Round Four....

Well it's been a while since I've last reported on my success (and failures) in developing my own hand/body cream. I've been a little busy, and truthfully I've had a hard time getting through all the "botched" batches of cream I've already made LOL. I hate wasting stuff, and while my past attempts have not been "perfect", they've been decent enough to use. So here I go again. The nice thing about all these attempts is the fact that I have not gone backwards and each batch has been better than the previous ones. 

This time the consistency came out a bit thinner than the others because I adjusted the water to oil ratio so it was more 70:30 vs 40:60. I also omitted the shea butter, which seems to be a natural emollient as well as a thickener. I haven't tried it out as of yet because I literally just made it 20 minutes ago and it hasn't fully set yet, but I will definitely keep you posted.  Here is what I used this time around (listed in order of quantity):

Aloe vera gel
Aloe vera juice

EVCO

Jojoba Oil

Emulsifying wax

Stearic acid
Purified water

Grapefruit seed extract

Vitamin E 
Citric acid
Potassium Sorbate
Xanthan gum

Essential Oil Blend (for fragrance)

Here is a picture of my final product:

 

ETA: Once the cream was set it had a nice, light consistency. Initially, it rubbed in well, but right at the end it began to "skid", if that makes any sense. Basically the last little bit of lotion wouldn't rub in without really rubbing it in. If anyone knows why I ma having this problem I would really appreciate the input. I realized once the cream was completed that I only put in half the required amount for the oil necessary, so that may have something to do with it.  I say this because a week later (round 5) I attempted it again, but this time I added the shea butter. Surprisingly, I found this batch a lot nicer. The thickness was the same and consistency was smoother. I did reduce the stearic acid by 1g. I did however have the same issue with the "skidding". I will be trying once again with the full amount of oil and no stearic acid....round 6 is around the corner.