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.
I am looking forward to making this!! Long time subscriber to the newsletters. Recently became certified in herbalism, though I have kept skin care to in house only. A good lotion bar will come in handy (pun intended). Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome. It’s my kind of recipe – simple and good.
Thanks for the great recipe. I am playing with the different oils and butters. Making a mess in the kitchen and loving every minute. I was read you could add something to the bars to make them less sticky. Cornstarch or arrow root?????
Both of those are commonly used in natural skin care products. Tapioca starch is another option. Adding starch will give them a drier finish. Start with only a small amount of the powder. For instance, if you using 4 ounces of each of the core ingredients, add 1/4 teaspoon of starch.
Always be mindful of any allergies of those who will use the bars, such as a corn allergy. The tapioca root and arrowroot are less likely to cause a reaction.
As usual my thanks for your failsafe recipes. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Margaret.
Thank you so much for this! I am definitely going to try it, I have made some body butters in the past using Cocoa butter, shea butter, and bees wax, I can see how this would work with your recipe! I will try this and let you know how it turns out, because I seem to keep severely dry hands, especially in the winter and after being in water quite a bit. Thanks again!
Hi, would you have a recipe for a hair conditioning bar using beeswax?
Thank you
Angela
No, sorry, that’s not something I’ve used.
Hi Laurie, I want to make sure this soap mold size fits the finished container size. Could you tell me what storage container you used for the purple mold size bar?
Also where to purchase good quality ingredients? Oil, beeswax etc….
Thank you
Denise
Hi Denise.
I updated the article to make the mold and tin links clearer. The bars from the purple mold fit into the rectangular tins.
You can get ingredients from many different places, but I picked out some brands on amazon that I use and added them to the article. I like Anthony’s and Nutiva because their products always smell and taste fresh.
Do you have a youtube channel?
Yes, it’s at https://www.youtube.com/user/CommonSenseHome1/
We haven’t posted a ton in the past, but this year we’re going to work on posting more regularly, and sharing information about the homestead and ongoing projects in addition to the usual “how to” videos. There’s so much incorrect information out there about active and passive solar, and we’ve lived with it for years and know what works and what doesn’t. And I’ve gotten quite a few questions over the years about the combination coop/garden shed/greenhouse complex. Then there are the ponds, and we’re going to be building a new outbuilding, and after the outbuilding, hopefully an in ground greenhouse. We’ll see how far the budget stretches.
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
For best quality, use within a year or so.
This looks so fun! What a great gift to make for friends around the holidays!
Looks like I’m a little late to the party. I just made your lotion bars. Incredibly easy, very effective, and so easy to travel with. I wanted to make them for a 3 day road trip. So easy to travel with and apply nightly in the hotel. Going to Jamaica this winter, and it will be so easy to carry and use on the plane. Will also be great for after sun use. Thanks so much Laurie
Hi, would like to know why does the liquid solidify so quickly? Literally a minute after I removed from the heat and once I poured into the mould it formed it’s shape. Any ways to troubleshoot this?
Were your molds cold? Is the house cool? Were you generous with the wax content?
hi i only have solid coconut oil can I use this in the bars of will it make it too solid?
Yes, I normally use virgin coconut oil, which is a solid at room temperature but melts at body temperature.
Question, how can I print this lotion recipe, I really like this one for myself and I would love to try and make it. It looks so easy to make. Please help
Thank you ????
I added a print friendly recipe box to make it easier to print.
Thank you so much, I really can’t wait to make them
You’re welcome, Connie.
Hi Laurie,
I’ve had this page bookmarked for a month or so, and finally got all my molds and ingredients together and an hour to spare with my daughter. These bars came together so quickly, I absolutely love them! Working with the beeswax led to a side project of a hand molded candle with Bella, she is pretty proud of herself! So now I’ve got a glass of wine in hand, a pretty little candle burning happily, quality time spent with Bella and three lotion bars hardening on the counter! Pretty good night, thanks for the video and post!
Cheers from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Yeah! So glad that you finally got time to make them and everything went well.
Hi!! Do you think the lotion bar will remelt on (really) hot weather? Im thinking around 80-100 degrees?
Looking forward to trying it!
Yes, the lotion bar will absolutely melt in hot weather, or at least get quite soft. If you need hard lotion in those conditions, it’s best to pour the bars into resealable containers and use them more like a salve.