I confess, I used to be a bit of a hand cream addict. In fact, it was this that got me started making soap, indirectly. I used to use cheapo liquid soap and then follow it up with loads of cream, because my hands were so dry. I tried soap making just for something to do, really, and it was only when I started using the soap, and realised I didn’t need so much hand cream, that the obsession was born. These days, I rarely use any at all, but there is the odd time when I use it.
With all this enforced time at home, I decided to look through the ingredients I’ve hoarded carefully chosen, to see what I could make. I bought some ingredients for trying creams and lotions a while back, and thought it would be a good time to have a go.
Lotions (as I’ll refer to them – meaning all types of hand / face / foot / body / night / day creams) are generally made from oils and water, emulsifier (to make the oil and water be friends), preservatives (to make sure harmful bacteria can’t grow in it), and sometimes other ingredients to enhance the feel of the lotion on skin, and normally some kind of fragrance. What makes a lighter, quickly absorbed moisturiser different from a thicker cream suitable for night time, or for very dry skin, is simply the choice of oils used, and the amount of water added.
My first attempt included rice bran oil and shea butter as the oil component, as that’s what I happened to have available. Rice bran oil is considered a medium weight oil, so it probably wouldn’t be ideal if you wanted a really light, quickly absorbed cream, but as it’s my first try (and I don’t have much else that’s suitable) I went with it. Next time I order ingredients, I’ll order something lighter, and then try again – if I keep the rest of the recipe the same, it will be interesting to compare. Shea butter is obviously much thicker, being solid at room temperature, but is loaded with Vitamin E and anti-oxidants, and helps reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier, which is what gets damaged by harsh handwashing products. For fragrance, I added an almond scent. Not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but I’m making it for me, so I can please myself 😀
The actual making of the product was surprisingly easy. I fashioned a sort of double-boiler out of a saucepan and some clean jam jars, as the oils and water need to be heated to the same temperature. The oils and emulsifier went in the larger jar, and the water went in the smaller one. Once the oils were melted, I kept the temperature above 70°C for twenty minutes, to kill off any nasties that might be lurking. Then the water gets poured into the oils, I mix, and the emulsifier works its magic. The other ingredients (preservative, fragrance etc) are heat-sensitive, so I had to wait for the mixture to cool before I could add those. If the mixture was too hot, it could compromise the effectiveness of the preservative, and the fragrance would simply evaporate. A bit of mixing and cooling, and once it was at room temperature I put it into a pump bottle, and hey presto! I made lotion!
I was able to test the lotion as soon as it was cool. So, to review my own product: It leaves a slightly greasy feeling for a minute or two after using. Initially I thought it might be too much as a hand cream, but it goes after a minute, and leaves the hands feeling really nice. If your hands are very dry, it might be perfect. I tried it on my face too, and whilst for me it’s too greasy for daytime, it was good as a night cream. It was also nice as a foot cream, applied last thing at night. Baby soft feet by the morning!
My plan is to try a few more batches with different oils, and see what I like best. The testing and refining process is a long one, as I want to see how this performs over time. I want to see how it looks, feels and smells, when it has been sitting on my bedside table for a couple of months, or when I’ve left it in my bag straight over a radiator – in short, test it in real-life situations. So I can’t say when this will be ready for putting into production, but I enjoyed the process and am looking forward to making more. I’m really pleased with how it came out.
