14 replies to this topic

[Belladonna]

Just being curious for the moment since I don't have the stamina quite yet to get back to making anything just yet, but a little question popped intomy head this morning while cruising the internet. Since making a nice batch of HP soap with aloe juice in it instead of the water required for the lye, I wondered if lotion could be made with aloe juice instead of water. Is this possible or would that invite trouble in the form of bateria and other nasties? I have Optiphen and Phenopip, and use it religiously with all water containing products that aren't soap, but I'm not sure about whether it's even possible to make a lotion with aloe juice and not end up with a huge disaster.

[connieb]

Good question! I use aloe juice in place of the water in a couple of my soaps too but have never tried it in a lotion. HOWEVER I did use it in place of the water called for in an emulsified scrub recipe. I used optiphen in it and so far no problems but it's only been a week. I didn't care for the scrub, no matter what I did it's just down right runny so it will probably go in the garbage. :-/

[Belladonna]

So you think it didn't emulsify enough or correctly when using aloe juice in it? You've made this recipe before most likely and it turned out ok.

[connieb]

I don't think it had anything to do with the aloe juice. It was a recipe for an emulsified scrub I found on this board and another person also said they had made it and it was runny. I put three time the amount of salt in it and it was still runny. I think it just had too much liquid in it. I have found that soap when rebatched with aloe juice takes a long time to harden but it could be that I just used more than needed. If you use a preservative in the right amount I don't see why the aloe juice would cause a problem. I guess you could use aloe powder and water but then wouldn't you have the same thing in the end?

[Belladonna]

Yeah, just another water soap with an additive. Have you tried the scrub with less water or tweaked it in any way since trying out that recipe again? I wouldn't blame you if you decided to pitch that one though. I'm sure you have others that work out very well every time.

[lovemyskin]

connieb, on 11 April 2012 - 09:05 PM, said:

I don't think it had anything to do with the aloe juice. It was a recipe for an emulsified scrub I found on this board and another person also said they had made it and it was runny. I put three time the amount of salt in it and it was still runny. I think it just had too much liquid in it. I have found that soap when rebatched with aloe juice takes a long time to harden but it could be that I just used more than needed. If you use a preservative in the right amount I don't see why the aloe juice would cause a problem. I guess you could use aloe powder and water but then wouldn't you have the same thing in the end?

When I make my emulsified scrub it's runny when I don't let the oils cool completely before adding the sugar. You could try putting your bowl or pot into an ice bath to cool it down faster, and it should thicken up. I jutst made some today and that happened to me. I let the oils and sugar cool, added a bit more sugar, and whipped. It turned out perfectly.

I posted my recipe in the recipe section.

[connieb]

I used salt. Once I started thinking about it I used DSS which does attract moisture. I still don't think that was the problem though. I had made an emulsified scrub once before and it wasn't runny like this one was. I want one that is a little more moisturizing.... not greasy but that you know you have some oils on your skin when you rinse it off. I use the whipped soap scrub recipe for the one I'm selling now and I sell TONS of it. I just wanted to play around with something else.

[lovemyskin]

Ah, I didn't take the salt into consideration. I've never made a salt scrub before, but I've had a couple of customers asking for one. I'll have to try it.

(Sorry to hijack your lotion thread!)

[connieb]

I was hoping to get the benefits of the DSS. As a rule I don't care for salt scrubs because the least little scratch and you are on fire.

[Misty]

I use both distilled water and aloe juice in my lotion recipe and never had a problem

[Denise R.]

aloe juice may indeed be used in lotion instead of water.

[Diane B. Sr.]

I have used aloe juice as well and never had a problem with nasties or runniness.

[jameshill003]

Hi,
Good question ?? Does really it aloe juice works...

[Belladonna]

Sugar doesn't leave a sticky feeling does it? It won't try to dissolve a bit with the liquid and start getting sticky?

[connieb]

I think I might have lost track of this conversation but it the question about sugar is for use in sugar scrubs it's not sticky at all, or at least mine aren't. But if it's about sugar in lotion I have never heard about that. I think this thread might have gotten a couple of different topics going.