So we have this huge rose bush in the front yard of our new house that we just kind of let go. We haven’t really had the chance to do much to the front of the house yet as we’ve been so focused on getting the backyard where we want it, so I figured having a gigantic unruly rose bush covered in pink flowers wasn’t that much of a bad thing. At least it sort of covers up all of the ugly parts of the yard! I knew I had to do something with all those roses, though, besides feeding them to my chickens (they go nuts for the petals). Lotion bars was the first thing to come to mind, as I’ve been meaning to make them for a while now. I also know that Jan Berry from The Nerdy Farm Wife has a beautiful and newly updated eBook called Things to Make With Roses that has a recipe for how to make rose lotion bars. Perfect timing if you ask me!
Jan was kind enough to let me post this recipe from her awesome eBook. You might remember her from my How to Make Soap for Beginners post, as it was her lovely Natural Soap Making eBook that has been so helpful to me in my soap making adventure!
It is nice to have a silicone mold to make your lotion bars, but you could also try to improvise by pouring it into something you already have or can make at home (like a wooden soap mold, for example) and then cut into bars once it has solidified.
Also, rose essential oil can be very expensive, which is why geranium oil is listed as an alternative. I used this relatively inexpensive rose absolute oil and was happy with the results.
I did not use the alkanet root for coloring, but I did have some rose mica on hand so I added a pinch of that. To be honest it didn’t really do much for color as you can see from my photos below, so if you go that route you may want to use a bit more than small pinch.
Rose Lotion Bars Recipe
I doubled these amounts to fill up the silicone mold that I used.
- ¼ cup (52 g) rose infused oil
- ¼ cup (28 g) beeswax
- ¼ cup (44 g) shea, mango or cocoa butter
- a few drops rose or geranium essential oil, for scent
- optional: pinch of alkanet root, for color
The first step is to infuse oil with dried rose petals. There are many methods for doing this, see my post on how to make infused herbal oils for more information. I used equal parts olive, sweet almond, and rose hip seed oils, but many different carrier oils would work just as well.
Once the oil is fully infused, strain out the rose petals.
Use a double boiler, or make one yourself by using a stainless steel bowl or a smaller pot over a larger pot with about an inch of water in it. Bring the water to a simmer and gently heat the oil, beeswax, shea butter, and optional alkanet root powder until everything has dissolved together.
If you are using beeswax bars instead of pastilles, cut them into smaller chunks and let them start to melt first before adding the shea butter, as they will take longer to dissolve and overheated shea butter can become grainy.
Once everything has completely dissolved, let it cool for a minute or two before stirring in the rose essential oil. Pour the mixture into your mold of choice, and wait a few hours for them to completely harden before removing.
They popped right out of the mold very easily! I am really pleased with how these turned out, and they were incredibly simple to make.
You could easily use other flowers instead of the roses as well, such as calendula or lavender. It’s an extremely adaptable recipe!
I really love this rose version, though. Jan Berry’s Things to Make With Roses eBook is full of awesome ideas like this! The Rose Face & Body Cream sounds divine and might be what I make next, or maybe the Yellow Rose Body Butter. Really, every recipe sounds so enticing, I highly recommend checking it out!
Have you ever made anything fun with roses? I’d love to hear about it!
DIY Botanical Skin Care Recipes
Rose Lotion Bars
Equipment
- Pint Mason Jar
- Stainless Steel Bowl
- Small Saucepan
- Wooden Skewer
Ingredients
Rose Infused Oil
- ¼ cup dried rose petals
- ½ cup carrier oil, approximately; I used equal parts olive, sweet almond, and rose hip seed oils
Rose Lotion Bars
- ¼ cup rose infused oil (52 g)
- ¼ cup beeswax (28 g)
- ¼ cup shea butter (44 g); you could also use mango or cocoa butter
- few drops geranium essential oil or rose
- pinch alkanet root optional for color
Instructions
Rose Infused Oil
- Place the rose petals in a mason jar and cover completely with carrier oil.
- Cover and place in a sunny window for a few weeks.
- Once the oil is fully infused, strain out the rose petals, reserving the oil to make your lotion bars.
