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When it comes to moisturising the skin, there is no shortage of options in today’s market. This abundance of choices can make it hard to decide which beauty care products are right for you. Lotion bars are an excellent choice because they moisturise well, smell great, and will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. So what exactly are they?
Lotion bars are firm, softening blocks made of various butter, oils, and aromaceuticals to moisturise the skin. They stay solid at room temperature but melt when rubbed against the skin, making them easy to apply whenever your skin feels dry.
So, if you are new to lotion bars, this post will help you understand what they are and how to use them.
Table of Contents
- What are Lotion Bars Made of?
- How do Lotion Bars Work?
- How to Use Lotion Bar
- The Benefits of Using Lotion Bars
- Lotion vs Lotion Bar: What’s the Difference
- Summary
- FAQs
What are Lotion Bars Made of?
A true lotion bar is a combination of butter, aromaceuticals and antioxidants, where butter is the main ingredient. However, suppose you’d like to incorporate softer butter or carrier oils into your formula. In that case, you might need to add wax to your recipe for firmness.
The specific ingredients that you choose to include in your lotion bar will change the way it smells, looks and feels, but for the most part, they will work to moisturise the skin.
There are oodles of ingredients that you can add to your formula. The most popular include
– cocoa butter, which adds a heavenly scent and stability to the product.
– cupuacu butter for its hydrating and skin-soothing properties, plus exceptional levels of vitamin E.
– shea butter for its skin-soothing properties; and vitamin E. (If you’d like to learn about what essential oils work well with shea butter, click here)
– coconut oil is an excellent skin moisturiser that adds a lush, tropical aroma to lotion bars.
– beeswax for its lovely honey-like aroma and firming properties
– essential oils, which will make your lotion bar smell heavenly, plus they offer ample benefits.
With many natural ingredients on the market, there is no limit to what you can create.
How do Lotion Bars Work?
Lotion bars contain a high concentration of various nourishing oils. As you’ll rub a lotion bar onto your skin, your body warmth will soften it, and the oils will transfer onto your skin, working to hydrate and nourish it.
- Essential oils provide wide-ranging restorative properties and give bars a light, natural scent.
- Carrier oils smooth and softens the skin, help to restore its moisture levels, nourish it and add slip to the bars, making them easier to use.
- On the other hand, butter forms a protective film over the skin to lock in moisture, preventing moisture loss.
How to Use Lotion Bar
Like any moisturiser, a lotion bar is an essential go-to skincare goodie when skin feels tight and dry. You can use it to moisturise from head to toe. Just remember, it is more important when you apply the lotion bar rather than how often.
To keep your skin moisturised throughout the day, use a lotion bar after the shower while your skin is still warm and moist – it will help lock the moisture in.
To get started, warm the bar between your hands for a minute or two to soften it and free up ingredients. Then glide the bar over your skin, rubbing the moisturiser in a circular motion, not forgetting dry, problem areas. As oil releases from the bar, it will spread over your skin and moisturise it, leaving it feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.
The Benefits of Using Lotion Bars
- Regularly applying lotion bars can help moisturise dry skin and leave it feeling soft and smooth. They work by sealing moisture into the skin, softening the outer layer and keeping it hydrated, thus preventing dryness, roughness and flaking.
- Many lotion bars contain natural ingredients that can help target specific issues such as dryness, cellulite and eczema.
- They can also keep wrinkles at bay. Yes, you heard it. Regular moisturising is one of the factors that can reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Moreover, many lotion bars are packed with anti-ageing rich ingredients that smell great too!
- Butter and wax in the bars can help protect the skin from external irritants such as wind, pollution, dust and detergents that can trigger dryness of the skin and irritate it.
- Lotion bars also smell great! There is nothing like applying a beautifully scented moisturising bar after a bath or shower. It can refresh your body and mind!
Lotion vs Lotion Bar: What’s the Difference
Lotion bars and lotions offer many benefits, but there are a few key differences.
- Lotion bars are solid blocks, while the lotion is a smooth thick liquid.
- Lotion bars require slight warming and rubbing to soften before using, while lotion spreads effortlessly.
- Lotion bars are much richer than lotions. While lotion bars combine wax, butter and oils, the lotions contain mainly water.
- Lotion bars require very few ingredients. You can whip up a gorgeous lotion bar using as little as three ingredients. That would be hard to replicate with lotions.
- Lotion bars don’t contain emulsifiers, preservatives or stabilisers, which lotions certainly do.
- Lotion bars are easy to make. Lotions, on the other hand, require a bit of skill.
Summary
Lotion bars are solid moisturisers that help restore the skin’s moisture, smooth and soften the skin, nourish it, and prevent dryness—making them a perfect choice for dry skin!
FAQs
Are lotion bars greasy?
Although lotion bars are excellent moisturisers, they can leave a greasy film on the skin. Include dry oils such as rosehip oil, raspberry oil, or blackberry seed oil in your formulations to avoid a sticky, oily feeling. They absorb fast without leaving a thick residue. For a matte finish, you can try cosmetic grade starch powders like corn starch, rice powder or arrowroot.
Can I freeze lotion bars?
Yes, you can freeze lotion bars. Freezing is an excellent option for preserving the bars and extending their shelf life when you want to make a bigger batch.
