This recipe for how to make elderflower solid body lotion bars is a great recipe and makes beautiful luxurious lotion bars with great benefits for the skin. It is so amazing what we can do with flowers, herbs and weeds from nature!
I recently discovered three elderberry trees on my property. It was exciting, because I had always heard of the health benefits from elderberry syrup and other products made from elderberries. The trees had beautiful cream-colored flowers and that is how I identified them.
Since the blossoms were so big and beautiful and I have been making edible flower jellies and also salves and lotion bars from flowers, I googled and found out that the elderflowers are just as beneficial as the elderberries.
Benefits of Elderflower for the Skin
Elderflowers contains anti-oxidants that protect against sun and other free-radical damage. They are also full of Vitamins A, B, C, and E which when used on the skin makes it firmer improving complexion. Elderflower also has astringent properties which will help reduce pores and tightens the skin contributing to healthier looking skin. The anti-oxidants and flavonoids in elderflowers are know to combat the early signs of aging, including wrinkles! (source)
Benefits of Elderflower Lotion Bars
The elderflower salve can be used on your skin for many benefits. Elderflower is used in many skincare products including for dry skin, sun damage, sensitive skin, eye salve for puffy eyes, dark circles under the eyes, hand cream and a variety of other skin issues. (source)
The anti-aging properties and anti-wrinkle properties of elderflower make the lotion bar beneficial for mature skin. (source)
The elderflower lotion bars can be used for to promote health skin and are great for moisturizing dry skin. (source)
How to Make Elderflower Lotion Bars
To make salves, balms, lotions and lotion bars, you need to start with an infused oil.
How to Make an Infused Oil
The first step to make an oil infusion is to dry the flowers or herbs. You can let the plants air dry by spreading them in a single layer on a dish towel or paper towel and let them dry for several days. The other option is to use a dehydrator set at a low setting.
I used my dehydrator to dry the fresh elderflower blossoms.
The next step is to make an infused oil with the dried flower or herb by steeping the flower or herb in a carrier oil. Different kind of oils can be used including sweet almond oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, sweetgrass oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil.
Add the dried elderflowers to a glass jar. The amount of oil you want will depend on how much lotion that you want to make. You will add about twice as much oil as your dried flowers or herbs. For example you can add the flowers or herbs to a pint jar about halfway and then fill the jar almost to the top. If you want less, you can fill the jar about 1/4 up with herbs and then 1/2 way with oil. Also, you can make more than you plan to use for now and save the additional oil for later.
There are several options for making the infused oil:
Slow option: Just add the lid to the jar and put it away in a cabinet for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake the jar every once in a while. You can also put the jar in direct sunlight for a couple weeks to infuse the oil.
Fast double boiler method: Place the jar in a saucepan of a couple inches of hot water and heat the water on low for about 2 hours
Fast crockpot method: Add your dried herbs or flowers and oil to the crockpot, make sure that the oil covers the herbs. Heat the oil slowly and keep the crockpot on warm. Try to keep the temp between 120-130 F. Let it heat for several hours.
Making the Elderflower Lotion Bar
The next step is to strain the dry elderflower from the infused oil.
Once you have the infused oil, you add the amount desired to a double boiler, then add the beeswax and shea butter. The measurements for lotions bars are equal amounts of oil, beeswax, shea butter. A lot of recipes for lotion bars and salves that I have seen use measurements in grams and oz. I feel it is easier with simple measurements. I wanted to start with a small batch, so I used 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup beeswax and 1/4 cup shea butter. Cocoa butter can be substituted for shea butter.
Stir until the beeswax and shea butter are melted.
Pour the mixture into small silicone or heatproof candy molds. I love these flower molds.
Option is to add essential or fragrance oils and coloring with mica powder to the mixture.
Let the mixture set up and harden. It does not take very long to set up to make these pretty peony beauty bars.
It does not take very long to set up to make these pretty elderflower beauty bars.
Enjoy!
Enjoy making and using this all natural elderflower moisturizing lotion bar recipe made from natural products and elderflower blossoms. It is very easy to make small batches of these hard lotion bars. I plan to continue to explore making salves, balms, lotions, and other similar items from plants and flowers found in nature and also from herbs and flowers that I grow.
See my website at www.HawkPointHomestead.com to learn more and for additional made from nature recipes, such as my sage salve recipe, purple dead nettle salve recipe, elderflower salve, rose petal lotion bar, peony lotion bar and my flower jellies including my dandelion jelly recipe, redbud jelly recipe, lilac jelly recipe peony jelly and apple blossom recipe.
The website also includes canning recipes and other favorite great recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens.
For updates, please follow my Facebook page at Hawk Point Hobby Homestead.
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Elderflower Lotion Bar Recipe
This recipe for how to make elderflower solid body lotion bars is a great recipe and makes beautiful luxurious lotion bars with great benefits for the skin.
Ingredients
- Dried Elderflower blossoms and Carrier Oil, which can include sweet almond oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil to make infused oil
- 1/4 cup infused oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- 1/4 cup shea butter
- Optional: Essential oil of your choice, Mica Powder for color
Instructions
- Create the elderflower infused oil with the dried elderflower blossoms and the carrier oil- See Notes
- Heat the infused oil in a double boiler
- Add the beeswax and shea butter
- Heat and stir until the beeswax and shea butter are completely melted
- Pour the liquid into small silicone or heatproof candy molds
- Optional: Add essential oil of your choice
- Optional: Add mica powder for color.
- Let the lotion bars set up
Notes
There are several methods for creating the infused oil which are described in the article.
This was a small batch, that made 2 lotion bars. It can be increased as needed using equal parts oil, beeswax and shea butter.
