local anomaly Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) Hello all...lotion bar-makin' noob here!I've been fiddling around with them for a week or so, I guess. I've toyed with the idea of making soap too, but crawl before you walk and all that, right? I've made my third batch of bars today. I started out with a recipe I found somewhere a few months ago while I was gathering information and they turned out decent. That batch was unrefined shea butter, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil and beeswax. I scented it with an EO mix of bergamot, lemon and cardamom. It was from the whole-foods type grocery store where I got the rest of the ingredients, just something I picked because I liked the way it smelled.So I said I'd never done this before, right? Right. I'd also never used any of the ingredients for anything else before, never handled any of them except beeswax either. I opened the shea butter and found out I do *NOT* like the smell of it. Ew. Oh well, I figured...I'll kill the smoky odor with the EO. So I melted everything according to the recipe and added the EO accordingly as well.The bars turned out well, but were a bit stickier than I liked. What I liked even less was the way they smelled. The smoky odor of the shea was still there, but now with a hint of lemon. Did I mention EW? Yeah. I re-melted it, added a little more wax and EO and they came out better consistency-wise and with a stronger smell of lemon but no more smoky shea. Not what I was expecting, but OK. They're usable. I thought the shea butter was the cause of the weird scent so I decided to try different ingredients in the next batch. I got some olive butter, candelilla wax and rosewood EO. My second batch was candelilla, olive and avocado. I didn't scent this batch so it has the sort of leafy, earthy smell of the wax and although I'm not wild about it I can deal with it. The third batch was beeswax, olive butter, avocado and macadamia nut oils. I scented it with the rosewood EO.And what do they smell like? LEMON!I don't understand how! I did use the same molds, which were thoroughly cleaned right after the first batch and I couldn't smell anything on them when I washed them then. They are plastic, and they sat unused for a few days before I used them today. (I used different molds for the second, unscented batch.) Every batch was melted in a stainless steel double boiler and since batch 2 didn't have even a tiny whiff of batch 1 in it before being poured I assumed I scrubbed everything well enough after each use.Is the lemon smell coming from the plastic molds anyway? Is it the beeswax making everything smell like the first batch? Some other common ingredient? Am I doing something else wrong? Am I crazy? (Wait...don't answer that last one!)Any suggestions for other really odorless ingredients I might use so I can make other bars that smell like something besides lemon?***I'd like to give the user Kitn a Special Hello! Sorry I couldn't just PM you!Your username caught my eye because Kit N. is the name of a really sweet kitty I lost last February at 10 years old, so Kitn, meet MY Kit N.!Thanks everyone! Edited February 6, 2011 by local anomaly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katshe Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Oh my I hav only used lotion bars and I believe it is the natural butters and oils that give off the odor Maybe if you use deodorized refined shea if there is such a thingok just found shea ultra refined and deodorized with natural clays at WSP.also have you considered using a more creamer scent like vanilla, almond...that may hide the oil scents betteras for the lemon scent... maybe if you move the bars not scented with lemon to another room and come back and smell them...That's the best I can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
local anomaly Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thanks! I am going to try some refined / deodorized shea butter when I run out of the olive butter, just to see how that turns out. I liked the feel of the shea, but the smell...not so much. I used it all up so I just won't get it again unless the lady I'm going to give a "lemon bar" to tomorrow likes them and wants more.I have sort of a weird issue with scents. I have to avoid fruity, flowery and sugary scents that might attract yellowjackets once it gets warmer because this place is yellowjacket heaven and those critters LUUUUV me. They chase me everywhere if I wear anything except woodsy-type scents. (Hence the rosewood.) The candelilla wax smells like it might work with that type of scent better than beeswax maybe. I guess I'll find out in the next batch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 What kind of beeswax are you using? I haven't known my cosmetic grade, bleached though, beeswax to have a scent, at least nothing that can't be covered up. I use unrefined shea butter and I don't have a lot of stench from it either. This has me confoogled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I don't make lotion bars very often but when I do I use Ecosoya CB135 and not beeswax. Also can't hack the scent of natural shea butter and use only the refined and deodorized. It has no smell and takes scent very nice.My first thought is are your sure you didn't mix up the oils and used lemon by mistake? I know I've done it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Stinky Shea worries me too. I used refined and unrefined without stinkyness. Occasionally when my nose gets unrefined Shea just the right way I get a slightly clay like smell from it but it's VERY faint (and being the non-trusting type when it comes to my nose, I've been known to run to DH or anyone else who's around and go "Hey, could you smell this?"). If you've got that much stinkyness from your Shea, I'm almost wondering if you got a bad batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Aww your KitN was adorable. It sounds to me like the shea butter isn't the best, I have never smelled smokey shea , I used unrefined all the time. Sorry that happened to your lotion bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I've smelled the unrefined too. The shea butter was in a large shell the importer himself brought back from West Africa when I met him. He deals in unrefined shea butter he gets directly from the natives who hand clean out the debris left by harvesting. Then he brings it back to the US to sell. This is not the unrefined stuff you get from your supplier its raw.It does have a deep buttery yellow color and a very distinct odor I find unpleasant but it shouldn't be that bad. It smells a bit like rubber factory to me so I can see how someone might describe it as smokey.You can use it directly on your skin and it melts right in. But I much prefer the refined and deodorized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerywren Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I don't make lotion bars very often but when I do I use Ecosoya CB135 and not beeswax. Also can't hack the scent of natural shea butter and use only the refined and deodorized. It has no smell and takes scent very nice.My first thought is are your sure you didn't mix up the oils and used lemon by mistake? I know I've done it before.Is the Ecosoya skin safe? I have heard soy wax is really clogging to the pores so have never used it myself, but thought I read somewhere that candle soy wax wasn't the same as soy wax for cosmetics? Maybe it was a particular brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
