lotion making

[rebeccajo99]

I've been doing A LOT of research on making lotion. I was thinking about using a base, but cannot find one that is either 1... contains the ingrediants I want or 2... one that i can add the ingrediants I want.

So I have gathered a few recipes, but have a few questions before I even think about getting the ingrediants to try them. I have done a search, but some of the posts are old, so I want to get more up to date info

1. What do you use to disinfect the work area? I have been using the clorox wipes when I do my soap and bath bombs, is that enough for lotion, or do I need something stronger?

2. Do you do home kits for testing or do you send it away for testing. I do plan/hope on selling it someday. How often/much should the product be tested for the mold, bacteria before it is determined that it is preserved enough?

3. Last question, isn't it required that your ingrediants have to be on the bottle for lotions? I was at a show a few weeks back and one of the booths I stopped at said my hands and arms felt really dry and proceeded to put her lotions on my hands and arms to try. I tried to stop her so I could read the ingrediants first, but fail. When I picked up a bottle to look afterwards, I didn't see them. I didn't say anything to this person, but now I'm very confused. (fyi, I will be putting them on no matter what, but I'm just wondering if it was a requirment or not, I thought I read that it was)

My plan is to make my own base so then all I have to do is add my color and/or fragrance to it as needed/want.

Thanks in advance

[LuminousBoutique]

ugh I typed out a totally long detailed answer and then hit the back button, lol...

so here are some short answers.

Good for you for making your own bases!! It saves you so much money in the end and it is so nice to know exactly what is in your product.

1. Bleach solution (water/bleach) on my containers, tools, and work space. My work space (for lotions and scrubs) is a stainless steel table. I let everything air dry before using.

2. I send my stuff to sagescript. I make lotion 1 gallon at a time, body butter and scrubs 5lb at a time. (Same as you are planning, I store them and scent to order, or 5-10 at a time for shows.)

3. you must label your cosmetics (lotions, scrubs, stuff like that are considered cosmetics), according to FDA regulations... it will look something like this... (sorry I'm in a hotel room and dont have all my stuff, this is kinda quick but it'll give you the idea)

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Nut Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus (Sweet Almond) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Paraben free preservative [Propylene Glycol, Diazolindinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate], Hydroxyethyl Urea (Hydrovance), Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Fragrance Oil

PLAIN ENGLISH INGREDIENTS:

Sunflower Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, [Propylene Glycol, Diazolindinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate](Paraben free preservatives), Hydroxyethyl Urea (Hydrovance), Macadamia Nut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Fragrance Oil

They need to have weight, instructions for use, so on and so forth... of course not everyone follows the rules... but, better safe than sorry!

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks for the info (even if it is the shortened verson. I always hate when I do that )

I checked out that sagescript website. I got a little confused on the pricing, but since I'm not near close to even thinking about sending anything, I will have some time to e-mail them for clarification. I was trying to figure out if it was $500 for the first test and then $60 something for the second. Its late, my brain isn't working 100%

I think I'm going to wait until I get my workshop set up (which should hopefully be within the next month!!!) then I think i'll give my first recipe a try. My space is limited, so I'm going to have to be making it in the same area as my soaps and candles. Waiting until I get my workshop will inable me to "lock" out my kids so I don't get them touching my newly disinfected area. I feel like lotion is a whole lot more senstive than soaps and bath bombs.