How to Make Hand and Body Lotion

This hub answers following facts about hand and body lotion:

1. What is hand and body lotion?
2. Formula for making hand and body lotion.
3. How to make hand and body lotion?
4. What are statutory labeling requirements for hand and body lotion in India?

Hands are exposed to detergent and water several times. Excess contact with detergents and water tends to dry the skin and cold dry atmosphere leads to skin cracking. To prevent such dryness, water is suitable agent that hydrates the skin but it evaporates rapidly and makes skin dry again. Hence preparations containing emollients and moisturizing agents are used. These preparations maintain hydration of skin. Examples of moisturizing agent that can be used in hand and boy lotion are: derivatives of lanolin, sterol and fatty acid esters and phospholipids.

Essential characteristics of hand and body lotion are:

1. It should soften the hands.
2. Should be easy to apply on hands and body parts.
3. Should form thin emollient film, which retains moisture. Any tacky film should not interfere with normal body perspiration.
4. Should have pleasant smell and appealing color.

Marketed preparations
- Oriflame body lotion
- Nivea body lotion
- Ponds hand and body lotion.

Step 1: Stearic acid, Glyceryl monstearate, cetyl alcohol, white petrolatum, mineral oil and eucalyptus oil Constitute the oily phase of the preparation and hence are weighed and melted in a pharmaceutical grade container. Eucalyptus oil acts as insect repellent. Constituents of oily phase melt and mix together at approximately 70 degree Celsius. It should be noted that temperature should not exceed 70 degree Celsius.

Step 2: Glycerin, carbapol, triethenol amine, disodium EDTA, methyl paraben, water are added to given aqueous solution. Aqueous phase is also heated to 70 degree Celsius, however the preparation should not exceed 70 degree Celsius as it may degenerate glycerin into a toxic compound.

Step 3: Both phases should be now mixed at 70 degree Celsius and stirred vigorously in appropriate manner to give an emulsion. Allow the preparation to cool.

Step 4: Perfume and color should be added at around 45 degree Celsius and mixed just before packing in containers. Now your hand and body lotion is ready to be marketed.

The label should display the following information: -

1. Name of the product
2. Contents: Name and percentage of any active ingredient if added to preparation.
3. Net Weight: As present in the final container.
4. Manufacturing License Number as obtained by regulatory authority of your country.
5. Manufacturing Batch Number: As applicable
6. Manufacturing Date – Month and year of manufacturing.
7. Expiry Date – Month and year of expected expiry.
8. Maximum Retail Price- As applicable.
9. Place Of Manufacturing- Address of the plant where it is manufactured.