Waterless lotions... possible?

[Jadryga]

Is it possible to completely do away with the water/water-based ingredients in a lotion and substitute with say, honey or honeyquat and glycerin or hydrovance? Hence maybe not totally eliminating the need for preservative, but creating something that might be a lot less prone to contamination?

[Tall Blonde]

My favorite product that I've come up with is my version of emulsified butter. I melt by butters and oils (or whatever) I think I add a touch of cornstarch, cyclo, etc. (I don't have my recipe in front of me). I also add in stearic and ewax. That way, it can be used on dry skin like a butter, but on wet skin it turns into a lotion. I do add some preservative, just in case, but I love to step out of the shower in the morning, take some of this stuff, and massage it into my legs. It doesn't soak in all the way like a lotion, but it's not as greasy as a body butter.

[Crafty1_AJ]

Is it possible to completely do away with the water/water-based ingredients in a lotion and substitute with say, honey or honeyquat and glycerin or hydrovance? Hence maybe not totally eliminating the need for preservative, but creating something that might be a lot less prone to contamination?

You can make whipped butters without water, but they are not the same as lotions or body creams, IME. The non-water products can only seal in moisture; they can't add any, since moisture comes from water (or similar). I use butters, and I use lotions/creams -- but for different purposes. I use butters on super-dry areas to soften rough skin, or to keep cuticles supple. Or I smooth it onto damp skin to help boost moisture. But my dry skin (esp. in winter) wants products containing WATER to get the job of moisturizing done. (Don't forget to hydrate from the inside too! Drink plenty of water.)

Honey and glycerin at decent percents make a product feel tacky/sticky.

[maryann]

Aren't glycerin, hydrovance, and honeyquat hygroscopic ?? therefore if used in a product like a butter, doesn't it attract moisture aka water out of the air and bond it w/ your skin??

[Jadryga]

My favorite product that I've come up with is my version of emulsified butter. I melt by butters and oils (or whatever) I think I add a touch of cornstarch, cyclo, etc. (I don't have my recipe in front of me). I also add in stearic and ewax. That way, it can be used on dry skin like a butter, but on wet skin it turns into a lotion. I do add some preservative, just in case, but I love to step out of the shower in the morning, take some of this stuff, and massage it into my legs. It doesn't soak in all the way like a lotion, but it's not as greasy as a body butter.

That's a great idea, actually. Coincidentally, I was actually thinking about formulating something like that to use for OCM, but a more liquid form of course

Don't know why I never thought about it for a body butter.

[Jadryga]

You can make whipped butters without water, but they are not the same as lotions or body creams, IME. The non-water products can only seal in moisture; they can't add any, since moisture comes from water (or similar). I use butters, and I use lotions/creams -- but for different purposes. I use butters on super-dry areas to soften rough skin, or to keep cuticles supple. Or I smooth it onto damp skin to help boost moisture. But my dry skin (esp. in winter) wants products containing WATER to get the job of moisturizing done. (Don't forget to hydrate from the inside too! Drink plenty of water.)

Honey and glycerin at decent percents make a product feel tacky/sticky.

That's the thing, I've read up about the water being the key moisturizing ingredient but I was wondering if I could somehow make it less tricky to preserve.

Honeyquat and hydrovance are not so sticky, I think, which made me wonder if that was somewhat feasible.