I decided I was going to have a bash at creating some raw vegan organic cacao DIY moisturizing lotion bars. It turns out they’re ridiculously easy to make! I may never buy lotion bars again…

What’s a lotion bar you may ask??

It’s like a bar of soap that you rub on your skin, but instead of washing you it moisturizes you. Like body lotion in solid form.

I love these kind of bars for taking with me while I’m travelling as they’re less likely to make a big mess in my suitcase if they somehow come out of their packaging en-route.

So I decided I’d make one batch of general skin-pampering lotion bars, and one batch of mosquito-repellent bars for any sunny holidays I may find myself on (my Holy Grail is to find the perfect natural organic bug-repellent).

While I was checking out recipes online (Wellness Mama is well worth checking out for tons of cool recipes) I noticed they all seemed to include beeswax. Now, the thing about beeswax is that it melts at a pretty high temperature, which makes the bars extra-solid, which isn’t really necessary in our ‘not so tropical’ Scottish weather. So I decided to omit the beeswax, which also meant they would be vegan. Bonus!

Most recipes were usually including shea butter too, and I would have definitely used this cos it’s lovely, but I didn’t have any to hand.

I used a combination of raw cold pressed organic coconut oil and raw organic cacao butter for gorgeous silky-smooth bars that nourish the skin without any chemical nasties.

I thought it would be a good idea to also add a little oil that stays liquid at room temperature, to make the bars a bit softer and easier to glide on to the skin. Because let’s face it, in this country you need a chisel to prize your coconut oil outta the jar in the mornings.  I used hemp oil and evening primrose oil but you could just as easily use other oils such as olive or jojoba.

Bear in mind though, if you take these on holiday somewhere hot, they’ll get all melty and turn into a thick luxurious lotion. While this feels gorgeous on your skin, it’s not quite so gorgeous spilled in your case all over your new holiday clothes. So take them in a good sturdy container, and keep them in the fridge if you want them to stay solid.

Skin pampering raw vegan organic cacao lotion bar

Ingredients:

1 cup cacao butter
1 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons evening primrose oil
10 drops each of the following essential oils:
Ylang ylang, lavender, frankincense, clary sage, patchouli

Mosquito repellent raw vegan organic lotion bar

Ingredients:

1 cup cacao butter
1 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons hemp oil
8 drops each of the following essential oils:
Eucalyptus lemon, tea tree, peppermint, citronella, cinnamon

 

Instructions (for both types of bar):

Melt the cacao butter gently over a very low heat (careful, you don’t want to cook it), then once it’s about half melted add the coconut oil. Once they’re both liquid, remove from the heat and add in the other oils. Stir everything around, then pour it into some silicone moulds, or any other spare containers you have lying around. Then leave it to chill and become solid.

And that’s it. Told you it was easy didn’t I?!

The bug repellent bars can double as deodorant bars too (and even toothpaste!) due to their lovely fresh scents.

So there you go – your very own raw vegan organic skin nourishing bars! Let me know how you get on!

And one more thing – please try to resist licking yourself in public, it’s a tad uncivilised 😉

Lisa x