How To Make Dandelion Lotion Bars
Learn how to make dandelion lotion bars using all natural ingredients, essential oils and dandelion infused oil. These lotion bars are easy to make and will leave your skin feeling soft and repaired.
Editor’s Note* After an influx of e-mails and comments stating the flowers in my images were NOT dandelions, I want to clarify that they are a “Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus” or a “Texas Dandelion”. In Texas the common dandelion is scarce, however the Texas Dandelion grows in abundance. The Texas Dandelion still offers many of the same benefits as the common dandelion, however if you are in a region where the common dandelion (Taraxacum) grows, you are at an advantage for sweeter tasting tea! I hope this helps to clear things up. Happy foraging ya’ll!
DANDELION LOTION BARS
These easy DIY dandelion lotion bars are so easy to make and a great way to introduce kids to foraging. By using dandelion infused oil, essential oils and a few natural ingredients, you can whip up a batch of these lotion bars that are perfect for dry cracked and calloused skin. Using silicone molds these also make great gifts for your natural minded friends and family.
BENEFITS OF DANDELION
There are so many benefits to dandelions that it is really a shame more people know how amazing these plants really are. Most everyone views these plants as pesky weeds, however they are one of the first sources of pollen for bees every year and they are often made into homes for many small insects. For this reason I suggest ONLY picking as much dandelions as you will use and for every dandelion picked, be sure and leave 1 or 2 behind for the bees 😉
Some of the benefits of dandelions for humans is that they are high in antioxidants including vitamin C. So rather you are applying to you skin or ingesting, dandelions are great for boosting your immune system, plus fighting against aging skin and free radicals.
Dandelions are also high in vitamins and minerals including, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B6, C and K. All of these things are so vital to healthy skin function and proper internal health, so finding ways to incorporate them into your daily skin care or health regimen is great.
MAKING DANDELION INFUSED OIL
In order to make dandelion lotion bars, you will first need to make your dandelion infused oil. This is super simple to do and foraging for dandelions is a great way to get the kids outside exploring nature and insects. If you homeschool like we do, you can count this as science 😉
So start by picking dandelions from your yard, or closest field, park etc. The amount needed will depend on how much dandelion oil you want to make, but a small bag of dandelions is usually sufficient for a pint sized mason jar of oil. When picking dandelions you can either just remove the flower or you can remove the entire plant down to its roots. Only remove the entire plant if you intend on using the leaves and making dandelion root tea. And remember for every dandelion you pick, leave a couple behind for those bees and insects!
Once you have picked your dandelions, lay them out on a paper towel or kitchen towel to dry out. Dandelions have a high water content so allowing them to dry out before infusing them will prevent mold and bacteria from growing. We usually leave ours sitting out for about 12hrs.
Once you have dried out your dandelions it is time to infuse them. To do this simply add the dandelions to a canning jar, filling the jar about half way. Then pour your favorite oil into the jar filling it until there is about 1 inch of head space at the top.
Note* Many oils for great for infusing dandelions. Some of our favorites are sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil or almond oil.
DANDELION INFUSION
There are two ways you can infuse your dandelions. The first method is by placing the jar in the pantry or somewhere warm and allowing the process to take place naturally. This takes approximately 4wks.
The fast way to infuse your dandelions, is by placing the jar in a pot of warm (not boiling) water. Leave the burner on low and allow the jar to stay in the warm water for a few hours. Remove from heat, allow to cool and then strain the dandelions. This option is great if you’d like to make your lotion bars and oil all in the same day.
MAKING DANDELION LOTION BARS
To make your dandelion bars you are going to need a double broiler. If you don’t have one, you can make your own by placing a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. You will add your ingredients to the glass bowl, allowing the boiling water from underneath to melt the ingredients.
You will also need silicone molds. There are so many choices when choosing molds, but here are some of our favorite!
The ingredients you will need are as follows:
- 1 Cup Dandelion Infused Oil
- 1 TBS Beeswax
- 2 TBS Almond Oil
- Essential Oils (optional)
Measure out your ingredients (except for your essential oils) and add them to your double boiler. Keep the water at a mild simmer/boil underneath, while slowly stirring your ingredients as they begin to melt.
Once all of your ingredients have melted and are well combined, begin to pour them into your molds. Before your molds start to harden add you 2-4 drops of essential oils per mold.
Typically when I make these we use a couple of different oils so we have a variety of scented bars. Some of our favorite oils to use when making dandelion molds are:
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Orange & Clove
- Geranium
- Peppermint
- Grapefruit
Once you have added your oils, let the molds sit out at room temperature until they harden. Sometimes I speed this process up by putting them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.
After they have hardened, simply pop each lotion bar out of the silicone mold tray and place in pretty glass bowl or container. Use as needed and enjoy!
WHERE CAN I GET ESSENTIAL OILS?
Our family prefers to use Young Living Essential Oils. This is because of their outstanding Seed to Seal standards they have, ensuring their oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade. If you would like to purchase their oils, you can do so on their website.
If you would like to become a member of Young Living and take advantage of wholesale pricing, essential reward points, and tons of resources, just follow this link to join! Once you have joined you’ll receive a welcome package from me containing some freebies, along with helpful tips and resources for using your new oils.
HOW LONG DO THE LOTION BARS LAST?
These dandelion lotion bars will keep fresh for many months. We usually make them in large batches for the year.
CAN I USE ANOTHER OIL BESIDES ALMOND OIL?
Yes! You can also use coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil or avocado oil.
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