How to Make Lotion Drops (a.k.a. Lotion Dots!) — The Cutest Single-Use Skin Treats Ever

If you love lotion bars and whipped body butters, you’re going to be obsessed with lotion drops (also called lotion dots). These tiny, single-use moisturizers melt right into your skin, giving you a perfectly portioned dose of hydration every time.

They’re so easy to make, only take about 30 minutes (plus cooling time), and they’re a profitable add-on product if you plan to sell them at markets or in your shop.

The downloadable PDF contains 12 recipes to get you started with some amazing Lotion Drops.  Let’s dive in! 

What Are Lotion Drops?

Lotion drops are small, solid, anhydrous (oil-based) moisturizers designed for single-use application.

They fall right in the middle between:

• Lotion bars → firm, balm-like, slow to melt
• Whipped body butter → soft, fluffy, instantly melty
  
  

Lotion drops = the perfect in-between.
Soft enough to melt quickly in your hands, firm enough to hold their shape, and cute enough to pack in jars or tins.

Your Base Formula (Super Simple!)

This beginner-friendly formula uses just 6 ingredients:

• 46% light oils
• 44% butters
• 6% beeswax or rice bran wax
• 2% vitamin E oil
• 2% fragrance or essential oil

That’s it — and you can create endless variations from it.

Equipment You’ll Need

Nothing fancy — just the basics:

• Heat source (double boiler or hot plate)
• Small pouring pitcher
• Scale
• Whisk
• Silicone drop mold
• Scraper
• Fine mesh strainer
• Bowl with arrowroot powder

Ingredients

Light Oils (Liquid Oils) (46%)

Choose any skin-loving liquid oil you enjoy.  Here are some of my favorites:  Jojoba, coconut, sweet almond, sunflower, hemp seed, apricot kernel, olive, rosehip seed, pumpkin seed, grapeseed, avocado, black cumin, oat, plum kernel, evening primrose, cranberry seed, neem, peach kernel, shea nut, flax seed, kukui nut, meadowfoam seed.

Tip: Try the oils on your skin first to ensure you like them.

Butters (44%)

Pick your favorite butter or blend of butters:  Shea, mango, avocado, kokum, cocoa, cupuacu, coffee butter, aloe butter, jojoba butter, murumuru, pumpkin seed butter, almond butter.

Tip:  Keep in mind that softer butters such as aloe will produce a softer drop.  You may need to increase the wax or use a harder wax like candelilla.

Wax (6%)

• Beeswax is the most commonly used and works beautifully
• Rice Bran is my favorite because it makes my skin feel silky smooth
• Candelilla wax is a great vegan alternative to beeswax, use only 3% or drops will be too hard
• Bayberry Wax was a staff favorite, use at 10% to keep drops firm.
  
  

Vitamin E (2%)

An antioxidant to support skin health + extend shelf life.

Fragrance/Essential Oil (2%)

Use skin-safe fragrance oils or gentle essential oils.

How to Make Lotion Drops (Step-by-Step)

Step 1 — Melt your oils & butters

Weigh out your:

• Liquid oils
• Butters
• Wax

Gently heat them until everything is fully melted. Don’t overheat — warm and melted is perfect.

Step 2 — Add Vitamin E + scent

Remove from heat and stir in:

• Vitamin E
• Fragrance or essential oils

✨ Tip:
If using essential oils, allow the mixture to cool slightly (warm, not hot) before adding to prevent scent flash-off.

Step 3 — Pour into your mold

Pour your mixture into a silicone drop mold.  Use a scraper to move excess into empty cavities.

Step 4 — Let them cool

You can let them cool at room temp or speed things up by placing the mold in a refrigerator or freezer.  The drops pop out of the mold more easily if they are chilled.

Step 5 — Pop them out

Gently push each lotion drop out of the mold and place them in a dish of arrowroot powder.   If they resist, freeze for 5–10 minutes.

Step 6 — Coat in arrowroot

Place the drops in a bowl of arrowroot powder and shake to coat.  Then pour them through a strainer to remove excess powder.  This prevents them from sticking together in the jar and also helps absorb excess oils so your skin isn’t left feeling greasy.

Step 7 — Package

Store in plastic jars, glass jars or tins. No cure time needed — they’re ready immediately!

Step 8 — Shelf Life

They should stay fresh for at least 12 months thanks to the anhydrous formula + vitamin E.