How to Make Calendula Lotion Bars
I started making lotion bars a few years ago after trying one that had been made by a small herbal business in Washington. I loved it so much. The company packaged their lotion bars in sweet little reusable tins and used the prettiest mold to make them. Once I realized how much I liked lotion bars, I started stashing them everywhere – in my nightstand, in my purse, on the bathroom counter. They are especially nice during the cooler months when my skin is a bit more dry than normal, but I have also been using these calendula lotion bars this spring and summer and I feel like they are really helping my skin so I thought I would share the recipe with you today.
Ingredients
3 ounces of organic sunflower seed oil double-infused with calendula (click here to learn how to infuse oils with herbs) (Calendula officinalis)
1 ounce of organic sunflower seed oil infused with St. John's wort flowers (Hypericum perforatum)
1/2 ounce of organic, unrefined rosehip seed oil
1 ounce of organic, unrefined cocoa butter
1 ounce of organic, unrefined shea butter
2 ounces of beeswax
40 drops of organic sweet orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis)
40 drops of organic lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
10-20 drops of calendula CO2 extract (optional)
Instructions
Melt your beeswax and cocoa butter in a double boiler over low heat. Once they have completely turned to liquid, turn off the heat and stir in your infused sunflower oil and St. John's wort oil. Continue to stir until they are completely incorporated, then stir in the shea butter. Add your essential oils and the optional CO2 extract at the very end.
Pour your mix into some pretty silicone molds and allow them to sit, undisturbed, on the counter for a few hours until they have cooled completely. Once they have hardened, you can slip them out of the molds and store them in individual tins or in a wide-mouthed glass jar with sheets of parchment paper between them to keep them separated.
Lotion bars make lovely gifts and are actually pretty quick to make! Have you ever tried them? If you make these, share a photo on social media with the hashtag #floranellarecipe so I can see it too!
Much love,
Erin
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.
