When things keep heating up in the Mediterranean, at some point you’ll see how the temperature, sun and sea affect your skin. Mine tends to become that dry, that I’ll resort to oils for moisturising.  On Pinterest, I’ve been seeing these lotion bars lately and kind of got curious to see if they are that easy to make and that gorgeously moisturising as they seem.  So… I thought I’d get crafty and try to whip some up in my kitchen. 🙂

As a base recipe, I was inspired by HowWeLearn and Coconutoil.com, both using coconut oil and vitamin E oil.

What you need for these easy bars:

• 40 gr. Shea Butter
• 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 tablespoons Bees Wax Pallets
• 2 Vitamin E Capsules (about 6-8 drops)
• a Few drops of Essential Oils of your choice, for each lotion bar

How you make it

Take a deep plate or a glass bowl that can fit just over a pot with boiling water (Double boiler).  Add on your coconut oil, Bees wax pallets and Shea butter.  This will melt in less than 10 minutes.  Once the oils have melted, prick a hole in the vitamin E capsules and squash out the oil.  Stir all your oils together well.  Carefully take the glass bowl off the pot, you may want to use oven gloves so you won’t burn yourself!

Take a silicone mould and add 3 drops of essential oils of your choice per lotion bar you’re about to make.  I used Bergamot, Grapefruit and Lavender oils to create 2 bars of each scent.  As an alternative, I’ve also done 2 non-scented bars.

Divide your oil mix quickly over the mould.  Use a tooth pick to stir the essential oils with the oil mix, to blend well.  Set aside carefully for min 15 minutes to start hardening.  Then leave another 2-3 hours in the fridge so your bars can solidify completely.  Carefully pop out of the mould.

I store these in the fridge, as the bars would be prone to melt in our still hot weather (+25 degrees C in the shade!).  They feel amazing on your skin after a day out, or just after a good shower.  If you like the bars a bit more solid, I would add more beeswax pallets to the mix and a little less coconut oil. This will make them less prone to melt.

Have you tried any of these bars yet?  What scents have you used or combined?