Coconut Lotion Bars

I was recently (finally) diagnosed with excema.  Although I've ALWAYS known I had it.  I'm allergic to every lotion out there.  My breakouts get worse in the winter of course and I get patches up my arms and around my thighs.  And the backs of my hands crack and bleed.  But lotion breaks me out and burns like my hands are on fire.  And they turn really, really, REALLY red.  And it is all getting worse with age.  So this year I decided to do something about it and make my own lotion.  I even shared the experience and made several bars for family at Christmas.  So far everyone has liked my lotions.  I made liquid lotion too and I'll post the instructions for that later.  This though, is for the bar.  I like it the best.  But the other lotion is better for using with the child.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup Shea butter (if you need to make this nut free, I believe you could substitute cocoa butter)
2/3 cup beeswax pastilles
1/2 tsp. vitamin E oil
20-30 drops essential oils (optional for scent)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a quart size mason jar (with lid to prevent water from damaging lotion bar mixture).  Fill a sauce pan with about two inches of water and place over medium to medium-high heat.  Bring the water to a simmer and shake up the jar periodically while the contents melt.  When everything is liquid, pour into molds.  I had plastic soap-making molds.  You could use silicon molds, especially if you like them enough to make them more than once.  It is hard to pop these out of glass or metal molds/pans.  Let molds set overnight.  Carefully pop out of molds.  I wrapped them in cellophane to give as gifts at Christmas.  I also kept some for myself.  These are great to use after showers, shaving and washing dishes.

If these get a little to soft or start melting, you can harden it back up by sticking it in the fridge for awhile.  The cold temperatures will harden the coconut oil and Shea butter.

I did not come up with this recipe at all so I need to give credit.  I, of course, found it on pinterest.  You can find the original post where I got the recipe HERE.