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To continue with our men’s care blogs, I thought I would share an after shave lotion. I wanted to formulate a thick lotion that would feel good on the skin and help soothe. Let’s look at the ingredients that I decided to use!
Since my goal is to make a lotion that feels good on tender skin, I chose Conditioning Emulsifier to be my emulsifier. This emulsifier is noted to leave a soft powdery feel and be non-irritating which is important to me for this recipe. I added Dimethicone because it allows skin to breathe(sweat), reduces stickiness, conditions skin and hair and has also been noted to help protect skin. I don’t want the skin feel dry during the day so Hydrovance was my obvious choice as a humectant. You can use any humectant of your choice at the same percentage, so don’t feel limited by my choice! I picked Apricot Kernel Oil as my main oil because I enjoy this light weight oil that easily absorbs into the skin. I thought it would be nice to have a face lotion that didn’t feel heavy after application. Since we are dealing with a face lotion that is to be put on after shaving, I chose three extracts that are considered beneficial to the skin. Pumpkin Seed Extract, Ivy Extract, and Calendula Extract all are noted to soothe, revitalize and repair skin. Liquid Germall Plus is one of my go-to preservatives because it has a low required usage rate. (Which means money saved!) It also is compatible with most cosmetic ingredients so I don’t have to worry as much about a failed preservative. Since this is an after shave lotion for men, I decided to follow the trend of mint in after shave products. I used both Peppermint Essential Oil and Menthol Crystals to give the cooling, minty feel that many big brands have. Please be careful when adding these items as it is always easier to say “Next time I’ll add more,” rather than being unable to use the product because the mint is too strong. Collect needed items:
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 Completely cooled cream on my finger.  Weighing the ingredients.  My small menthol crystal next to a 1 oz bottle of Peppermint. |
Recipe: (Makes 3.53 ounces or 100 grams)
| Recipe in ounces: 2.06 ounces Water 0.21 ounces Conditioning Emulsifier 0.25 ounces Dimethicone 0.18 ounces Hydrovance 0.49 ounces Apricot Kernel Oil 0.07 ounces Pumpkin Seed Extract 0.07 ounces Ivy Extract 0.07 ounces Calendula Extract 0.02 ounces Liquid Germall Plus 0.01 ounces Peppermint Essential Oil q.s. Menthol Crystals |
Recipe in grams: 58.3 grams Water 6 grams Conditioning Emulsifier 10 grams Dimethicone 5 grams Hydrovance 14 grams Apricot Kernel Oil 2 grams Pumpkin Seed Extract 2 grams Ivy Extract 2 grams Calendula Extract 0.5 grams Liquid Germall Plus 0.2 grams Peppermint Essential Oil q.s. Menthol Crystals |
Recipe in Percentages 58.3% Water 6% Conditioning Emulsifier 10% Dimethicone 5% Hydrovance 14% Apricot Kernel Oil 2% Pumpkin Seed Extract 2% Ivy Extract 2% Calendula Extract 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus 0.2% Peppermint Essential Oil q.s. Menthol Crystals |
Weigh all ingredients except the additives (Liquid Germall Plus, extracts and Peppermint Essential Oil) into a microwave safe container. I added the small (half a pea amount) Menthol Crystal to the ingredients to be melted to ensure the Menthol would melt completely. Heat in the microwave using short time bursts until everything is melted. Blend the ingredients to a smooth, creamy consistency using the immersion blender. Add the additives once the temperature drops to approximately 120° F in the mixing bucket. Stir gently until completely mixed. Pour into containers and allow to cool completely before labeling.
Lotion Notes: This is a thick lotion that is perfect for a pump. The lotion rubs in with a creamy feel that isn’t heavy. Two minutes after application, my skin felt soft and silky. I might make this again and choose a scent I like for my morning face lotion! I applied this lotion to my face in the morning and my face still felt amazing 14 hours later.
You should try making this lotion and see what the men in your life say!
I’ve noticed that the Peppermint scent has been a super popular one for men’s product and I really like how nice and creamy it turned out. =)
Mint does get top billing in men’s products. I think of woods and mint for clean products like soap, aftershave and the like. They aren’t cologne like at all.
Could jojoba oil be used in this recipe in addition to everything that is currently in it?
I think replacing the Apricot Kernel oil with Jojoba Oil would be a better option. I do like jojoba oil but I don’t think you need more oil in the mixture. Replace and use what you like, however.
Tina