Easy 3-Ingredient Beeswax Lotion Bar Recipe (Non Greasy)
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Most homemade lotion recipes involve quite a few ingredients, blenders, and more mess than I’d prefer to clean up. These lotion bars are the opposite of that. All you need for these hard lotion bars is three ingredients – plus a pot and molds. That’s it!
You can even use muffin tins if you don’t have other molds, since the bars use all-natural ingredients. We have troubleshooting tips, packaging ideas, printable labels, and substitutions to help you customize your bars.
Table of Contents
What is a Lotion Bar?
A lotion bar is simply lotion in solid form. At room temperature, it stays firm. When you hold it in your hands or rub it on your skin, your body heat softens it just enough to glide on smoothly.
They coat and protect the skin, and are especially helpful for:
- Hands
- Heels
- Elbows
- Dry patches
The basic formula includes:
- Wax (beeswax) – gives structure and creates a protective barrier
- Butter (cocoa butter or shea butter) – deeply nourishing
- Oil (coconut oil or olive oil) – helps soften and spread easily
Together, they create a barrier that helps reduce moisture loss without feeling overly heavy.
You can also add vitamin E for longer shelf life and essential oils if you’d like a light scent or added skin support. If you enjoy working with herbs, you can infuse herbs into oil and then make the lotion bar with the infused oil.
How to Use a Lotion Bar
Using a lotion bar is simple. Hold the bar in your hands for a few seconds to warm it slightly. If your hands are cold, you may need to rub it a bit to get it started.
Then:
- Rub the bar directly on dry areas, or
- Rub it on your hands first, then apply where needed
It works especially well right after washing your hands or getting out of the shower.
Do homemade lotion bars really work?
These lotion bars have been wonderful for my winter dry skin.
I used to coat my hands at night with petroleum jelly because it was the only thing that helped. Regular lotions didn’t seem to make much difference. Plus, many of them have fragrances or ingredients I’d rather avoid.
Since I do a lot of dishes and wash my hands frequently, dry skin used to be a constant issue. These bars have been a simple fix. My only regret is that I didn’t try them sooner. The scent is light and pleasant (especially with cocoa butter), and they absorb fairly quickly.
How to Make Lotion Bars at Home – Step by Step
It helps to start with small chunks or shavings so everything melts more quickly.
Place butter, oil and wax in a heavy bottom pot or double boiler. You may also use an Instant Pot on the “keep warm” setting. Gently heat until everything is fully melted.
Remove from heat. Add optional ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E per 12 ounces
- ~10 drops essential oils per 12 ounces
Pour the liquid into molds and let cool completely (several hours) until firm. If you have lip balm tubes, pour the tubes half full and allow the hard lotion to set up slightly, and then finish filling the tubes. I like to set my molds on a baking sheet to keep them level and easy to move around.
12 ounces of product fills one of the pink rectangular bar molds, making six bars. In the photo below I also filled small containers with lids to use as lip balms.
After several hours, the lotion will be firm and hard and should release easily from the mold.
Using Essential Oils (Optional)
Adding essential oils is optional. I skip them because we are sensitive to them. Start small—about 10 drops per 12 ounces.
Some potential combinations:
- Orange + cocoa butter (smells like chocolate orange)
- Peppermint + cocoa butter
- Lavender + shea butter
Keep in mind that cocoa butter already has a natural scent, so choose oils that pair well with it.
Non Greasy Lotion Bars – Troubleshooting Tips
Sometimes lotion bars have a greasy or slippery feel, especially in warm weather. Other times the bars may feel a little tacky or sticky.
- If your bars come out too slippery:
- Remelt and add more beeswax and/or cocoa butter.
- If they are too sticky/tacky:
- Remelt and add more oil.
Warm weather will naturally soften the bars, while cooler temperatures make them firmer. Don’t be afraid to remelt and adjust—this recipe is very forgiving.
You may also want to experiment with different combinations of oils and butters to see if you like those better. (See the Substituting Ingredients section below.)
What kind of beeswax do you use for lotion bars?
I prefer using unrefined beeswax for lotion bars. It has a light honey scent and a natural yellow color. We buy ours in bulk from a local apiary, and then chop off bits as needed for projects.
