Garden bars are a godsend for rough, raw gardener’s hands. And when I
make them from oil infused with the fruits of my gardening labor, I
feel as
if things have come full circle.
So what are garden bars—or lotion bars, as many know them? They look a
lot like bars of soap, but they’re not. You don’t clean with garden
bars, but instead moisturize with them. Basically, they’re just like
lotion, but in solid form.
Made from everyday ingredients, they’re easy to mix up by the batch in your kitchen.
What You Need
½ cup herbal-infused olive oil
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup beeswax, melted
Simple molds
Directions
To give your lotion bars a garden touch, infuse olive oil with herbs
and flowers. Use about 2 tablespoons of dried herbs per half cup of oil.
Heat and allow to cool. Leave the herbs in the oil for a few days to a
couple of weeks, and then strain.
Once your oil is ready, combine ingredients in a small, heat-safe
mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. If the mixture is cloudy, reheat over
hot water until it becomes clear.
Fill molds halfway. The bar shown here was made in a single-serve plastic fruit cup. Muffin tins work, too.
Let cool completely, and then pop the bars out of the molds. They should release easily.
Additional Tips
To use your lotion bar, let the warmth of your hand melt the surface slightly and then rub the lotion into skin.
Other oils work well in place of olive or coconut oil. Just be sure to use oils that are similar in consistency.
For added fragrance, use several drops of essential oil (found at craft stores) in the mixture.
Coconut oil is available at the supermarket. Beeswax can be found in the candle section of craft stores.
Source: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Backyard-Projects/Garden-Crafts/Lotion-Bars
