, lotion bars are less time-consuming to make. They can be made in ju1st 15 minutes, while a creamy lotion can take up to half an hour. A lotion bar can also be customized using a mold you admire, and there is no bottle to throw away once it’s over!
What Are the Functions of The Ingredients Used in A Lotion Bar?
A lotion bar is made up of many ingredients, each having a specific function. If you understand what their functions are, you’re one step closer to making the perfect lotion bar.
You can also choose ingredients according to whether you want your lotion bar to be vegan or not. The ingredients listed here are used for a regular lotion bar, but you can customize your lotion bar with your ingredients as per your requirement.
For example, lemongrass, citronella, or eucalyptus can be added to your lotion bar if you need to use it as a mosquito and insect repellent.
This plant-based ingredient is an alternative to beeswax and is used to harden the lotion bar. The amount of carnauba wax required is lesser than beeswax in a lotion bar recipe.
Beeswax tends to give you a waxy feeling. The function of beeswax is to form a protective layer on your skin and prevent the loss of water from your skin.
As mentioned earlier, Mango butter is a dry butter, which can be used instead of cocoa or shea butter for reduced greasiness. A study in 2008 confirms that mango butter can replenish moisture and soften skin.
Oil
This is the ingredient that adds greasiness to your lotion bar. Virgin coconut oil is a good option. Jojoba oil is found to be nutritious to the skin.
The MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) in coconut oil acts as a natural skin moisturizer. Studies show that it also helps with eczema and dermatitis. It also provides sun protection and contains vitamin E.
Corn Starch or Arrowroot Powder
These can be used to reduce the greasiness of the lotion bar. Arrowroot powder helps the lotion penetrate the skin better.
Clay is a good alternative to corn starch or arrowroot powder.
Fragrance Oils
An example of fragrance oil is Summer fling. They are used simply to enhance the fragrance of your lotion bar.
To Sum Up
You can fix a greasy or sticky lotion bar quickly and very easily by changing your butter or adding starch or arrowroot. But if you do a google search, you’ll be able to find many other ways to make it work. But start with these simple methods and tips mentioned above, and your greasy nightmares will be over!
