# Hand or skin cream



## BertieFox (May 8, 2010)

A friend recently showed us a really nice hand cream which had simply 'beeswax and mineral oils' under the list of contents.
As we have a whole lot of beeswax at present we would like to make hand cream to sell to our holiday accommodation guests during the summer.
Does anyone have a simple recipe for how to make a good cream?


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## Eric Baxter (Sep 9, 2010)

I havent tried this lotion recipe yet, but it seems simple enough.

1lb beeswax, 1lb Coconut Oil, 1lb Shea Butter, 1lb Coco Butter. 
Instructions- Melt and Pour into Molds.
Good Luck.


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## Island Apiaries (Aug 9, 2010)

I have tried several creams on liquid lotions and they came out OK, but their shelf life was pretty short unless you added quite a bit of preservative. I switched to a Shea butter,cocoa butter,almond oil,beeswax formula for lotion bars that works really well, lasts a really long time and is easy to store. I am going to try Eric's formula too.


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## beekeeper14 (Nov 24, 2011)

What happens to make liquid lotion go bad? What preservative do I use to stop it and how much? Thanks


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## The Soap Pixie (Mar 15, 2010)

Why does lotion go bad?

It is the water content of the lotion that causes it to go bad. Actually, going bad is probably the wrong word. Oils go bad, water causes bacteria to grow. If you create a product that has water as an ingredient than it must contain a preservative if you want it to last more than a couple days outside the fridge. If you make a product with just oils than you might consider adding an antioxidant like rosemary extract or vitamin E oil to extend the shelf life of your oils but the oils themselves won't grow the types of bacteria that you'll find in water based products.

There are two types of preservatives for lotions: natural and synthetic. The most common natural preservatives are (GSE) grapefruit seed extract and certain types of essential oils. The issue with EO's is they often have to be used in very high percentages to be effective and this can be an issue due to sensitivity. 

The most common synthetic preservatives are Optiphen Plus and Germaben II. Some synthetic preservatives are considered carcinogenic so you will want to do your research before choosing the one that is right for you. 

The manufacturers of natural and synthetic preservatives will tell you the amount of preservative needed based on your recipe.


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## Anthony Ritenour (Mar 17, 2008)

Can you give us your recipe amounts? I would like to try this myself. This is directed to Island Apiaries.


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## MichaBees (Sep 26, 2010)

Michelle,

Could you elaborate into formulas for making easy soaps and lotions? I would like to improve the skin from all of our kids, specially our Tarahumara Indian kids we work with, they all seem to have a big problem with malnutrition and their skin reflects it when they get to our doors. Sandals and full exposure to the elements is not kind with human skin, no matter what race. 
So, please share simple formulas if you can. 
You are welcome to post them on our face book page, so that all of our caretakers see them first hand; Rescue Ministries of Mexico at face book.


Aurelio (leo) Paez
DBA Michas Honey House


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## The Soap Pixie (Mar 15, 2010)

*Cold Processed Soap*

The easiest basic recipe for cold processed soap and one I started with is:

24 oz. olive oil
24 oz. coconut oil
38 oz. palm oil
12 oz. sodium hydroxide
32 oz. distilled water

Here is a website that lists various suppliers of sodium hydroxide specifically for cold processed soap. You may be able to find 100% lye at a hardware store, just be make sure it is pure 100% lye.

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/coldprocesssoapmaking/a/lyesources.htm

If you want to create your own cold processed soap recipe you'll need to use a lye calculator (if you don't already understand SAP values and such). Here is the one I like the best (just insert the oils you'll be using it gives the amount of water and lye necessary for saponification).

http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

Note: beeswax is on their list. Just enter the number of ounces in the box for each ingredient you intend to use and than calculate. Stay small with the beeswax though.

Beeswax in cold processed soap can be tricky. Beeswax makes soap harder (which is good) but diminishes lather. It also causes soap to heat up while it is saponifying and can cause a type of "soap" eruption. On page 6 of this pdf it talks a little about using beeswax in cp soap http://www.tonitoni.org/soap/soap_the_bare_bones.pdf
The higher % of beeswax in your soap the more likely to have an eruption.

Honey is awesome in soap. I've heard honey leaches but to avoid that problem I mix mine with distilled water and it has never been an issue. 

Honey colors a bar of soap naturally. I used it in this bar and it turned out a beautiful tan color as oppose to creamy white http://soappixie.blogspot.com/2010/10/natural-colorant-follow-up.html

I use 2 oz of honey mixed with .5 oz of distilled water (helps it blend well) in a 2-3 lb batch of soap.

*As for Lotion:*

There are tons of recipes on the internet, some of which I've experimented with and love. Here is a favorite:

This one contains beeswax:

http://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/my_weblog/2008/12/rainforest-flow.html

This one is as basic as you get:

http://www.wabisabibaby.com/blog/2008/how-to-make-an-all-natural-lotion-with-only-3-ingredients/

Toss in some beeswax (about a tsp) and you'll have a good lotion.

General rule for formulating is:

12% oil phase
6% emulsifier
80% water 
preservative (check with manufacturer)
1-3% essential oil (fragrance - check with manufacturer)

"The backyard beekeeper" by Kim Flottum has a basic cream recipe in it using beeswax.

Some recipes will say you can use beeswax as an emulsifier but my advice would be to avoid that. If the water and oil combine using beeswax, it is usually temporary. I've not had any luck with that. Beeswax & honey as additives for skin care are awesome but I always use a natural emulsifier to combine my oils and water.

Here is a beeswax lotion recipe that doesn't contain water (so no preserving necessary). But... without water it will feel greasy.
http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/how-to-make-an-easy-beeswax-lotion/

Here is a write up on formulating: http://www.glenbrookfarm.com/makinglotions.htm

Any time you use a preservative and rely on it as such, you should have it lab tested. I don't use synthetic preservatives in the products we use at home. I only make small amounts so that we can use it quickly enough that we don't worry about bacterial growth. We oftentimes keep our products refridgerated without any preservative (in which case we must use the product up in a couple weeks). If I use GSE (natural) to preserve it we will keep it on the shelf (not in the bathroom) no longer than a couple months and ALWAYS use from a pump so we aren't inserting dirty fingers. Manufacturers will tell you what percentage of synthetic preservative to use in your product but if you intend to use it on others you should have it tested to make sure the preservative is effective. (Note: just because you can't see the bacteria doesn't mean it isn't there. Years ago I read that I could scrape the mold off the top and continue using the product. That is absolutely untrue. The microbes are invisible but still very unhealthy).

There is a book on the market by Donna Maria Coles called "Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions". In it Donna writes in depth about lotion & cream making plus includes numerous recipes. 

If you want something nourishing for the skin that is super easy to make using beeswax and/or honey and avoids preservatives, try solid lotion bars. This one has a very basic, good recipe:

http://www.easternmobeekeepers.com/content/presentations/Lotion.pdf

Note: You can always substitute oils for other oils. The difference is going to be absorption rate and benefits. Some oils are greasier than others and some take a longer time to absorb into the skin. You can also substitute waters. Instead of distilled water you can use hydrosols. If you are using glycerin that would count as part of the water phase.

Sorry about not posting on facebook. I would but I don't use the site.


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## MichaBees (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks Michelle! I will let you know how it turns out.


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