Yesterday, I taught two back-to-back Advanced Lotionmaking classes. Each class was only 60 minutes and I covered types of emulsions and the HLB (Hydrophilic Lipophilic Balance) theory around lotion design. I spoke for exactly 16 minutes. And then? It was a free for all! I broke the class into five teams to make 5 different recipes. The teams made:
1. Classic Emulsifying Wax recipe
4. Xantham Gum/Beeswax Emulsifier Combo
5. BTMS-50 as the Emulsifying Agent
I have to give the Xantham Gum/Beeswax group in both classes huge props (yes, that gloppy mess is Xantham Gum in the photo above). It is a common urban myth that Xantham Gum/Beeswax emulsifies into something resembling lotion. That is a lie. It looks more like snot and acts similarly. It even dries in sheets on your skin. You can peel it off. It is that strange and weird. The Xantham Gum/Beeswax groups in both classes really gave it their all working with this strange emulsifying system. They both heated up their stick blenders so much that we were worried that they were going to burn out!
Overall, while I did not take a vote, judging from the lotion learners coming up to me after the class, the BTMS-50 emulsifier blend is the clear and definite winner of the 5 lotions. You can mix BTMS-50 with Emulsifying Wax NF in regular lotions or just use it alone as the emulsifying agent.
Why BTMS-50 over straight Emulsifying Wax? Because BTMS-50 has a conditioning agent added to it that gives it just that extra silky, powdery feel on the skin. It’s just as easy to work with as Emulfisying Wax NF and it has just that extra touch of smoothness that makes it feel expensive, classic and sophisticated. By the way, BTMS-50 can be used in hair conditioners as well. It’s an easy, cost effective conditioner base. The recipe is here.
An even bigger surprise? I knew the Mango Peach Salsafragrance would be a huge crowd pleaser (even Nate in the restaurant loved it when I brought him a freshly-made dollop of the lotion) but who knew that Fresh Zucchini Flower would be such a hit? It was the perfect light, fresh, airy fragrance without being overpowering and it was like a sneak-attack of “Hey! I love that! What fragrance is that!?”
Both classes were super troopers with the hands-on portion and it was one of the most fun classes I’ve ever taught, thanks to the awesome helpers the Soap Guild sent to be hands-on, and the exhuberant spirit of the attendees.