local anomaly Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 What kind of beeswax are you using? I haven't known my cosmetic grade, bleached though, beeswax to have a scent, at least nothing that can't be covered up. I use unrefined shea butter and I don't have a lot of stench from it either. This has me confoogled. It was a solid block of yellow beeswax from the whole foods store. That's where I got all the ingredients for the first batch. There was no label or anything on it. Not even a wrapper! I found a better and cheaper place for a lot of ingredients so I'm not getting stuff from the store anymore unless I have to. It's a company called Camden-Grey, check 'em out if you haven't yet: www.camdengrey.com I might try beeswax again if I can get the bleached cosmetic grade you mentioned. I still have a little less than a pound of it left so I might use it for lip balm. I don't mind the honey-like smell of it by itself, so it should be fine for something unscented. Also, I'm not doing a block of ANY kind of wax anymore, chopping that stuff up was...ahhh...a very unpleasant sensation in the gluteus maximus! I don't make lotion bars very often but when I do I use Ecosoya CB135 and not beeswax. Also can't hack the scent of natural shea butter and use only the refined and deodorized. It has no smell and takes scent very nice. My first thought is are your sure you didn't mix up the oils and used lemon by mistake? I know I've done it before. I think I might try soy wax sometime. I dunno, I'm still experimenting and fiddling. I didn't have any mix-up issues with oils, I rarely cook with them so I didn't have anything else in the house except the ones I got just for the bars. The EO is in this tiny little bottle you can't easily mistake for something else. I've been known to run to DH or anyone else who's around and go "Hey, could you smell this?"). If you've got that much stinkyness from your Shea, I'm almost wondering if you got a bad batch. Hehe. I do that too. Probably too much, because sometimes he sees me coming up to him carrying something and he just says, "NUH-uh!! I'm not smelling that!" The jar of shea I got was probably OK, it didn't smell rancid, it just smelled...smoky. Aww your KitN was adorable. It sounds to me like the shea butter isn't the best, I have never smelled smokey shea , I used unrefined all the time. Sorry that happened to your lotion bars. Thank you...I still miss my Kit N. My vet thinks she had a brain tumor.I've smelled the unrefined too. The shea butter was in a large shell the importer himself brought back from West Africa when I met him. He deals in unrefined shea butter he gets directly from the natives who hand clean out the debris left by harvesting. Then he brings it back to the US to sell. This is not the unrefined stuff you get from your supplier its raw.It does have a deep buttery yellow color and a very distinct odor I find unpleasant but it shouldn't be that bad. It smells a bit like rubber factory to me so I can see how someone might describe it as smokey.You can use it directly on your skin and it melts right in. But I much prefer the refined and deodorized.Yes...that sounds exactly like what I had. I did notice it melt right into my fingers when I rubbed it between them. The smell just doesn't agree with me, I guess.Is the Ecosoya skin safe? I have heard soy wax is really clogging to the pores so have never used it myself, but thought I read somewhere that candle soy wax wasn't the same as soy wax for cosmetics? Maybe it was a particular brand.Hmmm...note to self: Must make sure it is specified "cosmetic grade" soy wax if I decide to try it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I use Camden Gray for other things, but not for beeswax. THey have the beeswax pearls. Check them out. It's not where I buy mine, but so what. My guess with your funky smell is going to be something is combining with the honey scent. I'm also going to guess that anything lemony might come from you using too much lemon and maybe try cleaning the molds more thoroughly. By that get those unscented baby wipes and see if that helps cut down on the transfer of odors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Is the Ecosoya skin safe? I have heard soy wax is really clogging to the pores so have never used it myself, but thought I read somewhere that candle soy wax wasn't the same as soy wax for cosmetics? Maybe it was a particular brand.You can read for yourself at the NGI website on their Ecosoya waxes: http://www.ngiwax.com/products/ecosoyaproducts.htmlScroll down to Ecosoya CB135 and read the description. Its been dermatology tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybeelightful Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Can't think it would be the beeswax that is giving you a bad smell. Even unrefined beeswax only gives off a very faint honey smell. My guess is your shea butter is either rancid or very close to being rancid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
local anomaly Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 I think the way I titled this post probably made it sound like worse than it actually was, haha! The bars don't smell bad to me, I'm still using them. They just don't smell anything like I thought they would, especially in the 3rd batch when I didn't use shea or an EO with lemon in it. That batch had rosewood EO but it still smelled like the first batch, only not as strong. I actually like the smell of the beeswax by itself, so it should be great in a lip balm with no other scent added to it I think.I know if I decide to use shea again I'm just going to make sure I get the refined and deodorized butter!Thanks for the tip about using unscented baby wipes on the molds. Maybe the hot, soapy scrub I gave them just wasn't enough to remove every trace of the scent. This does make me a little less reluctant to use a non-stick metal muffin pan for a mold. What kind of experiences have you guys had if you use them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.