Start by washing and sanitizing all of your equipment and work surfaces. Equipment should be washed with hot soapy water and prior to use, spray with Isopropyl Alcohol right before using to ensure all surface bacteria has been neutralized.
Prior to creating your lotion, apply hair net(s), wash and dry hands and apply nitrile gloves.
Using your sanitized 1 gallon bucket, begin to weigh out your Water, Sodium Lactate, Glycerin and Aloe Vera Juice. Set aside once all items have been weighed out and added to the bucket.
In your microwave safe container, begin to weigh out your Sunflower Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, BTMS-50, Cetyl Alcohol, and Cetearyl Alcohol. Pro Tip: We recommend weighing out your shea butter using a sheet of parchment or freezer paper, and then adding to your oil phase ingredients. This reduces messes and inaccuracies.
Using your microwave, heat both the Water and Oil Phase ingredients separately using 30 to 60 second bursts until you’ve reached a temperature of 70º C. We do not recommend any hotter than 70º C as your Oil Phase Ingredients can and will scorch depending on the wattage of your microwave.
Once to temperature, add your Oil Phase Ingredients into your Water Phase Ingredients, scraping out the bowl as much as possible, and begin to blend on high with your stick blender for 2 to 4 minutes. The lotion will take on a pale yellow to white color and a very thin viscosity once the ingredients start to emulsify. Using your temperature gun, measure the top and the side of your container to get an accurate reading, continue to periodically measure temperature.
Once your lotion has hit 45º C, add in your Liquid Germall Plus, blend in with your stick blender until fully incorporated, scrape down the sides with a spatula and mix the rest of the way by hand. Your lotion will start to thicken up slightly and can be used immediately, or reheated later. Pro Tip: If you intend on creating a batch of one single fragrance, you may add in your fragrance oil at this time using IFRA Category 5A (Leave on). This base can accommodate up to 5% fragrance, with 3-5% being the sweet spot.
Measure out the amount of lotion you wish to use in a microwave safe container and heat up in 30 second increments. Heat until. 50º C or until the lotion takes on a liquid consistency. Add in fragrance (3-5% depending on IFRA Category 5A) and your colorant (we recommend FD&C or D&C Lakes and Dyes). Mix well. Lotion may look like it has separated, but it will come together with a mix from a spatula. Pour into your desired jars, cool uncovered, and then cover and label.
This lotion is not compatible with a lotion pump, it is intended for use with a Jar. Some airless pumps maybe compatible, though our testing has yielded mixed results. If you use less than the 5% total fragrance load, this base can handle carrier oils (Argan, Rice Bran, etc.) blended with your fragrance oils to meet, but not exceed a 5% total. (Say you use 3% fragrance oil, you can use 2% carrier oil to customize). We recommend Liquid Germall Plus, however you can use other preservative systems as long as they can tolerate the reheating process of up to 50º C or if you do not bulk batching this lotion base.
