Skin Care Bar

I am reading that as long as you don't add any water or "water" ingredients, that lotion bars are stable without preservatives?  

I used 2 parts coconut oil, 2 parts shea butter and 1 part honey by weight.  All shelf stable individually, very small batch in case part goes bad before I can use it up.  Honey is antimicrobial on it's own, not sure about in suspension.  Nothing like water, milk, aloe vera gel, that sort of thing.  Just those three ingredients.  Would the honey cause problems with storage after it is used tonight if there is some left?  The first use should be fine.  

I would be concerned that it will be very sticky.

Trace Oswald wrote:I would be concerned that it will be very sticky.

I have it cooling now, it looks like the honey is separating from the oils.  I didn't consider the fact that it might get a bit sticky.  I can always take a bath after if I feel the need to wash it off.  

So, I haven't tried it yet, but I learned if I use honey, use an emulsifier such as beeswax so the honey doesn't separate out.  Will it be unpleasantly sticky?  I don't know yet.  Might need to use less honey or omit entirely.  Will I need an antimicrobial preservative?  Possibly, pure honey is antimicrobial, but once something else like water is added, that can give microbes a foothold.  

I've done the same recipe and it came out amazing. If you want it to be less sticky, reduce the amount of honey. If you want honey to not separate from the oils, add it later after those oils are cooled down and whip them all together.

Also honey never goes bad. In ancient times honey was used to save dead bodies of regal families lol. So... it's the opposite of going bad. No refrigeration is needed either if the room temperature is normal.