“Cocoa Vanilla with a Hint of Mint” Lotion Bars and Lip Balm

Hi there!  Long time no blog!  Winter has been busy, but it is time to get back at it!  

I went to start this project today and went, “Wait a minute!!  I need to document this and post it!”  

I have been terrible lately for testing and trying new things…and neglecting to share.  So…here’s what I did today!

I call this “Cocoa Vanilla with a Hint of Mint” Lotion Bars and Lip Balm

Step 1:

Measure out ½ cup beeswax pellets

Step 2:

Add ½ cup cocoa butter

Step 3:

Add ½ cup grapeseed oil

Step 4:

Mix together gently

Step 5:

Melt on low heat, ideally using a double boiler

Step 6:

Remove from heat and add ½ tsp natural vanilla

Step 7:

Add 10 drops spearmint essential oil and 5 drops peppermint essential oil and blend

Step 8:

Pour into deodorant/lotion bar tubes and let cool

This recipe made enough product for 3 lotion bars and 3 lip balms as well.  If you don’t want the lip balms, use one more deodorant tube, knowing that it won’t be quite full.

Ta da!  The finished product!  It smells SO YUMMY!!

Tips:

This product cools and hardens quickly once removed from the heat.  Not to worry though!  If you need to re-liquefy it, simply reheat it!

I topped up all of my filled tubes at the end to use up the last of the liquid.  This resulted in a less than smooth finish on top.  This is no big deal for home use, but if you want to make these for a gift, I would suggest one pour, and no top up to ensure a smooth, even finished product. 

You don’t need a double boiler.  I don’t have one.  I just boiled one larger pot of water and held my small pot over top of the heat. 

Wash your pot, spoons etc. quickly after use.  I find wiping the bulk of the product off with a piece of paper towel before washing works well. 

This recipe does not have to be made with the above oil and butter.  It could be shea butter and olive oil for example, whatever you prefer.  Just equal parts of beeswax, “butter” and oil.

You can use whatever EO you want as well, it doesn't have to be mints!  And the vanilla was just for scent, so can easily be omitted.