Listen, I’m no scientist or doctor or researcher or philosopher, but I am a human being. And I believe that as human beings, there are certain things that we are wired for. We are social animals and connection with other human beings is absolutely essential. We are intelligent beings who desire an understanding of our place in the world, the ability to exercise our talents and the freedom to live out our purpose. And we are creative beings in that our bodies and minds are meant to solve problems and make art. This is why I think a little DIY is good for the soul – and the more we can take singular ingredients to create something useful for our bodies – the more connected we are to ourselves and where we come from. And so these deep thoughts bring me to today’s topic: Lotion Bars. Who knew one could wax poetic about the meaning of life and somehow connect it to a hydrating body care product? I just did. Here we are. Maybe I need a vacation.

On this week’s Minnesota Live segment, I shared my latest DIY obsession – mixing up some oil, some butter (not the kind from a cow) & wax to create lotion bars that are sustainable, hydrating and very fun. It’s an instant gratification type of project that I love and takes me back to my twenties when I dreamed of having my own skincare/body care/cosmetics line. There are lots of recipes out there – but here are the ratios I’ve found to work best:

4 ounces oil (jojoba, almond, coconut, avocado)

4 ounces beeswax

4 ounces butter (mango, shea, cacao, etc.)

Melt all of these ingredients over a double boiler set on medium heat until the mixture is completely liquid. Remove the heat and add in drops of vitamin E oil and/or essential oils as desired. Pour into silicone molds and let set completely before popping them out and putting directly into tins or jars to store at room temperature. For longer storage, put them in a zip top bag in the freezer and pull out as needed. Use as lip balm, hand lotion or body lotion – the heat of your skin will warm and melt the bar into a lovely moisturizer.

A couple of other notes: I pick up ingredients at my local co-op. Mountain Rose Herbs and New Directions Aromatics are also great online sources. I’m really loving essential oils from Revive. Silicone molds are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes online or at craft stores – I use them for muffins, cupcakes, fat bombs and more. I use the same molds to make lotion bars that I use to make food items – there’s no problem there. Have fun playing around with different oil and butter combinations. For example, I don’t love coconut oil as a skin moisturizer, so I don’t use it. But some people swear by coconut oil so use what works for you.

From one human being to another, enjoy your lotion bars. 😉