My lotions

Just over three years ago I developed super sensitive skin. Brands I loved and used for years was making my condition worst. I was on a mission to educate myself on ingredients and recipes. I stumbled upon Point of Interest blog. Her blog is exactly what I was looking for. She details the chemical ingredients in body care products. I was able to choose which ingredients I thought was best for my skin type but remember everyone is different.




My ingredients: Distilled water, BTMS, Shea butter, Sunflower oil, Avocado oil, Rice Bran oil, Glycerin, cetyl alcohol, hydrolyzed oat protein, polyquat7, panthenol, silicones, green tea extract, avena oat extract, preservative and fragrance.

 

After a year of reading her blog and testing recipes I decided to try a new oil, Rice Bran. I also included some Shea Butter. Usually I reserve it for my body butters. Rice Bran oil contains anti-oxidants and Vitamin E which my sun damaged skin, acne-scars, and age marks will benefit. It does have a longer shelf life than Sunflower oil.




Glycerin is a humectant which doesn't wash off after hand washing. It also draws moisture out from the lower levels of your skin so you would want an occlusive too. Occlusions prevent water loss from your skin to the atmosphere. It traps water in. 

Shea butter soothes my skin. I am not making a medical claim, just stating my skin loves it and doesn't itch as much when I use it.  It is absorbed quickly by the skin. Mango is still astringent and Cocoa is too thick for my taste.

Sunflower oil is cheap due to it's short shelf life. My hair loves it. Before I made my own conditioner I read and compared labels on commercial products. Sunflower was a common oil in the products I liked. It is considered non-comedogenic which is great for my acne prone skin. Any product I make for myself will last a month if that.

Avocado oil is thick. I had thought I was allergic to this last year. Turns out the Mango butter doesn't agree with my skin that I mixed with the avocado. It contains Vitamins A, D, and E. It's easily absorbed by the skin and hair.

Silicones- cyclomethicone & dimethicone mix help coat your skin with the other ingredients. Dimethicone is FDA approved as a skin care protectant.

Cetyl alcohol is the thickener which leaves a silky feeling on my skin. It works best with BTMS the emulsifier. BTMS is on the dry side which is why I included with my oils of choice. This is my second recipe using BTMS over E-wax. It's just my personal preference.

• Hydrolyzed Oat Protein to increase conditioning and moisturizing benefits.
• Polyquat7 adsorbs to your skin. It is a humectant.
• Panthenol acts as a humectant. Read Swift's post for more details.
• Green Tea Extract anti-inflammatory ingredients.
• Avena Oat Extract is considered a soothing antioxidant. 
• Phenonip is a broad spectrum preservative.

If you are looking for a starter recipe try: Soap Queen's Lotion Tutorial.

If you want to formulate your own you need to understand the HLB system. Swift explains it all here.

Suppliers are everywhere. You unfortunately have to go by word of mouth or testing them yourself. I stick with three supplies for ingredients since they each carry something different. 

Bramble Berry From soap supplies to makeup to candles. Best fragrances I have tried.
Lotioncrafter-Has Cetrimonium Chloride which Herbie doesn't carry.( conditioner)
The Herbarie -$30 min order for US. Will ship to Canada-see their site for details.
Elements Bath and Body- They also sell ingredients but I use them for bottles/containers.