Stawberry Hand Lotion - sort of...

Today I made lotion, or more specifically hand lotion. I made a modest batch of 50g since it was a new recipe based on the “Basic dry feeling hand or body lotion” from swiftcraftymonkeys e-book (it’s also on the website). Unfortunately it didn’t turn out so well but it wasn’t a complete failure so I thought I’d share the process. Side note: it ended up in this bottle because I had nothing else to store it in.

My water phase consisted of distilled water, strawberry powder and glycerin. I included strawberry powder because I heard from LisaLise that it is a nice way to give your products a slight scent without using fragrance or essential oils. Also the pinkish tint might make it look more appealing than just plain ol’ white lotion. In the oil phase there was apricot oil, sweet almond oil, isopropyl myristate and emulsifier.

I covered both phases with aluminum foil and placed them on a vegetable steamer in a pot of boiling water. After combining the phases and mixing I ended up with a thin yoghurt-like consistency which seems more appropriate for a body lotion. But the most important thing is that it stayed emulsified which in my opinion is an achievement in itself.

When it reached room temperature the preservative was added and this time it behaved. A while ago I made a facial moisturizer that curdled immediately when I added the preservative, even though it was at the appropriate temperature.  I have a sneaking suspicion that my temperature measuring tools are broken.

The lotion itself has a nice pinkish hue to it, perhaps a bit strong but it doesn’t stain your hands or anything you touch. It is easily spreadable and absorbs quickly into the skin without feeling greasy. It leaves the tiniest sheen which I guess advertisers would market as a ‘healthy glow’.

Sadly that’s where the positive notes end and the negatives ones begin. The lotion isn’t nearly thick enough; in fact the consistency is more reminiscent of a light body lotion than a hand lotion. It can be easily remedied by using cetyl alcohol or stearic acid, but unfortunately I have neither.

The strawberry powder which was supposed to be awesome was a pain to work with. It did not get properly dispersed even after heating and stirring with a milk frother. This resulted in tiny red particles that can be seen and felt once you apply the lotion to your hands. Personally this doesn’t bother me but if I’m going to give this to my family and friends I want it to be as close to perfect as possible.

The dreaded soaping effect also made an appearance. I absolutely hate this and want to scream every time it happens. You can read more about what it is here. Thankfully it disappears pretty quickly after a few seconds of rubbing.

Remember earlier how I said I included the strawberry powder for the purpose of smell? Turns out it doesn’t smell that great after being heated. Before though it smelled like proper strawberries but now it’s like someone left those strawberries out in the sun for too long.

So there you have it, my failure for you to enjoy!