How to Make this Super Easy Sore Muscle Massage Lotion Bar

January is the month of pain, in my opinion. You’re killing it at the gym (sore muscles), and then if you live in the North, you’re probably dealing with face-numbing cold dry air that can make the skin on your hands feel like sandpaper. What if I told you that I had a way to fix all of that?

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Here’s the thing. I love these bars, but they can be pricey. So when I found this recipe on how to make them on One Essential Community, I was really excited. Once you have all the materials, you can make six at a time! With this many, you can totally give them out as (slightly late) Christmas gifts! This Spa DIY will need the stove and will involve pretty hot oils and is not recommended for children to try without an adult present.

Does the bar work? YES! For those of you who want to understand why your muscles are hurting in the first place, you can read a massive article about it HERE. This bar helps for several reasons. First, it has a kind of spicy cool thing going on because it has peppermint and cinnamon essential oils in it. This is also why it smells incredible. The other thing it contains is Adzuki beans, which add a nice firmness to the bar and helps enhance the massage. So without further delay, let’s get started.

You will need the following, and I’m giving you the exact links I used so you’ll have all the same stuff as I did when I made these. If you want to change the shape of the silicon molds, that is up to you, but you will definitely need them to be silicon because these needed to be “popped” out once they had solidified. So here’s the list!:

How to Make this Super Easy Sore Muscle Massage Lotion Bar by autumnbecomes.me

I ordered all of these off of Amazon, and I loved how they turned out, so I’m going to link you to the exact items I ordered.

Adzuki beans: (These are red beans that will be the massage enhancers in this bar).

Cocoa Butter: (Fun Fact about Cocoa Butter: It’s one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years.

Shea Butter: (Fun Fact about Cocoa Butter: Cleopatra, Sheba, and Nefertiti all apparently LOVED this stuff! According to this fun Article by Essence)

2 Tbsp of Jojoba Oil: (It is not irritating to the skin, it is not comedogenic, nor does it induce skin sensitization reactions. So it can be used on sensitive skin according to this article by Twelve Beauty)

55 Drops of Cinnamon essential oils: (This is reputed to calm dry skin, effectively alleviate aches, pains, and stiffness in the muscles and joints, address acne, rashes, and infections, enhance circulation, nourish the skin, slow the look of aging, and revive the skin tone. Source)

40 Peppermint essential oils: (is known to relieve back pain, mental fatigue, and coughs. It boosts circulation, releases the feeling of having tired feet, relieves muscular pain, cramps, and spasms and soothes inflamed, itchy skin, among other conditions. Source)

Glass Bowl and Measuring Cup: (Anything heat-safe should do since you’ll be using them to do the “double boiler” method which is explained below)

Silicone Molds: (DO NOT USE REGULAR Cupcake pans, as there may be no way to get them out!)

Wooden Stir Sticks: (popsicle sticks work just fine.)

Tin Storage Containers: (This will help keep your massage bars in a good state to use. You will still need to store them in a cool, dry place, though because they have a low melting point).

How to Make this Super Easy Sore Muscle Massage Lotion Bar by autumnbecomes.me

1.) Add Adzuki Beans to the Bottom of Your Silicone Molds

You will want these to create one even layer. It’s okay if you have a few on top, but if you make two layers of beans, the oils may not bind well and will make it break apart more easily.

2.) Add the Following Items to a Heat-Safe Glass Bowl or Measuring Cup

*1.5 cups cocoa butter

*1/3 cup shea butter

To melt the cocoa butter and shea butter involves what is called the Double Boiler Method. I DO NOT recommend microwaving since these are really sensitive oils, and you don’t want to burn them or start a fire. The double boiler method is when you put a heat-safe glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. This allows what’s in the bowl to be melt gradually and gently. Shea butter needs to be tempered at a medium-low temperature.  If heated too hot, it can later become gritty. The Cocoa melted faster than the Shea butter when I made this, and I just made sure to stir it occasionally and be patient.

3.)  Remove the Melted Butters from Heat

And allow to cool for a few minutes but not until they solidify again. After their cooling time, add 2 tbsp of Jojoba Oil, 55 drops of the Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oils, and 40 drops Peppermint Essential Oils. Using your popsicle or wooden stir stick, stir to combine all the ingredients. Carefully pour into a measuring glass.

4.) Carefully Pour the Mixture Over the Adzuki Beans

Pour the wax and cocoa mix gently as not to disturb your beans too much. I poured mine over a wooden stir stick in the hopes that it wouldn’t move them too much. If you find that your beans move and leave a “bald spot” you can always use your wooden stir stick to move them back into place.

You’ll want to fill each mold 2/3’s of the way up.

5.) Pop These into the Fridge

Allow the massage bars to solidify completely before removing from the silicone molds. You can let them cool naturally, but I found they cooled much faster in the fridge. I would check on them after an hour or two.

6.) Metal Tins are a Great Way to Store Lotion Bars!

Because the melting point of these is really low (so that it goes on to your skin smoothly), you’re going to want to keep them in a cool place. I like putting them in a tin rather than a plastic bag or leaving them out so that in the event they do melt, it’s contained relatively well. The tins I recommend buying even come with little labels so you can write what bars these are and the date you made them.

How to Make this Super Easy Sore Muscle Massage Lotion Bar by autumnbecomes.me

You’re all done! So by now you probably have six beautiful bars. To use them, simply rub them on your sore muscles and enjoy it! Let me know in the comments below if this worked for you. If you want to share your photos with me, tag me on any of my social media outlets. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post, and I hope you got something out of it. I wish you a beautiful day! -Heather Autumn

How to Make this Super Easy Sore Muscle Massage Lotion Bar by autumnbecomes.me