You can also use:
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- Beeswax pellets (easier to measure and melt)
- Refined beeswax (white, with less scent)
If you need a beeswax-free option, substitutes include:
- Candelilla wax
- Carnauba wax
- Soy wax
Candelilla and carnauba amounts = roughly half or less than amount of beeswax. Substitute soy wax in equal amounts. Soy wax is hydrogenated, so it’s not my first choice for skin care.
Lotion Bar Molds
I prefer the basic oval bars or rectangular bars, but the boys liked other shapes when they were little. Any heat tolerant mold will work.
You can also use ice cube trays, muffin tins or candy molds. Stick to the basic recipe if you’re using molds that you plan to reuse for food. (Essential oils can leave a lingering scent and/or flavor in the molds.)
Another option is to pour the “bars” into a salve tin with a lid. You can also use a rectangular soap mold to create a bar that will fit into a rectangular tin.
I prefer to pour the bars separately and store them in the tin. It’s easier to apply the hard lotion if you can hold the bar in your hand.
If you use the rectangular bar mold, fill the cavities to about 1/8 inch below the top edge. That way they will fit in the rectangular tin and the lid will close snugly. The molds and tins are in the table below.
My friend, Casey, made up some simple printable labels that fit on the rectangular tins. (See more practical gift ideas here.)
Substituting Ingredients in Your Lotion Bars
One of the nice things about this recipe is how flexible it is. You can combine different butters and oils with good results.
Butters
- Cocoa butter
- Shea butter
- Mango butter (softer bar)
I find shea butter bars to be slightly tackier and slower to absorb. Cocoa butter gives a firmer bar and a scent I prefer.
Oils
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Jojoba oil
- Fractionated coconut oil
I typically use coconut oil or olive oil, depending on what I have on hand.
Other Options
High-quality tallow or lard can also work well for skin care, though you may want to pair them with essential oils for scent.
See The Shelf Life of Oils for a listing of oil longevity. Note that many cooking oils labeled as “olive oil” are vegetable oil blends with olive oil. For best results, use real olive oil.
Packaging Your Lotion Bars
If you make several bars and don’t use them right away, keep the extra bars in a sealed container or bag. This will help preserve the lovely chocolate smell or any essential oils you choose to add.
As mentioned above, the bar molds fit neatly into the tins, which is great for gift giving or everyday use. To keep hard lotion in your purse during warm weather, a sealed container is best. Pour your lotion “bar” into a container with a screw top or other tight fitting lid. Apply it like a beauty cream.
For applying the hard lotion bar to heels or large areas of the body, use a deodorant style container. It makes the bars easier to hold.
It’s handy to make multiple smaller bars so each family member has their own. I learned this from experience when I first starting making hard lotion.
My younger son loved the cocoa smell so much he rubbed it all over himself after he got out of the shower. He even rubbed it in his armpits. I had been using the same bar as a lip balm, too…oops…
The next time I made a batch, I poured some into smaller containers to use as lip balm, and made my son his own special bar.
PrintLotion Bar Recipe (Non Greasy, with Beeswax)
With only three ingredients and one pot, this is the easiest way to make hard lotion bars and could not be more simple to clean as well. They repair your dry skin, smell great without being over powering, and are not greasy.
Ingredients
Use 1 part each, by weight.
- Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter
- Oil, such as Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
- Beeswax
For instance, 2 ounces of each ingredient. If using liquid oil, you can measure by volume. For instance, 2 ounces of olive oil to 2 ounces by weight each of cocoa butter and beeswax.
If you don’t have a scale, you can use a measuring cup to measure by volume. For instance, as one cup cocoa butter, one cup coconut oil and one cup beeswax. This will make a softer bar. For a firmer bar, use one cup butter, a half cup oil and a cup of wax (or similar proportions).
Instructions
- Place butter, oil and wax in a heavy bottom pot or double boiler. You may also use an Instant Pot on the “keep warm” setting. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a glass bowl or wide mouth Mason jar in a small saucepan of water.
- Heat gently, stirring regularly, until ingredients are melted.
- Pour into molds.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from molds. You can chill the bars in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process. The finished bars do not require refrigeration.
Notes
Options: Add 1 teaspoon vitamin E per 12 ounces of bar for increased shelf life. Add essential oils of choice after lotion bar mix is removed from heat, before pouring into molds. Start with around 10 drops per 12 ounces of bar.