Rose Lotion Bars
- Use a double boiler, or make one yourself by using a stainless steel bowl or a smaller pot over a larger pot with about an inch of water in it.
- Bring the water to a simmer and gently heat the oil, beeswax, shea butter, and optional alkanet root powder until everything has dissolved together.
- If you are using beeswax bars instead of pastilles, cut them into smaller chunks and let them start to melt first before adding the shea butter, as they will take longer to dissolve and overheated shea butter can become grainy.
- Once everything has completely dissolved, let it cool for a minute or two before stirring in the rose essential oil.
- Pour the mixture into your mold of choice, and wait a few hours for them to completely harden before removing.
Hi.
I regularly make WildRose Jelly or jam and also make regular Rose Jelly or Jam when my neighbors with rose bushes will share. So yummy and pretty as well.
Hi,
i have tried this reciepe several times, but everytime in pour in the essential oil it evaporates and once cooled out it smells only of wax. I even tried with other essential oils and i try to pour in the essential oil in last moment before wax starts hardening, bit even then it has a temperature of around 60 °C and i heard that the essential oil should not be used beyong 40°C.
Please help!
Thank you so much for your answer.
These are amazing!!! If you like rose you will love these! Thank you so much! :)
This will be my first fresh rose petals so do I let them air dry out bake them dry or just pick them off the stem and put them in carrier oil
It’s better to dry them first as fresh petals could cause the oil to go rancid faster.
Hi Colleen, thank you for posting this recipe. I would like to know if any type of rose petal can be used, whether it’s from a knockout rose bush or wild rose bush? By the way, I want to let you know I’m really enjoying your book Healing Herbal Infusions. Gathering from plants outside is something my 3 year old son and I really enjoy doing together. Being able to use what we have picked and make something out of it is quality time I cherish. Except when he is on the baseball field picking dandelions instead of chasing after the baseball lol.
Hi Faith, any and all types of rose petals can be used! And I’m so glad to hear that you are enjoying my book!
how many bars does it make
Depending on the mold 3. I did not fill mine all the way through.
When making the infused oil, what quantity of oil do you need?
Hello and thank you for sharing this yummy lotion recipe. What is the oil you infused the rose petals in?
I appreciate your comment about shea butter becoming grainy when overheated! Since it’s quite grainy to begin with it took me a few tries to figure out to add it last. ☺
HI! I’m about to make these as Christmas gifts. I have my infused oil (made from roses from my 40th birthday) and all of the other ingredients, but I am not certain about your recipe. It looks like you use a 1/4 cup of the three items, but then there are different gram amounts – could you expand on this? I know 1 ounce equals 28 grams (the amount you show for the beeswax…..). Any help would be very appreciated!! Many thanks!
Actually I figured it out online – I forget that solids and liquids are measured differently ;-)
Thank you for sharing but what about lye?
It’s not soap, it’s a lotion bar so no lye is necessary.
These look great!! I’m going to make a large quantity for a bridal shower. Since I only have 2 molds to make 12 at a time, can I put them in the freezer to speed up the drying time or will that damage them? I thought I would ask so I can try and do them all in one shot.
Thanks!
-Jessica
I think that will probably work just fine… I’ve never done it myself so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why it would be a problem!
I always put mine in the freezer to speed the hardening process. I am much to impatient to wait. LOL
I made rose water and then used it in making facial toner with organic witch hazel , chamomile , lavender and tea tree oil! Awesome for after moisturizing and as a mineral makeup setter .
Hi Colleen, here a small question from the other side of the globe (West of Europe)…
This recipe sounds and looks great ánd easy, but I’m not familiar with the use of lotion bars in general… Do you use them as a soap or as a stick (like lip balm sticks) or do you melt them before use??
Hi Nicky, that’s a good question. No, they are not a soap and you don’t want to melt them before use. They are more of a stick like you say. Just rub them on any areas where you have dry skin!
I haven’t made lotion bars in awhile! I’m inspired! Your bars are beautiful!
Thank you!
I haven’t made anything with roses yet (although I have used rose water and syrup in cooking), but it’s on my to do list. Thanks for sharing, these look lovely :)
Beautiful!