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Tallow and cocoa butter shower lotion bars.
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5 from 1 vote

Tallow Shower Lotion Bars

Learn how to make ultra-moisturizing tallow shower lotion bars with this easy recipe! These solid lotion bars are made with nutrient-rich tallow, nourishing cocoa butter, and BTMS-25 for a silky, non-greasy finish. Perfect for locking in hydration right in the shower!
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Cure1 day
Total Time1 day 25 minutes
Yield: 4 bars
Author: Allyson Letal - Boreal Bloom Homestead
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • double boiler or heat proof bowl

Materials

Heated Phase:

  • 38 g tallow
  • 34 g cocoa butter unrefined
  • 10 g BTMS-25

Cool Down Phase:

  • 15 g rice flour
  • 2 g fragrance oil
  • 1 g optiphen plus

Instructions

Heated Phase:

  • In a heat proof double boiler, add 38g tallow, 34g cocoa butter, and 10g BTMS- 25.Melt all ingredients, stirring occasionally with a small silicone spatula, over medium low heat. The water bath barely needs to simmer for these ingredients to melt.
  • Once completely melted, remove from heat, stir well to ensure everything is completely combined, then set aside to cool.

Cool Down Phase:

  • Using an infrared thermometer, check the temperature of your mixture. Once the mixture drops below 100f or 40c, add 15g rice flour and stir until incorporated. Waiting until the mixture has cooled ensures we aren't inactivating the preservative and helps to prevent the settling of the rice flour while cooling.
  • Add 2g fragrance oil and 1g Optiphen Plus, stir with a small silicone spatula until completely combined.

Transfer To Molds:

  • Pour the lotion bar base into your prepared molds.
  • Allow the shower bars to cool and solidify for 24 hours before removing from the mold.
  • Cure the bars another 24 hours before using.

Using Shower Lotion Bars:

  • Near the end of your shower, just glide the bar across your body and the emulsifying properties of the BTMS will help create a luxurious lotion that you can simply rub into your skin then rinse off before patting your skin dry with a towel.

Notes

Tips + Tricks

  • While these are colloquially called lotion bars, they are not technically lotions as they are anhydrous (no water), but due to the addition of the rice flour and the fact that the bars will be in contact with water, we need to add some preservative. 
  • I formulated this recipe to include fragrance oils as they ensure long lasting scent. For this batch, I used Brazilian BumBum Dupe from Windy Point Soaps - I love the beachy vibe. The IFRA guidelines can be found right on the product page.
  • If you're looking to add essential oils instead of fragrance oils, check EOCalc for safe usage rates and to ensure the oils you're choosing are non-irritant.
  • I am using a round silicone soap mold with rounded corners for these lotion bars.

Batch:

A 100g batch makes about 2 good sized shower bars. I like working with this quantity because I'm not making these to sell, I just like to have a couple shower lotion bars around - especially in the winter.
 
That said, if you love the recipe, feel free to scale it up - the results will stay consistent across batch sizes because I have developed this recipe by weights versus volume.

Storage:

I find the shelf life of tallow shower lotion bars to be about a year, so keep that in mind while you're making it - I try to only make up what I can use or gift within a reasonable timeframe.
It's important to store your lotion bar in a self draining dish or a wire shower rack to ensure that the bar is not sitting in standing water, as that will greatly reduce it's life and effectiveness.