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Rose & Aloe In-Shower Lotion

Filed Under: Lotion

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 1 Hour
Yields: Three 8 oz. Bottles

Rose and Aloe In-Shower LotionWhen I first heard the term “in-shower lotion,” I was a little confused. Lotion for the shower…how does that work? Simply put, in-shower lotion is like a conditioner for the skin. The product is applied while in the shower and is lightly rinsed off. A steamy shower creates the perfect environment for giving the skin extra hydration. In-shower moisturizer is a great alternative for those who do not like the “sticky” feel of lotion before it absorbs. You’ll leave the shower with silky and soft feeling skin.

Right before getting out of the shower, move to avoid direct contact with the water stream. Apply the moisturizer to your body and massage in. Step back under the water, and lightly rinse. Just a few seconds of rinsing does the trick. Lightly pat yourself dry with a towel. A small amount of lotion will remain, leaving your skin feeling smooth and soft. The Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil leaves a soft, floral scent on the skin that’s perfect for spring.

Rose and Aloe In-Shower Lotion3

What You’ll Need:
16.5 oz. Aloe Vera Liquid
2.7 oz. Avocado Oil
.7 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
1 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifier
.5 oz. Emulsifying Wax
.2 oz. Sodium Lactate
.9 oz. Glycerin Liquid
.2 oz. Vitamin E Oil
.4 oz. DL-Panthenol
.2 oz. Aloe Extract
.2 oz. Optiphen
9 mL Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil
2 mL Fuchsia LabColor
8 oz. Bottle,White Disk Cap (3 bottles)
Optional: Droppers

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible. To be safe, bleach water all your utensils.

ONE: In a heat safe container, combine the avocado oil, green tea seed oil, BTMS-50, emulsifying wax, sodium lactate, glycerin and vitamin E oil. Heat the container in the microwave using 1 minute bursts until the waxes have fully melted. Set aside.

ONETWO: In a separate container, add the aloe vera liquid and heat to 150°F. Add the DL-panthenol to the liquid and stir to dissolve.

TWOTHREE: Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be between 150 – 160°F. Once they are at the correct temperatures, pour the oils into the aloe vera liquid and stir continually. Blend the mixture for 60 – 90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your lotion! Continue to blend until the lotion drops below 120°F.
THREESIXFOUR: Once the lotion is below 120°F, add the aloe extract and optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60-90 seconds until the mixture is fully incorporated.

SEVENFIVE: Add the Fuchsia Labcolor and stick blend to thoroughly combine. Be sure to dilute your LabColor before use! Learn how to dilute LabColors here.

EIGHTSIX: Add the Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil and stick blend to combine.

NINESEVEN: When the lotion drops below 110°F, pour it into bottles. Let the bottles sit overnight without a cap (otherwise condensation can form inside the bottle).

Rose and Aloe In-Shower Lotion2

Have you ever used an In-Shower Lotion? I would love to know what you thought of it!

4.7 from 3 reviews

Rose & Aloe In-Shower Lotion
 
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This Rose & Aloe In-Shower Lotion is applied while in the shower, and creates silky soft skin.
Recipe type: Lotion
Serves: Three 8 oz. Bottles

Ingredients
  • 16.5 oz. Aloe Vera Liquid
  • 2.7 oz. Avocado Oil
  • .7 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
  • 1 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifier
  • .5 oz. Emulsifying Wax
  • .2 oz. Sodium Lactate
  • .9 oz. Glycerin Liquid
  • .2 oz. Vitamin E Oil
  • .4 oz. DL-Panthenol
  • .2 oz. Aloe Extract
  • .2 oz. Optiphen
  • 9 mL Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil
  • 2 mL Fuchsia LabColor
  • 8 oz. Bottles,White Disk Cap (3 bottles)

Instructions
EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible so be safe and bleach water all your utensils.
  1. In a heat safe container, combine the avocado oil, green tea seed oil, BTMS-50, emulsifying wax, sodium lactate, glycerin and vitamin E oil. Heat the container in the microwave using 1 minute bursts until the waxes have fully melted. Set aside.
  2. In a separate container, add the aloe vera liquid and heat to 150°F. Add the DL-panthenol to the liquid and stir to dissolve.
  3. Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be between 150 – 160°F. Once they are at the correct temperatures, pour the oils into the water and stir continually. Blend the mixture for 60 – 90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your lotion! Continue to blend until the lotion drops below 120°F.
  4. Once the lotion is below 120°F, add the aloe extract and optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60-90 seconds until the mixture is fully incorporated.
  5. Add the Fuchsia Labcolor and stick blend to thoroughly combine.
  6. Add the Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil and stick blend to combine.
  7. When the lotion drops below 110°F, pour it into bottles. Let the bottles sit overnight without a cap (otherwise condensation can form inside the bottle).

