POSSIBLE PAIN RELIEF LOTION BAR
HEATED OIL PHASE
10% emu oil
15% arnica oil
10% calendula oil
10% comfrey oil
30% beeswax
23% babassu oil
COOL DOWN PHASE
2% dimethicone
3% pain relief essential oil blend
Weigh the heated oil phase into a heatproof container and put into a double boiler until all ingredients have melted. Remove from the heat and add the dimethicone and essential oils. Pour into a mould or deodorant type container and let set.
So why did I use these ingredients? Emu oil is supposed to penetrate skin smoothly, bringing the active ingredients into your skin better. Comfrey, calendula, and arnica oil are good anti-inflammatory ingredients. Babassu oil is solid at room temperature, but it will melt on contact with your skin, and it's moisturizing and could behave as an anti-inflammatory. The beeswax solidifies the bar. And the dimethicone is to make it glide better on your skin. (Click on the links for more information.)
Feel free to leave out the dimethicone and up the comfrey or calendula oils. Don't increase the arnica as there's already enough, and don't increase the beeswax as it will get too draggy! Or you could use one of the lovely glidy esters like C12-15 alkyl benzoate or cetearyl ethylhexanoate.
I used this combination of essential oils - 2 parts peppermint, 2 parts spearmint, 1 part cinnamon, 1 part clove bud - and I used 3% of this mixture in this stick. I find this is a tingly, cooling, slightly warm combination that helps my pain feel less intense. You can try other things in a blend of this nature, but I'm a novice at essential oil blends, so you'll have to refer to another resource for that. (Try this link or this one. Here's one about blending them for fragrances. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know!) I do like to include ginger sometimes, other times camphor or menthol, and there are loads of different ways to make pain blends. (Here are some ideas on how to make a Tiger Balm like blend.)
Please do not use this product on anyone with broken skin. It will hurt like heck, and they will curse you for it! And before you go using essential oils, please learn more about them. Do not use on pregnant or nursing women, and don't be using things like this on a heating pad or with someone who is bedbound. In short, learn about these ingredients!
Here's a whipped butter version of this product along with a body butter version of it, and here's a whipped butter and lotion bar version using different essential oils.
How does it feel? I really like this product, although my back is breaking out from the constant application of oils (I do have acne prone skin, after all). I find it really easy to apply without help, although Raymond will come help massage it in. (Did I mention my husband is amazing?) I'm using the container as the massage tool, but I don't need to put a ton of pressure on it to get the lotion-y goodness on my skin. My mom is enjoying it, and the other people haven't received their sticks yet, so I have no comment from them.
It is greasy - it's a lotion bar after all - and I'm going to work on making it a little less greasy. It isn't leaving stains on my new lovely pillowcases or clothes, so you can use it during the day at work or play!
As a note, I made these in small containers - a 100 gram batch made 8 containers, so about 12.5 grams in each - and I've used half of the container this week alone. I'm off to buy some larger deodorant containers because I want it to last longer!
If you don't have a container, you could put it in a mould and make a massage bar out of it. One of those moulds with the bumps would be awesome!
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