Yes, just melt them together and pour. I don’t know why they mention ‘trace’ in that recipe.
Solid oil massage bar ?
- Thread starter CecileBC
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I thought it may have to do with the fact that jojoba is a liquid wax and may require "trace" ? .... I'll just have to try and see.
I reckon Jojoba oil is an expensive and unnecessary addition to your recipe. It says it absorbs rapidly, so maybe not the best for massage? I'd go for a liquid oil such as OO, almond, grapeseed or apricot kernel. Choose one with a longer shelf life otherwise you might end up with stinky massage bars.
oh ok ! oils not being saponified.... makes sense.
Could be useful - see note about antioxidants at the end: Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild
You're such a source of precious resources !!
Just popping in to say that @KiwiMoose 's lotion bar is lovely and smells like a heavenly orange.
I bet !!!! If only I could smell it...
I have tried a close version of it, and it is lovely indeed
And I have also tried yours, which is just as lovely !!! As you said, one a tad "dryer" than the other.
It's funny to get KiwiMoose's posts in the morning and yours mid afternoon: it's not a bad position to be in the middle
It mustn't be easy for you guys to get in touch "live" !
Don't thank me - thank Google!
I like that you're online in the morning - it's evening for me ( we're approx 12 hours ahead of you) and most of this board is asleep.
NewlyCreative
Well-Known Member
It’s because if the oils are poured into the mold before they are blended to a thick (dropped batter makes a clump on top of the surface instead of dropping back into the batter immediately) consistency- the bars won’t set up correctly. They’ll need to be remelted and poured again.
The recipe author used heavy trace to describe the dropped batter makes a clump on top of the surface instead of dropping back into the batter immediately level of mixing needed
But when I make mine they are never a thick consistency. I just put the harder oils/fats into a pot on the stove until they melt, then add the liquid oils, stir for a bit and then pour.It’s because if the oils are poured into the mold before they are blended to a thick (dropped batter makes a clump on top of the surface instead of dropping back into the batter immediately) consistency- the bars won’t set up correctly. They’ll need to be remelted and poured again.
The recipe author used heavy trace to describe the dropped batter makes a clump on top of the surface instead of dropping back into the batter immediately level of mixing needed
Morning Cecile! 
Hey ! Good evening to youMorning Cecile!
! Is it getting cooler on your side ? Here it's thankfully warming up, after a good 6 months of cold and rain...
Yes - starting to get a bit chilly. 12 degrees today but a cool wind chill factor making it seem cooler. We've just had the warmest May ever recorded though. My sister still has roses blooming and it's the shortest day coming up in a few weeks!
Mmm, not good... we're having water restrictions all over here (although it rained and rained, but not enough to refill ground water). People with swimming pools may not be able to refill them this year. Time to think differently, and for us all as it seems...
A little update on massage bars, + a big mistery:
- according to my tests, the best massage bars are with high cocoa percentage, a bit of shea and a bit of wax. The cocoa makes a hard bar but gives a great slip once warmed.
- BIG mystery (to me at least...): the bars I was trying to get close to are made with the following ingredients: CO, Cocoa, Shea and Rice bran wax. In that INCI order on the label.
I have tried all combinations ! Whatever I do, the CO in it makes the bar too soft (when their bar is rock hard).
I find it very intriguing as I understand that INCI ingredients are to be written in the order of quantities, but here it is just not possible ? Unless I missed something...
The reason I was wanting to make their bar is that it does not have that strong cocoa smell which is great with scents like vanilla or Ylang Ylang, strong scents, but not so great with lavender or rose....
- according to my tests, the best massage bars are with high cocoa percentage, a bit of shea and a bit of wax. The cocoa makes a hard bar but gives a great slip once warmed.
- BIG mystery (to me at least...): the bars I was trying to get close to are made with the following ingredients: CO, Cocoa, Shea and Rice bran wax. In that INCI order on the label.
I have tried all combinations ! Whatever I do, the CO in it makes the bar too soft (when their bar is rock hard).
I find it very intriguing as I understand that INCI ingredients are to be written in the order of quantities, but here it is just not possible ? Unless I missed something...
The reason I was wanting to make their bar is that it does not have that strong cocoa smell which is great with scents like vanilla or Ylang Ylang, strong scents, but not so great with lavender or rose....
You can buy refined/deodorized cocoa butter. It has no smell
CO is too soft in a lotion bar. I use it, but only at 8%. It can also tend to be a bit greasy and it will break up easy in warmer weather. Have you tried wax 30%, shea butter 20%, cocoa butter 15%, then other (softer) oils to make up the balance?
That's a great idea !You can buy refined/deodorized cocoa butter. It has no smell
Hi !
I have tried similar blends, but as I am using rice bran wax, I had to decrease the wax amount and increase the cocoa.
I found that at 30% wax, the bar had to be rubbed between hands for quite a while before it releases the oils, so it wasn't slippery enough IMO - for a massage bar. But I keep it in mind for a lotion bar though
Do you understand the composition of the mystery massage bar ? They have CO as their primary ingredient... it just does not work !! (They only have HE and Vit E as additives...)
Sorry - I remember now that you are making massage bars, not lotion bars, yes they need to be 'oilier'.