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73 Comments

  3. I just got all of the ingredients to make this recipe but I am confused on the measurements. I know how to measure the 16.5 oz and the 2.7 but I am not sure about the point measurements. For instance the .2 oz. Will the scale say .2 or 0.2 ? Sorry for the silly question but this is my first time making a lotion and using a scale.

    • I believe the scale will say 0.2 on it! Either way you’ll want to weigh out .2 oz. So, add just a few drops at a time until it hits 0.2. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  6. If I didn’t have sodium lactate, what can I substitute it with? And if I didn’t have BTMS could I use stearic acid instead?
    Thank you

  7. Hi. Does this recipe contain any sulphates? If so, do you have any sulphate free alternatives? Thanks

    • This recipe is sulfate free! Sulfates are usually in soap/shampoo to help the recipe lather. You can check the descriptions on BrambleBerry.com to see the ingredients in each product. If it says SLS or SLSA, it does contain sulfates. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  8. Is btms-50 incompatible with any ingredients since it is cationic? Also what is the HLB value of btms-50?
    Thanks!

    • Hi Kat!

      We have found the BTMS-50 works well in this recipe! We recommend adding the Optiphen around 120F. Some people report Optiphen can de-stabilize their emulsions, so it’s suggested to add this preservative at 113F to 131F and continue mixing until cool. It can thin out a cationic emulsion, but it will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry too much! Read more about that here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/perfectly-preserved/

      Also, the HLB value of BTMS-50 is estimated at 15.5. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  9. my hands have arthritis & using a stick blender is TORTURE. can I carefully use my hand mixer & attain the same results? are there types of recipes that the stick blender is crucial to for some reason? thanks for any info & help you can provide!

  10. Hi, I am interested in an in-shower moisturizer (your’s looks very promising), but i am wondering if you sell this, or sell samples, because while i am willing to invest and put in the effort to make it myself, the initial cost of buying all the ingredients is quite high, for something I am not sure I will like.

    Thanks!
    Yara

    • Hi Yara!

      We sell the supplies to make this lotion, but we don’t sell the lotion itself. Sorry about that! I can tell you this recipe feels amazing on the skin. I think you’ll love it. 🙂

      We also sell lotion bases! For those, all you need to do is customize it with fragrance and color. Many of those come in 4 ounce sizes so you can give a small amount a try before buying more supplies. A similar base to this recipe is our Aloe Lotion Base. This recipe is a bit thicker, but the base will give you an idea of how it feels: https://www.brambleberry.com/Aloe-Lotion-Base-P5584.aspx

      Lotion bases: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lotion-Bases-C16.aspx

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  11. Is it possible to add SLSa (or any other surfactant) to this recipe so it lathers in the shower? If not, do you have a body wash recipe available? Also, can you add mica to this recipe instead of labcolors? If I wanted this recipe to be thicker, how could I achieve this? -Thanks 🙂

  12. Hi, I live in New Zealand and I can’t find aloe vera liquid or extract anywhere. The overseas shipping from bramble berry (sorry) is way too high for me, and I don’t think NZ is letting botanicals into the country anyway because we have a parasite problem. Here, the only things I can find is powdered 200:1 aloe extract or aloe vera gel, will either work? The instructions on the website for the powder is this “To use add 1 part of this product to 200 parts of distilled or filtered water. Example: 1 gram (approx 3/4 tea spoon) of powder to 200 ml of water.” Could I mix it with 16.5oz distilled water and use this in place of the aloe vera liquid? Is there anything else I can use in place of the aloe vera liquid and extract? Also, can the avocado oil and green tea seed oil be substituted for other oils? Thank you 🙂

    • Hi Cailin!

