Solid cleansing oils can be a firm or soft balm, they can be self emulsifying or require a flannel to remove. The following solid cleansing oil washes clean off and will not leave an oily residue on your skin. It’s a super simple formula containing only 5 main ingredients. It is not natural but I wanted to make somethign with ingredients readily found all over the world.

I used a combination of Emuslifying wax and polysorbate 80 for emulsifiers, sweet almond oil and coconut oil as my base oils. To fragrance I used Blue Lotus absolute which came prediluted in jojoba oil. Below is a little more about the ingredients I used and why. Essentially this balm is turned into a highly water soluble ‘milk’ that washes dirt and grime away from the skin. In my opinion, this cleansing oil is highly cleansing almost like Take the Day Off.

So what is in it?

How it Cleanses

The balm is highly cleansing due to the combination of surfactants used which was a combination of emusifying wax and polysorbate 80.

The emulsifying wax I used was a combination of cetearyl alcohol and cetearth 20. There are quite a few of these on the market that have the same basic formula. It is not classed as natural in terms of any of the natural or organic standards but it is a very good emulsifier for oil in water emulsions. It is a non-ionic emulsifer with a melt point of 47-55c and was chosen because it contains ceteareth 20, a high HLB (15.5) emuslifier which aids wash off and deep cleansing without being harsh. It is paired with Cetearyl alcohol, a co-emulsifier which adds extra body to the balm.

For a natural and organic alternative try Lanette N (cetearyl alcohol and sodium cetearyl sulphate), Olivem 1000 (sorbitan olivate, ceatearyl olivate), Xyliance (cetearyl wheat straw glucoside and cetearyl alcohol) or any number of solid emulsifiers. Though be aware other emulsifiers may not have the same water solubility as the emulsifying wax I used.

Polysorbate 80 is a high HLB emuslifier/solubiliser that comes as a thick liquid. It is ethoxylated so it wont be classed as a natural product under most standards because mineral oil is used in the processing. Alternatives to this would be the durosoft ranges of solubilisers or any water soluble emulsifiers.

Lipids Used

Coconut oil was chosen as it adds additional body to the balm but also melts at body temperature. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which adds to its anti microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal characteristics. It smells great, has a wonderful texture and is easily found in most parts of the world. You can substitute it with babassu oil which has a similar fatty acid profile but a slightly higher melt point.

I also used sweet almond oil which is liquid at room temperature, a long oil with an abundance of oleic acid and beta-Sitosterol. This can be replaced with any other oil of a characteristics or combination of oils.

Note

I didn’t add an antioxidant to this because only a small amount of a relatively fragile oil was used (sweet almond). However, you may want to use some vitamin E or rosemary oil extract to increase the shelf life of the balm. I would be inclined to use only 0.01-0.05%.

I originally made this is May 2021 and it is still holding shape.

Formula for Blue Lotus Solid Cleansing Oil

Method

Combine A except the fragrance and heat to 75c. Once all is melted and combined (stir well) add the fragrance while still hot and pour into molds. Place in fridge to cool.

How to use

Melt the balm between your hands until oil is released. Massage onto damp skin and rinse with warm water. The balm will emulsify with the use and wash of any makeup or dirt from the skin.

Enjoy xoxoxo