Remember, with essential oils, a small amount goes a long way. If you’re using cocoa butter, keep in mind how the EO you choose will pair with the scent of chocolate. Mint and orange essential oils are popular pairings with cocoa butter.
You may also make your bars with herb infused oils, such as plantain oil, which is great for skin issues, or dandelion oil, which is wonderful for muscle aches.
Buy Lotion Bars Online
If you’d like to purchase the bars ready made, you can visit the MadeOn Hard Lotion Store here. MadeOn Skin Care products is a family owned small business that creates non-toxic skin and hair care products for all ages.
You can find these ingredients (and containers and molds) at amazon.com (linked within the post), soaperschoice.com, and many other sites around the web.
Keep in mind that two ounces of each ingredient made three bars, so a bulk purchase would make a LOT of bars.
I hope you enjoy this great recipe as much as we do. This one’s a keeper in our house! Please pass the post along if you find it helpful, and leave a comment if you have any questions or ideas.
More Natural Products and Tips
You don’t need chemicals to smell clean. Try these articles instead.
- Easy Homemade Deodorant & The Best Natural Deodorants
- Make Your Own Perfume with Essential Oils
- 6 Ways to Get the Musty Smell Out of Clothes and Towels
This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie is a lifelong learner with a passion for natural remedies and holistic healing. She’s successfully improved her eyesight, cleared her psoriasis, and gotten off of prescription medication.
Originally posted in 2012, last updated in 2026.
Hi Laurie ~ I made the lotion bars using your recipe last year. I even have the same pink silicone bar mold. The lotion bars turned out perfect. I am a mechanic & I have chemical damage to the skin on my arms from fingertips to elbows. Because of that I have a sensitivity to almost all lotions, even lotions that are marketed as hypoallergenic. Most lotions cause a burning sensation on my skin & cause me to break out into hives, so I was looking for an all natural alternative to commercial lotions. The hard lotion bars turned out to be that alternative! I can use this type of lotion without the discomfort & the hives. One thing I found though… I find the ‘food’ scent annoying. That never occurred to me because I love chocolate & coconut… I gave most of that batch of lotion bars to family & friends who really enjoyed them. When I make the next batch I believe I’ll use refined coco butter & coconut oil so there won’t be a food scent to the lotion bars. I never liked using products with food scents before & found that I still don’t like it. What was I thinking? lol Anyway, I was thinking of using some essential oils to give the next batch a scent that is pleasing to me. (I love woody & floral scents!) My question is this: what proportion of essential oils would be good to use for a light, subtle scent? I want enough to be able to smell it but not so much that people who are sensitive to scents & fragrances complain that it’s over powering… One other question: I live in the deep south & you are correct about the lotion bars being soft at room temperature down here. How much should I increase the proportion of beeswax? Would 25% more be about right? Thanks for posting such practical & useful content.
Let your nose be your guide on the amount of essential oil. I’d probably start with around 10 drops per 12 ounces of other ingredients. Better too weak than too strong, and you can add more the next time around if needed.
20-25% more wax is probably a good starting point, or reduce the oil by half. Think about the melting points. The oils are your Achilles heal because they’re liquid at warm room temps. This makes the bar spread well, but makes them messy in the hear.
Thanks for the quick reply to my questions Laurie. I’ll give it a try on my next batch.
If you have a few minutes and could let me know how it turns out and what room temps you have (to help other dealing with the same thing), I’d appreciate it. There are thousands of lotion bar recipes out there, but most don’t talk about dealing with the heat.
Also, I don’t know if you spotted it, but another reader says she uses equal parts cocoa butter and shea butter – nothing else – to take advantage of their higher melting points. That would be a third option.
isn’t the cocao butter what makes it smell chocolaty? I use shea and beeswax because I didn’t want the chocolate smell 🙂
In my first batch I had used unrefined, virgin coconut oil & coco butter. That means they both retained their natural scent. When I make the next batch I’ll use the refined versions of those ingredients. When it’s refined the substance generally loses its scent. And I need to make adjustments to the proportions of the ingredients so that I can get a firmer lotion bar. In the hotter climate we have down here the lotion bars were softer than they should have been during the hot months. Luckily they weren’t rendered as soft as a cream or salve though. It’s just a matter of tweaking the recipe to account for our climate. Where I really needed the advice was how much essential oils to use to scent the batch. I’ve never made anything that used essential oils before & because good essential oils are expensive I wanted some guidance so as not to ruin a batch of lotion bars or waste expensive essential oils.
