Following on from my post about why Caffeine is so wonderful I thought I’d share the recipe for my very first attempt at incorporating powdered caffeine into a cream. I have to say it’s turned out A-MA-ZING! I’m not sure if it’s because of the caffeine powder, or because of the oils and butters, but either way it’s my new favourite body cream. It’s left my skin feeling nice and soft and smooth and best of all it’s non greasy!
If you’ve never made lotion before I’d recommend you read this post first to get a general idea of lotion making.
What you’ll need:
(makes 200 grams)
Water Phase
124 grams Distilled Water
4 grams Glycerine
8 grams Caffeine Powder
Oil Phase
16 grams Cocoa Butter
14 grams Organic Coconut Oil
20 grams Apricot Kernel Oil
10 grams Emulsifying Wax
Cool down Phase
1 gram Germaben II
2 grams Vanilla Creme & Cocoa Butter Fragrance
Tools & Equipment:
Double boiler
Thermometer
Two heat proof mixing jugs
Stick blender (or LOTS of elbow grease)
Scales
3 Cosmetic jars
Step One:
Weigh all your water phase ingredients into a heat proof container and place in the double boiler.
Step Two:
Weigh all your oil phase ingredients into a second heat proof container and place in the double boiler.
Step Three:
Heat the oil and water until they reach a temperature of 70C and hold for 20 minutes. This ensures any bacteria and other badies will be heated out of your mixture. During this time the caffeine powder will dissolve into the water so it becomes clear.
Step Four:
After 20 minutes of “heat and hold” combine the oil and water phases and mix with the stick blender, pulsing gently on low for 2-3 minutes. This is the stage that your lotion is emulsifying. The lotion will be a white watery texture. This is completely normal and it will turn into a creamy lotion consistency as it cools. Once your lotion has emulsified set aside for 10 minutes or so to cool, mix with the stick blender every few minutes.
Step Five:
Once the temperature reaches below 45C add your cool down phase ingredients and mix well.
Step Six:
Once the cream has cooled to room temperature spoon or pipe into jars then enjoy!