      If you’d like, you could just use normal distilled water rather than aloe vera liquid. You will be missing the benefits of the aloe, but it will still make a wonderful product! I’ve never experimented with powdered aloe extract or aloe vera gel, but it sounds like it might be a little bit different from the liquid. Aloe vera liquid has the consistency of water, while aloe vera gel is much thicker. My concern is that the powder may produce a jelly-like consistency, which would great affect the lotion. If you do give it a try, I would recommend a small test batch first :). You can completely omit the extract, use a different kind of extract, or slightly increase the amount of liquid oils. Our extracts are dispersed in oil, so removing the extract and increasing the oils would make up for that.

      If you’re looking to use a different oil, I would recommend using a lightweight liquid oil. Both green tea seed oil and avocado oil are used in this recipe because they are lightweight and absorb well into the skin. Other good options would include sweet almond oil, chia seed oil, sunflower oil or apricot kernel oil.

      I hope this helps!

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

        • I have used that exact powdered aloe, and you can easily add it to distilled water, mix well and then heat. It is a very small amount of powder, so it does not create a gel-like consistency. It is really the same as using the aloe juice, and takes up a lot less space! I hope that helps!

          • Thanks so much for your great suggestion LuAnn! That’s definitely helpful for others wanting to try the powder. 🙂

            -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  13. I’m new to lotion making, so please pardon my lack of knowledge on emulsifiers!

    Are there any viable substitutions for the emulsifying wax in this recipe? I do have the BTMS-50 but not the emulsifying wax called for (Cetylstearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 80). I do have 4 other types however – BTMS-25, one with Cetearyl Alcohol and Polysorbate 60, one with Cetearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth-20, and one with Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol and Sodium Stearoyl Lactate. Would any of those possibly work? Or, if I were to omit the emulsifying wax, would I just get a thinner/runnier consistency?

  14. So, does Phenonip have paraben and formaldehyde? Also, Can Optiphen be used with both water and oil mixtures like Phenonip?

  15. I would like to know if the colorant can be left out of this lotion? I am excited about making this lotion because of my extremely dry skin.

    • You can absolutely leave that color out of you like Pat! We added it for a soft pink color, but the lotion will work great either way. It’s thick and moisturizing. I think it’ll feel great on your skin. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  16. I’m a little late on this comment, but I made this, and used as a regular lotion, absolutely love it!! I’m not crazy about the smell of the green Tea Seed Oil, and we have very dry skin, so I substituted Jojoba oil. I didn’t want to wash any of this lotion down the drain, it’s my favorite so far!!

    • Hi Nerissa!

      We love the DL-Panthenol because it adds some conditioning properties to this recipe, but you can leave it out if you like! That lotion should still feel great. A small test batch may be helpful as well. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  18. I made this lotion, but it turned out more like a heavy cold cream (did I overmix?) There wasn’t any chance I was going to get this product into a squeeze bottle, so I opted for wide mouth half-pint jars. Even so, it was interesting to get it out of the mixing bowl and into the jars.
    I had never heard of an in-shower lotion and was anxious to try it. I used the Fresh Linen fragrance oil and no color as my husband also seemed interested (or somewhat interested, anyway). The “stickiness” of applying regular lotion after showering is eliminated and my skin is soft.

  19. Hi. Can this recipe works without the BTMS-50? Can I substiture BTMS-50 with polawax? Thanks in advance!

      • Hi Kelsey!

        Thanks for your reply. I don’t have any BTMS-50 in my workshop right now and it’s not the time for me to place my order of supplies yet. I just want to try this with whatever I have. Made this without BTMS-50, substituting it with Polawax. It turns out quite nice, but I reckon it will be perfect with BTMS-50 🙂 Will definitely add BTMS-50 in my supply list!

  20. We just made this recipe and the wax is separating. We followed the directions exactly. What is wrong and can it be fixed? Thank you

    • Hi Lynda!

      Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! Typically, lotion separates when it needs to be stick blended more. I would recommend popping it back into a bowl and stick blending for a couple more minutes. That should help it stay together. 🙂

      Also, when I’m making lotion I like to let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes when I’m finished stick blending. If you notice separation after that time, stick blend for a couple more minutes until it’s fully emulsified.

