General Information

Lotions are typically made with the following proportions of ingredients.

Oil: Use 10 to 25%

Glycerin: Use 3 to 8%.

Emulsifying Wax: Use 3 to 5%.

Stearic Acid: Use 3 to 5%.

Citric Acid: Use 0.25% to 0.5% or up to 1%.

Germaben II: Use 0.3% to 1.0%.

Water: Use 60 to 80%. Distilled water is preferred.

If the amount of water drops below 50% the lotion is considered a cream, if no water is added you have a moisturizing bar.

Oil is the most important component in a lotion. All a lotion does is make it easy to apply a thin coat of oil to ones skin. Since the oil is not broken down in the manner that soaps are, it is important not to choose oils that may irritate your skin. Good choices include such oils as almond, jojoba, avocado and coconut to list a few.

Glycerin is hygroscopic (which means it can pick up moisture from the air) and a humectant (which is a substance that promotes retention of moisture thus helping to moisturize ones skin). It is not a mandatory ingredient. Too much and your skin will feel sticky for a long time...but it does make your skin soft.

Emulsifying Wax keeps the oil and water from separating by creating an emulsion (hence the name). It is best to use as little as possible but if your lotion is kept in a warm area more emulsifying wax may be needed to prevent separation.

Stearic Acid is a thickener. The more you use the thicker your lotion will be. If you are using a solid oil such as coconut you may need less stearic acid for a desired consistency.

Citric Acid is a good general ingredient. It is an alpha-hydroxy acid which can aid in exfoliating the skin but some people with sensitive skin may need to reduce the amount of this ingredient. Citric acid is also added to lower the pH of the lotion and prevent the Germaben II from hydrolyzing (decomposing). This pH requirement seems to be over stated on many web sites, and my guess is that if stored for a very long time decomposition will simply produce some off odors. In order for the decomposition reaction to occur rapidly the pH would need to be at a very unhealthy level for ones skin. [This is an opinion, I've never noticed any problems with neutral or mildly basic conditions...but use at own risk]

Germaben II is a standard mixture of four chemicals (propylene glycol 56% diazolidinyl urea 30% methylparaben 11% propylparaben 3%) which prevent molds and bacteria from growing. If you make a small batch with the intent to use it all immediately there is no need to add this component. Moisturizing bars with no water present can also be made without Germaben II.

The sbwave lotion calculator is based on the above ratios and simply calculates all of the percents for you...it also throws in some helpful advice. You are free to experiment and disregard any suggestions...but remember everything you do is at your own risk...we take no credit for any of the supplied recipes...and the calculator works perfectly to the best of our knowledge but there are naturally some round off errors and the possibility of computer errors so again...use at your own risk.
* So with all of the warnings out of the way...you will find that it is easiest to put all of your ingredients into the form, calculate...then hit the back button to tweak the proportions until you get something you like. Once that is done, decide on how much you want to make...check End Weight and enter the amount. If you have a recipe you like and want to scale it by some factor check Multiplier and enter the factor you want to multiply by.