gotcha 🙂 that must be why the coconut oil I bought at the store the other day didn’t smell like coconut at all 🙁 Check out Plant Therapy for great essential oils <3 I've used oils in my bars, but don't feel like the oil was strong enough to really make a difference (used lavender) maybe something like tea tree, clove or Frankincense would be good, if you enjoy those scents. good luck!
I have rendered a large amount of lard that I am making soap with. Can lard be used as one of the oils in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but you could probably substitute it for the coconut oil. You might need more wax to get it to set up, since non-hydrogenated lard can be quite soft at room temp, or you’d need to keep the bars refrigerated or make a salve instead.
Hi Laurie, I want to thank you for the Hard Lotion
Bar recipe. It was the answer to my prayers. My husband wears support hose and every time I pull them off massive dry flakes of skin go all over the place and my couch looks like it snowed on it. Have tried several lotions and 1 we paid 18.00 dollars for with no relief. Since I’ve been using the bar on his legs no skin. I’m very excited about this. I made my second batch yesterday. I do have one question. Have you tried it with the Shea butter? It seems it would be a softer bar being Shea butter is softer than the coco butter. Would you need to use a little extra bees wax or not. Let me know what you think. Thank you Linda
I have made the shea butter bars, but prefer the cocoa butter. I found the shea butter is a bit softer, and has a slight tackiness to it. I wouldn’t adjust the amounts, unless you really want a firmer bar.
I made these the other day and I was very pleased with the result. My feet get very dry in the summer time and these bars are the answer to my problem. I made them with shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil and added some essential oil for fragrance. I used the recipe amounts and it worked well. It is not yet summer here in the high desert in California, so these bars may have to live in the fridge for the next few months. Thank you for your recipe.
You’re welcome. Suzy. Glad they worked out well, and yes, either they would need to go in the fridge or be poured into container and used like salve.
Mine became Oil Bars…not lotion like at all (and frankly, as I was measuring up the coconut oil, my gut was trying to tell me not to use so much, but I always try at least to go by the book for the first round of something new). They smell nice (I made 3 lavender and 3 pear), but they’re so oily that I’m afraid to touch anything until I wipe it off.
I have a health condition that renders my fingertips extremely smooth and dry with virtually no “grip” or ability to or work with many things I need to handle. I work in an office and I also sew and knit, so it’s a pretty big problem. I was hoping these lotion bars would be less expensive than buying Sort-Kwik. Next time I’ll back off on using the equal amount of Coconut Oil and reduce it down to not much at all…
How warm is it in your home? Coconut oil becomes liquid at around 75F, so if you’re close to that, that could be part of the issue. The bars in the photo are made as directed, but we live in Wisconsin, so hot weather is not generally an issue.
Hi. I was wondering when these soaps would expire? 3-4 months? Thank you:)
They are lotion, not soap. We’ve kept some in a sealed container for up to a year, but they are best used within about 6 months.
We made these last night using coconut oil, cocoa butter, & carnuba wax. They seemed to melt up, pour, & set well. We put them into bar molds so we could use the altoid style tins. After putting in the tins we stored them in the fridge, but the molds we used were left out. We noticed in the morning that the pieces in the mold were melted. We’re a bit nervous to use them now because we don’t want them to melt & leak in a pocket or purse. Could it just be because the pieces were so small that they melted so easy?
I don’t typically use carnuba wax (or put the bars in the refrigerator), but it’s my understanding that carnuba wax can take up to three days to reach full hardness after being melted.
Can’t wait to make these! I’ve made some before, but the recipe didn’t use Shea or Cocoa butter. I forgot what was used because I didn’t like them and have been trying to find one using a butter. I feel like this would help my skin better since the first one didn’t really help during the winter. I make a trauma oil made from olive oil, jojoba, and fractionated coconut oil infused separately with Calendula, St. John’s Wort, and Arnica. I have been using this oil since the first bars did not work for me. I really like the idea of bars since it would be easier to use as an all over bar after my bath or shower and will use my trauma oil in place of the oil in this recipe. Thank you for posting this!
