The five lotions dabbed onto my arms.
To briefly review, I made test batches using the Granny’s Favorite Lotion recipe. I made five batches of lotion using Liquid Glycerin, Hydrovance, HoneyQuat, Sodium Lactate, and Honey as my different humectants.
I tested all of the lotions on my arms at the same time so I could have the most accurate test. This also helped me make sure my feelings weren’t confused by a time delay in the testing. So, I’ll stop chatting your ears off and tell you about my tests!
Liquid Glycerin: The lotion had a faint tacky feel as it was rubbed in. After 30 minutes, the skin had a slightly waxy feeling that had some nice drag. Sadly, the feeling went away after the skin was washed and the skin felt in need of lotion again.
Labels noting which samples were placed on my arms.
HoneyQuat: The lotion has a similar feeling to Honey as it was rubbed in, just less sticky. After 30 minutes, the skin had a soft velvety feeling that only slightly had a little drag. After washing, the skin felt softer and not in need of lotion again.
Hydrovance: The lotion has a slip and glide when rubbed in. After 30 minutes, the skin had a soft velvety feeling that felt moist to the touch. After washing, the skin dewy and ready to go without more!
Sodium Lactate: The lotion has a powdery glide when rubbed in. After 30 minutes, the skin had a velvety feel with a little extra drag. After washing, the skin felt soft, dewy and not in need of lotion for a while.
Now, my favorite humectants by rank! From the bottom to top!
5) Honey – The faint sticky feel from the lotion just didn’t do it for me. This humectant might shine for me if used in a foot cream. I personally would rather use honey in soaps or cooking!
4) Liquid Glycerin – While I learned how to make lotions with Liquid Glycerin, I think I prefer not using it in lotions that would be used in dry climates. (Utah) I think this would shine best in light daily after shower lotions.
3) HoneyQuat – I liked using HoneyQuat, but I think it has a stronger showing in thicker lotions or bath product additions.
2) Sodium Lactate – I enjoyed the Sodium Lactate and I think this preforms best in products that want a velvety feeling in the finished product.
1) Hydrovance – My favorite humectant for the versatility and long term moisturizing. I’m one of those who prefers to only apply lotion once or twice a day, so this works for me!
What do you think? I hope you enjoyed this comparison as much as I have!
Thanks for the testing. I’ve got hydrovance and like it. Glad it did well in the testing!
Excellent approach! I commend you for taking the time and effort to perform such a test. I definitely agree with your assessment of glycerin, honeyquat and Sodium Lactate. I purchased Hydrovance and have yet to use it because I was sooo happy with Sodium Lactate. Will definitely start using the Hydrovance today.
I have always liked hydrovance the best out of everything I have tried. Ypur results are good to know – thanks so much!
I have tested some of these myself and have come up with the same results as you, I use Hyrdovance for facial moisturizers and Sodium Lactate for body lotions and butters, just for their velvety results. I have used Honeyquat as an experiment, but kept going back to the Hydrovance and Socium Lactate.
How funny, these tests went almost exactly how I predicted, and I agree 100% with your results! 🙂 I am a huge fan of long-lasting moisturisation and no stickiness! Huzzah for Hydrovance! 🙂
Thanks for this awesome layout! So easy to follow and see and understand!
I’ve always been wondering if honey would be too sticky, Thanks for the review!
Thanks for posting your results, I thought I had missed it! make goat’s milk body butter, and my recipe called for glycerin, so that’s what I had always used and my customers loved it! Then I read about hydrovance, and tried some. I loved it, and switched it for the glycerin, and customers like it even more! My only question is, what is it, or what is it made out of? Thanks again for doing the testing for us!
The Hydrovance is a synthetic product. It is a product known as urea, it is not made from urine as some have asked us. It is a petro-chemical derivative. We wish it were a natural product but it does succeed in doing something that we can not from a natural product. For that, we are grateful for science. Appropriate use of all things found on Earth is important. I think your goat milk body butter sounds wonderful! I love a good lotion or cream.
LuAnn – I am interested in making goat’s milk body butter and lotions. Would you be willing to share your recipe? Also, maybe dumb question, but I am a newbe – Does goat milk spoil?
Thank you!
Thanks for the test – it is very informative. I love hydrovance as well.
My question is: did it affect the pH? I wondered if we need to add anything to lower (or raise) the level? If so, what?
I didn’t show any change to the pH. If you use distilled, reverse osmosis or good filtered water, then you shouldn’t need to change the pH of a lotion. Depending on the pH of your water will be the primary influence of if a pH adjuster is needed. We generally use Citric Acid as our preferred pH adjusting ingredient. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
Hydrovance is my fave out of the ones I’ve tried, too.