Bee Happy: Bath melts tutorial

Can you remember our previous bath melts: soothing cornflower and relaxing lavender? 

So with the cute little bee- cavities in the same silicone mold, we're going to prepare these Bee-Happy melts. I've applied chrysanthemum petals and a blend of ginger and grapefruit essential oils for its warming and uplifting effect. Of course you're free to apply other molds and can use other flowers (such as chamomile) and essential oils, but you can keep the basic of the recipe for hard-@-room-temperature but easy to melt (and emulsified) melts in the tub. By coming in contact with hot water the truffles melts and thank to the emulsifier break into small droplets, providing your skin with emollient natural fats and butters and leaving a silky, luxurious skin feel after you've rubbed yourself with the towel.

We've applied very little (and I mean really very little) amounts of alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) powder to color the bee in the middle of the picture. Alkanet does not really dissolve in oil and creates this beautiful optic at the surface of the bee. It's up to you to apply it or not.

Disclaimer: Chrysanthemum and alkanet are not listen in our online shop. However if you want to apply them and can not find them elsewhere send us a note to send you an offer together with your next order. 

Before we start I recommend you to read our older posts and general information regarding hygienic manufacturing practice in cosmetic lab and the introduction to Basic equipment and utensil for a cosmetic lab .  

Each bee cavity in the form is about 50 gr so you'll need 100 gr for two bees. 

Here is what you need for 100 gr: 

68,0% Cacao butter (68,0 gr)

12,0% Shea butter (12,0 gr)

12,0% lysolecithin (12,0 gr)

0,5% Tocopherol (0,5 gr)

1,5% Macadamia nut oil (1,5 gr)

1,0% Calendula lipophilic extract or infusion(1,0 gr)

4,5% grapefruit essential oil (4,5 gr) 

0,5% ginger essential oil (0,5 gr)

Chrysanthemum petals (8-10 gr) 

(optional) Alkanet powder (a pinch of)

At least one suitable mold (silicone molds or milky way molds work the best)

You'll need as well:

Beakers to melt and mix the ingredients

disposable pipettes

a water bath to melt the butters

glass rods or suitable spatulas or spoons

Here we go:

One: Set the temperature of the water bath @ around 60 degrees centigrade. Melt the cacao butter. Stop heating and add the shea butter. As the shea butter is melted as well add all other ingredients (except essential oils, chrysanthemum and alkanet). Stir gently to mix. 

Two: As cacao butter is melting prepare your mold by putting chrysanthemum in the cavities. You'll need about 4-5 gr dried flowers in each cavity. You should keep in mind that since the blooms have a low density, they would move to the top of the cavity as you pour the butter. This gives you a beautiful color contrast as the butter hardens. At the bottom of the butter piece there are more flowers than at the top.  

Three: (optional) Add the alkanet powder and keep stirring as the melt cools down to around 40 degrees centigrade.  

as the mixture reaches a temperature of around 40 degrees centigrade add the essential oils and pour the butter into cavities.

Four- Bring the mold into the fridge. This is the most difficult part by a mass production: to find enough space in the fridge.

Five- Depending on the mold, the truffles need about half an hour to a few hours to harden. Be patient, adding the blooms prolongs the process of solidifying compared to traditional truffles you have probably made.



After unmolding, depending on the ambient temperature, the truffles should be kept in the fridge or not. Remember: these are butters and would melt by exposure to heat and sunlight. Store them under 25 degrees centigrade. Pack them in cellophane or in wax paper and then as you prefer in a box or treat bag to give them away as an elegant gift. Or enjoy the emolliency and relaxing effect of the truffles in your bath tub yourself.

Here you can purchase all the ingredients for this project.