The Benefits of Lotion Bars

Lotion bars? What are those? This is a common question from our new customers who haven’t yet discovered the benefits of these wonderful all natural, eco-conscious moisturizers. Deeply hydrating, pleasant to use, and travel-friendly, lotion bars are gaining popularity and can be a great plastic-free alternative to bottled lotions.

What is a Lotion Bar?

A lotion bar is a solid block of lotion, stored in a small container, and used for moisturizing your skin as part of your personal care routine. They can be used anywhere on the body that needs moisturizing, and are particularly convenient for use on frequently-washed hands. Lotion bars are typically made with natural ingredients (including butters and oils like Mango butter, Cocoa butter, Shea butter, Beeswax, Jojoba oil, Sunflower oil, and essential oils) that stay solid at room temperature, but melt a little from body heat, making them easy to apply as needed.

How Do You Use a Lotion Bar?

Lotion bars can be used many different ways, depending on your skin care needs and personal preferences. We recommend holding the lotion bar in your hands for a minute before use. The warmth of your hands will slightly melt the outer layer of the bar, and allow you to apply the soft part to your body.

Most dermatologists and skin care experts recommend using a moisturizer (such as lotion) right after showering or bathing to lock in water left on the body and use it to hydrate skin throughout the day. Like any lotion, lotion bars are also an important go-to skin care product any time skin feels dry, cracked, or irritated.

Why is a Lotion Bar Better Then Liquid Lotion?

No Preservatives

Liquid lotion is typically made up of about 70-80% water. While the addition of water in lotion works to hydrate your skin, excess water can result in a thinner and lighter lotion with fewer skin benefits. Adding water to skin care products also requires the addition of preservatives to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. This is true even of high-quality, natural lotions.

One of the biggest advantages of lotion bars is that they are made entirely from vegetable oils and butters, contain no water, and do not require a preservative. As a result, lotion bars can be a more effective, health-conscious choice because they are free from potentially hazardous chemicals found in liquid lotion products, such as phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), ethanolamines, and petroleum.

Travel Friendly

Lotion bars take the best all natural ingredients like vegetable oils, butters, and essential oils and pack them into a small bar. Because they are in a solid form and contain no water, lotion bars don’t need to be packaged in large plastic bottles, yet still provide the same skin benefits. Therefore, they are a great compact option for people on the go and can easily fit in a purse, gym bag, office drawer, or toiletry kit.

Low Waste

While local recycling facilities are typically able to recycle liquid lotion bottles, overall plastic recycling rates are shockingly low. In 2019, for example, only 25.8% of U.S. recyclable household waste was actually recycled, the rest was incinerated or dumped in landfills by local recycling facilities due to numerous challenges. For this reason, it is better to reduce plastic consumption up front, and rely less on recycling by simply not buying products bottled in plastic containers when possible. Most lotion bars on the market today are minimally packaged in reusable containers and are a great choice for those looking for skin care products in low-waste packaging.

How Long Will a Lotion Bar Last?

Depending on size and frequency of use, lotion bars can last as long as a bottle of liquid lotion. Keeping them in a warm, dry place, away from water, and out of direct sunlight will extend their shelf live almost indefinitely.

Conclusion

As you can see, lotion bars offer numerous benefits over traditional liquid lotions. If you are curious about adding lotion bars to your skin care routine, please visit our online store. We currently offer different size lotion bars in scented and unscented versions. All of them are great for your hands face, elbows, heels, knees, and any other place that could use some extra attention.