Be careful with the St. John’s Wort, as it can sometimes make skin photosensitive. I haven’t used it extensively, so I don’t know at what concentration this would be an issue, but I didn’t want you to cover yourself in lotion bar and then go outside in shorts and find out you have a reaction.
Wow, I didn’t know that! Thank you for the tip and the quick reply! I will probably substitute my rose or lavender infused oil instead then. Again, thank you for the help and quick reply!
You’re welcome. Enjoy your lotion bars.
Love these! I made them, and love the way they make my skin feel. Great as a foot balm, too. I put them in empty push up deodorant containers for easy application.
Is it okay to use African Shea butter? What the difference?
From The American Shea Butter Institute:
Hi! I tried my hands and making a batch of it and reduce beeswax to make a slightly more oily for my husband’s preference. I held them in a small container easier for him to carry it around.
However, I noticed the centre of lotion gets a bit oilier than the surroundings. And the colour is more yellowish than the surrounding portion which is pale yellow.
Does that mean its spoilt? Or what can I do?
As long as it doesn’t smell rancid, it’s probably fine. It sounds like the oil just separated a bit, because you added extra oil. If it’s soft enough that it can be mixed in the container, just blend the excess oil back in. If not, mix a little as you use the container.
I think it would have been helpful to state the amount of each product used—the other sight wasn’t very helpful either…but if you are using equal parts, she used 6 oz. of each butter and 1 oz. oil, and didn’t mention using wax. Clarification would be helpful—at least to me…Looks like others didn’t have an issue
I do state how much of each ingredient to use, specifically,”Use 1 part each, by weight. For instance, 2 ounces of each ingredient.”
Simple, easy recipe. I look forward to trying it. I wonder have you ever tried making a hard lotion bar with goat milk as an ingredient? I would love to try this, but a little worried it would spoil quickly.
No, I haven’t tried that, and I do think rancidity would be an issue. I know even goat’s milk soap only has a small amount of goat’s milk.
Hello! I apologize for not understanding the measurements of each ingredient. I understand 2oz. by weight for the solids, but what is the proper amount (by volume) of the liquid oil? I have all my ingredients and am ready to go! Thanks for posting what looks to be a great recipe.
The weight/volume ratio is close enough that you can substitute 2 ounces by volume if you don’t have an easy way to weigh the liquids. The recipe is quite forgiving.
I have made these, also adding essential oils. I am making some with essential oils to repel mosquitoes today, and have made some with added zinc oxide to provide sunscreen. We have several redheads in our family, as well as brunettes that burn as easily and more easily than some redheads. It really worked!!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I just found your site through Pintrest. I am so happy I did. Looking forward to the home made tips and all. My daughter and I are looking forward to making natural chemical-free items for our own use. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome, Darlene.
Hi thanks for the recipie. Made them tonight, worked out great. Thanks for that.
I have read all your responses and all I can say is that you must have the patience of a saint!!.
Glad the recipe worked well for you, and thanks for your kind words. I always try to treat people like I would want to be treated.
What did you use for coloring in the shaped bars you have pictured. I want to keep it non-toxic and shelf stable.
I didn’t add any coloring to my bars. The more cream colored bars are colored from natural beeswax, the light green bars are colored by the shea butter.
Mine came out very hard and I have to scrape it and let it melt on my face. Can I remelt and what should I add? I have veg gycerin-would that help?
You didn’t put it in the refrigerator or freezer, did you? That will make it too cold to melt easily. Cool indoor winter temps will also make the bars firmer. If you wanted to remelt and try for a softer product, I’d add more oil that is liquid at room temperature. (Coconut oil has a melting point of around 75-76F, so will also remain quite firm at cool room temps.)
Oh – I wouldn’t recommend it for extended use on the face, as the beeswax may clog your pores.
Hi! Can’t wait to make these (everything coming this week) do you think Hemp oil could be used instead of coconut oil or olive oil?
thanks!
Hemp oil is shelf stable for a short time in an unopened bottle (about a month). Once exposed to oxygen, it’s very susceptible to rancidity and not a good choice for this bar.