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  21. I love that you’ve come up with an in-shower body lotion, and I can hardly wait to try this! 😀 I use a commercial brand right now, and while I generally like it, I love the idea of being able to make my own and control what goes into it. For example, the fragrance of the name-brand is sometimes a little overpowering, and the one I’m currently using also contains mica. While I don’t mind a sparkle/shimmer sometimes, I don’t *always* want it! 🙂 I definitely want to keep an eye on your site, and see if you come up with any other versions! 😀 Maybe an extra-rich one for winter? Thanks a bunch!

    • Hi Malinda!

      It’s an awesome recipe, and feels really great in your skin! It’s great to be able to control the color and fragrances in your lotion. Also, that’s a great idea, thanks so much! We’ll definitely keep that in mind for future blog posts. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  22. Wow I just made this recipe and it came out amazing!!!
    I had made this to use as a shaving cream for legs and underarms but, tried it as directed in the recipe and it can be use for both shaving cream and in shower moisturizer. I am running low on supplies so when I place my next order I’m going to get a large bottle of “Crisp apple and rose” this is now one of my favorite lotion fragrances to use.

  24. This recipe looks so wonderful, I am placing an order in the website. Can I use any essential oil and fragrance oil with it?
    Thanks a lot

  25. The recipe mentions pouring the oils into water and stir continually but does not mention the quantity of water to be used . I would love to make this lotion but want to make sure I have all the ingredients required first.

    • Hi Diane!

      This recipe calls for 16.5 ounces of aloe vera liquid. You can also used 16.5 ounces of distilled water if you like. Sorry for any confusion!

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  26. I have a general lotion question but didn’t know where to ask! I overscented my lotion using only Jasmine EO and didn’t realize until after it cooled in the bottles. The recipe has oils, butters, aloe, distilled water, emulsifying wax, vit E, Jasmine EO, and optiphen nd and came out perfect otherwise. What would be the best way to get the lotion out of the bottles, and can i just add more ingredients if i stay at a temp about 120 degrees as to not disrupt the optiphen nd? Am i stuck with this highly scented lotion and if so any labeling suggestions? It turned out like a perfume lotion lol. Thankfully Jasmine smells amazing but it smells like someone sprayed perfume in the room. I even used less than half of the recommended usage rate! One last question that i have had for a while…can beeswax be used alone as an emulsifyer if water content is kept low? Thanks for your patience with all the questions! Maybe i can use this lotion as a shower lotion! Lol

    • Hi Connie!

      Oh no! I have definitely done that before. The great news is you can definitely fix it!

      I would recommend making a separate, smaller batch of lotion and leaving it unscented. Once your unscented batch is cooled and thick, pour the jasmine lotion into it and mix well. You’re essentially diluting the scent with more unscented lotion!

      How big the second batch is definitely up to you. If the scent is really strong, you may want to make equal parts so it really dilutes that smell. 🙂

      Also, we have experimented with beeswax as an emulsifier. It makes the lotion pretty think and goopy, so it’s not our favorite emulsifier. You can hear more about that in the Lotion From Scratch video on Soap Queen TV: http://www.soapqueen.com/?s=lotion+from+scratch

      If you find a recipe with beeswax that works perfectly for you, let us know!

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  27. You are mentioning emulsifying wax in the recipe – could you please give me a name on a specific emulsifier that will work for this recipe?

    • Hi Linda!

      This lotion is a little thicker than regular lotion, making it great for use in the shower! The thickness of the lotion allows it to stay on your skin after rinsing. It can also be used like a regular lotion though! It’s very versatile. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  30. Question what else could I use to sterilize my items. I’m allergic to bleach.

    Thanks 🙂

    • I don’t use bleach either, I keep a spray bottle of alcohol at hand. I spray everything down, let it sit awhile, then wipe everything down with clean paper towels, then let everything dry.

  31. Hi,
    Just made this, can’t wait to try later today. Just curious, could this be used as a regular lotion also??
    Thanks!!

    • Hi Dawnia!

      Absolutely! This works as an in-shower lotion and a regular lotion. Have fun making it! 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  33. This looks wonderful, I can’t wait to try it. I’m just a little confused by the preservative. I only have phenonip on hand. Would that work as well? What is the difference between phenonip and optiphen? Does optiphen, being paraben-free, have the same efficacy against the wide range of yuckies that phenonip has? I like the idea of going paraben free, but I’m more afraid of fungi and bacteria than parabens.