How to Make Nourishing Lotion Bars (Just 5 Ingredients!)

This simple lotion bar recipe is a must-try if you’ve been thinking about expanding your product line beyond candles, room sprays, and diffusers. It’s nourishing, non-greasy, beautifully giftable, and beginner-friendly—plus, it uses only five ingredients!

At Couture Home & Body, we’re all about clean, sustainable luxury for every part of your self-care routine. I’ve recently updated this lotion bar formula with new ingredients I’m loving and am excited to share it with you.

Let’s make something gorgeous.

🧴 Why Lotion Bars?

Lotion bars are an amazing way to offer solid skincare without the need for preservatives or water. They’re travel-friendly, mess-free, and perfect for all-over moisture—cuticles, elbows, tattoos, lips (your call!), and anywhere that needs some love.

🌿 Ingredients (Per 1.2 oz / 34g bar):

• 10.89g Meadowfoam Seed Oil (32%)
  Locks in moisture, balances oil, and improves texture. Fast-absorbing and luxurious.

• You can sub 1:1 Sweet Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil
  
  

• 11.23g Beeswax (33%)
  Creates a protective barrier and helps the bar hold its shape. Choose refined white beeswax for a neutral color and zero scent.
  
  

• 5.44g Kokum Butter (16%)
  Lightweight, non-comedogenic, soothing, and ideal for sensitive skin.
  
  

• 5.44g Cocoa Butter (16%)
  Rich in fatty acids, it helps promote elasticity and adds firmness without graininess.
  
  

• 1.02g Fragrance Oil (Optional) (3%)
  I used Ocean Salt & Driftwood from Bulk Apothecary’s Luxe Musks Collection—it’s a citrusy, salty dream.

✨ Want an unscented bar? No problem—just omit the fragrance oil and increase the meadowfoam seed oil to 11.91g (35%) to keep the batch weight the same.

🔥 Tools You'll Need

• Double boiler with heat-safe bowl + pot or hot plate. (I use this combo magnetic stirrer + hot plate)
  
  

• Kitchen scale (use grams)
  
  

• Silicone molds (I'm partial to the bee-shape molds)
  
  

• Stirring spatula (my faves are these and these)
  
  

• 2oz Tins for packaging
  
  

• Paper towels + alcohol for cleanup
  
  

• Shop cloths for cleanup
  
  

• Glass beaker

🧼 Directions

1. Prep Your Workspace:
   Clean and disinfect all tools and molds. Lay out the ingredients and have your scale ready.
   
   

2. Melt Your Base Ingredients:
   Combine beeswax, kokum butter, and cocoa butter in your glass beaker. Melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
   
   

3. Remove from Heat & Add Oil:
   Once fully melted, remove from heat and stir in meadowfoam seed oil. If the mixture starts to harden up, place it back on the hot plate and keep stirring.
   
   

4. Add Fragrance (If Using):
   Let the mixture cool slightly before adding fragrance oil. Stir well to incorporate.
   
   

5. Pour into Molds:
   Carefully pour the mixture into your silicone molds. Let sit at room temperature until fully set, about 12 hours.
   
   

6. Unmold & Package:
   Once hardened, unmold and wrap in compostable parchment paper or tuck into a reusable tin.

♻️ Packaging Tip

We love minimal and sustainable packaging at Couture, so I wrap mine in fluted coffee filters and pop them into reusable tins. Add a simple label with your branding and ingredients, and you’re ready to gift or sell!

📦 Clean-Up Tips

Since this recipe includes wax and butters, don’t rinse your tools in the sink right away—those solids can clog your pipes! Instead:

• Wipe down all tools with paper towels until no wax remains. If anything solidifies, you can use a heat gun to melt it.
  
  

• Spray with alcohol.
  
  

• Finish cleaning with a reusable shop cloth.

💡 Pro Tip

Start small! If you're testing a new formula, half the recipe so you’re not wasting raw materials. Always use a kitchen scale for accuracy.

👋 Final Thoughts

This recipe is a favorite in my studio, and once you make it, you’ll see why. It’s easy, beautiful, and super versatile for your product line or personal stash. Whether you scent it or keep it unscented, your skin will thank you.

Prefer to watch instead of read? You can follow along with me step-by-step on YouTube! I walk you through the entire process, share extra tips, and show you exactly how I make, wrap, and package each lotion bar.

▶️ Click here to watch the full tutorial on YouTube

Let me know if you try it—tag @couturehomeandbody on social or drop a comment on the YouTube video. I’d love to see your creations!

Happy Making!
Kerry xx

Couture Home & Body is an Amazon & Bulk Apothecary Affiliate and may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases—at no additional cost to you. These links help support my YouTube channel and allow me to keep creating free content for makers like you.