12 Homemade Lotion Bar Recipes to Make Your Skin Heavenly Soft (2024)

To be completely honest, I am not the biggest fan of going to a spa. Many women gasp and are taken aback when I admit this to them, as their idea of heaven is a massage followed by a facial and an afternoon in the sauna.

I do not share this love, however, and it is for this reason that it excites me when I find new and exciting ways to give myself a little pampering at home. I don’t even want to think about how much money I must have spent over the years on bath bombs, fancy sprays and multiple other lotions and potions, so recently I have turned to making my own.

I recently saw some vanilla scented lotion bars in a store and fell in love. I was on my way to the checkout with them before I stopped and realized I could probably make some myself at home. A quick internet search later and it was confirmed that I was right, so I turned myself around and rushed home to start making my very own homemade lotion bars.

1. Nourishing Lotion Bar

This Nourishing Lotion Bar contains my two favorite ingredients when it comes to body care products; cocoa butter and coconut oil. Both components are things I always find myself going back to after trying something new, and I haven’t found anything that makes my skin feel quite as smooth as these do.

The bars themselves will be relatively scentless, but there is the option to add some essential oils which I would be doing. Some delicious scent suggestions come along with this simple recipe, from the more traditional lavender to the fun idea of a creamsicle, with sweet orange and vanilla.

2. Bronzing Lotion Bars

Even as someone who isn’t an avid user of fake tans, I prefer to let the real sun do the job instead, I am highly intrigued by theseBronzing Lotion Bars. I probably shouldn’t show this DIY to my sister, as she would immediately become entirely obsessed.

I like the idea of a more luxurious way of giving your skin a sun-kissed tint, and a more natural one too when opposed to fake tan in a bottle. You could add however much or little mineral makeup, the product that gives the bronze effect, as you wanted, personalizing the recipe to suit your preferences. It’s a genius idea to add a few drops of bug repellent oil in there too to keep those pests at bay.

3. Peppermint Lotion Bars

These Peppermint Lotion Bars are in a square shape which I find to be a good choice. Of course, you could make them in any mold you like, from elaborate shapes to simple ones, though I can’t help but think that the corner of these squares would feel incredibly good properly digging into places of muscular tension. One of my favorite things about lotion bars is that they are for more than just moisturizing your skin, they are also the perfect massage tool. Even better if you can get someone to do it for you.

By choosing a peppermint scent for your lotion bars, you are bound to feel fresh and revitalized whenever you use it, especially with that matcha thrown in there too.

4. Vanilla Bean Winter Lotion Bars

Aren’t these lotion bars just the cutest? They are made by using ice cube trays as molds, which is a genius idea I had never thought of, meaning you can make a large batch of smaller bars all at once, perfect for handing out as gifts, or to have on hand 24/7.

Vanilla is by far my favorite scent for anything beauty or skincare related. Shower gels, perfumes, you name it I’ve had it, so you can imagine my glee when I came across these Vanilla Bean Winter Lotion Bars. To emphasize that vanilla scent even further I would be tempted to scrape the inside of a vanilla pod into the mixture along with the essential oil.

5. Floral Lotion Bars

When I was younger, I would steer clear of floral scents, but now that I am getting older I am growing to love them. I especially love it when skin care products like these Floral Lotion Bars contain actual dried flowers or herbs, as this ensures a fresh scent and also an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

These particular bars contain the essential oils of different flowers such as lavender and rose, and you can feel free to add or substitute in your own too. The heart shape makes these look incredibly pretty, and they would make the perfect gift for a special someone who needs a little bit of TLC.

6. Chocolate Lotion Bars

I am an absolute sucker for chocolate; I can’t resist, so the idea of lathering something that smells just like it all over my skin sounds utterly heavenly to me.

You could add different essential oils into these Chocolate Lotion Bars; I am fond of the idea of adding orange so that they smell like chocolate oranges, or leave them as they are to benefit from that natural cocoa scent. The method is incredibly simple, so these will take only minutes to make which is magic compared to the days of soft skin you will experience as a result of using them.

7. Three Ingredient Lotion Bars

Any skin or beauty related DIYs which involve only three ingredients are worth having up your sleeve at all times, and you would be a fool not to give these Three Ingredient Lotion Bars a try.

For me, it is crucial for products I use on my skin to have as few ingredients as possible. That way I can keep track of exactly what I am putting on my body and avoid any nasty chemicals. You can spice these bars up a bit by adding essential oils, or even dried herbs if you wanted to, or just as easily leave them plain and simple.

8. Multicolored Lotion Bars

It would be difficult to find a lotion bar more fun and funky than these Multicolored Lotion Bars. Putting the lotion bars into a push tub is an absolutely genius idea. Not only does this remove the annoyance of product being wasted by it melting all over your hands, but it’s also a great way to store and travel with the bar.

The different colored layers make this lotion bar fun for all ages, and would probably make it easier to get kids to stay still for a little bit of moisturizing after a bath.

9. Lavender Lotion Bar

The thought of having a long hot bubble bath then hopping out and lathering this Lavender Lotion Bar all over my skin before bed makes me feel incredibly relaxed and sleepy just thinking about it.

Lavender is not only soothing to the senses but also on the skin, so I have no doubts that these bars would leave you feeling silky smooth. Again this recipe contains that all-important coconut oil along with cocoa butter, so I am instantly sold, and my skin is calling out for it already.

10. Sunscreen Lotion Bars

Aside from the fact that I would most probably forget about these Sunscreen Lotion Bars and leave them out in the sun to melt, I think they might just be my new summer best friend. That being said, them melting wouldn’t even be too great of an issue, considering how easy they are to make I could whip up another batch in minutes.

These bars would suit the whole family and are incredibly easy to apply compared to usual bottles of sunscreen which can get incredibly messy when the kids get their hands on them. Of course, because of my love of vanilla, I love the idea of popping a couple of drops of essential oil in there too.

11. Orange Honey Lotion Bars

I am a huge fan of sweet scents but, although I thought it would never happen, as I have gotten older I cannot cope with those that are too sickly sweet. Whichis why I am drawn to these Orange Honey Lotion Bars. Here, you have the deliciously sweet honey scent mellowed out by the hit of citrusy orange. They sound almost good enough to eat, but I will restrain myself.

These lotion bars are shaped by cupcake liners in a muffin tray, which I think is fantastic. You will have no molds to wash up afterward and all the mess will be contained within the cases if you pour the mixture carefully.

12. Matcha Lotion Bars

This DIY suggests using lotion bars for a couple of things other than those you might immediately assume, such as a bug bite balm or a shaving cream. Multi-use products are always winners for me, the less cupboard space I fill with wasteful bottles and packaging the better.

These Matcha Lotion Bars include a hint of sweet orange essential oil, which I believe will give them that little scent lifts that they need. Matcha itself, filled with antioxidants, has been shown to slow the signs of aging, so along with the dry skin soothing effects of the cocoa butter, your skin will look good as new.

Conclusion

I am glad I didn’t buy those lotion bars in the store because it helped me to discover a whole range of lotion bars I could make for myself at home in a matter of minutes. There is a recipe for everyone, whether you want something relatively scentless, sweet, or even to protect you from the sun.

Those Orange Honey Lotion Bars sound too good not to try, so they are next on my list. I am determined to make some of those Bronzing Lotion Bars for my younger sister too, as I can just tell she would fall in love with them.

Have you ever tried lotion bars? Do you fancy treating yourself to a little at home massage using one of these recipes?