Easy DIY Shimmer Lotion Bar Recipe

Give your skin a soft summer glow with this easy DIY shimmer lotion bar recipe.

These bronzing solid lotion bars help moisturize and soothe dry skin while adding a subtle shimmer to your body.

This homemade body care recipe is simple to make, perfect for warm weather, and also makes a beautiful handmade gift.

Collage pin showing homemade shimmer gold lotion bars in honeycomb and bee molds, including close-up shots of the lotion bars in silicone molds and finished bronzing lotion bars stacked together for a summer body care DIY.

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Below the recipe, you are going to find some ideas so you can get creative and have some fun.

How To Make Shimmer Lotion Bar At Home

This is a simple recipe that produces cute moisturizing body lotion bars with a hint of glitter.

Ingredients

30 gr cocoa butter
120 gr deodorized Shea butter
1 tsp ground oatmeal
1 tsp gold mica powder

Note: If you want to make a more solid lotion bar, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of beeswax.

Shea butter and cocoa butter have protective, healing, and moisturizing properties. These work together to really soften the skin for a healthy, vivacious look.

Gold mica is something like the cherry on top. With beautiful reflective qualities, the mica brings shimmer to the party!

DIY Shimmer Lotion Bar Directions

Take your double boiler (or equivalent workaround) and melt the cocoa butter, Shea butter, and beeswax if you are using it.

Remove from heat, add one tsp of ground oatmeal, and stir.

Add one tsp of mica powder and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Melting and mixing shimmer lotion bar ingredients.

Pour the mixture into the containers of your choice.

This is the mold I’m using.

Let it harden for about 20 minutes and unmold.

Homemade bronzing lotion bars on a wooden surface.

How To Use Them

Using these bars is really easy. Let the heat from your hand warm the lotion, then apply it to dry skin for a beautiful, moisturizing, shimmering effect.

What better way to feel beautiful and relaxed than to shine in the aroma of your own homemade shimmer lotion bars?

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Customize The Recipe

Butters and Oils

Change the butter or oils to suit your taste. Some people like to use coconut oil, but I find it overpowering and too greasy to make lotion bars.

You could also add beeswax, but again, I find that it leaves the skin with a greasy feeling.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are what we add to really customize the skin benefits and fragrance.

Some people like to add frankincense and myrrh for a Christmas-themed bar, but you could try playing with green tea, argan oil, peppermint, geranium, and maybe some lavender?

You could also add fragrance oils with Christmas scents. This winter set includes fragrances such as cinnamon, gingerbread, Sugar Cookies, Harvest Spice, peppermint, and Christmas Wreath.

This is where you get to truly make the bars your own or personalize them as gifts.

There is a vast array of essential oils with equally varied benefits to your skin, so have some fun with it and make the perfect blend for yourself or your friends and family!

Gold Mica Powder

Aside from gold mica, there are many other colors to choose from. Some of the colors that will add a touch of shimmer include bronze age, pearl gold, sterling silver, rose gold, copper sparkle, etc.

Other Ideas

If using molds to make bars, try brushing mica powder onto the mold first for more color.
For a layered candle effect, you could try dividing the batch up and using different colors in a clear container. Let each color set before pouring in the next for a beautiful decoration as well as a soothing gift.
Add some vitamin E for more healthy skin benefits.
Mess around! Try different combinations and colors, just make sure you have fun with it!

Homemade shimmer lotion bars in hexagon shapes with bee and honeycomb designs, stacked together in warm bronze tones for a DIY bronzing body bar recipe tutorial.

Storing Lotion Bars

If the bars are too soft, the best option is to keep them in the fridge.

For gifts:

Wrap them in tissue paper or parchment paper and place them in tins or boxes, a small plastic bag, or a gift bag. Add some festive stickers, ribbons, or/and/or gift tags to the package.

Enjoy!

What else can you make? Have a look at:

Do you have any questions or comments about this DIY shimmer lotion bar recipe? Share them below.