"Lotion, in a bar?" was something someone said to me recently, as I was telling them about Ava's Apothecary Original Lotion Bar. The way they said it, implied to me, they thought the local watering hole now served lotion instead of beer, wine or cocktails. My response was, "The lotion isn't going to a bar, the lotion is a bar." So, if you've never experienced a lotion bar before, please let me count the ways that ours is fabulous. But first, a bit of history...
Moisturizing skin is an ancient practice.
As humans we have been actively working to keep the water in our skin and provide a barrier between us and the environment for as long as we have been walking the earth. Documented skin care began about 6000 B.C. in Egypt. Egyptians regularly used oils and plant essences to protect their skin from the harsh elements of the desert, and the hot sun. These practices reached the Greeks and the Romans who followed along, and the precursor to the modern "cold cream" was created by Galen, a Greek physician in 167 B.C. There's even been poetry written about it!
An 1814 poem credited to "Dr. Russell" gives the following account of the benefits attributed to cold cream in that day:
"WHEN a pot of cold cream to Eliza you send,
You with words to this purpose your present commend;
Whoe'er with this cream shall her countenance smear,
All redness and roughness will strait disappear,
And the skin to a wonder be charmingly clear;
If pimples arise, this will take them away;
If the small-pox should mark you, those marks will decay;
If wrinkled through age, or bad dawbing the face is,
'Twill be smooth in a trice, as the best Venice glass is;
All this, and much more (could I spare time to write it,
Or my pen go as fast, as your lips would indite it)
You affirm of your cream: and I would not abuse it,
But pray tell me one thing—Do you yourself use it?"*
Galen's Wax is still around to this day.
What happened to Cold Cream?
Your grandmother or even your mother might have turned to cold cream for a multitude of uses back in the day. It was a make-up remover, a moisturizer and a facial mask. It was what the girls slathered on as they "stayed home and washed their hair." As time went on, and more choices came to the market place, women began using more than just one product. As more awareness about product standards increased, and men became savvier about skin care, the popularity of this tried-and-true cream began to diminish.
Modern formulations of cold cream lack the high-quality ingredients modern skin care buyers have come to expect. Most of the ingredients in cold cream you find at the pharmacy are less than optimal to enrich skin. Mineral oil has replaced plant or natural oils, the plant essences have been replaced with fragrance. Alcohol and glycerin are also common in today's mixtures.** Consumers have modernized and have higher expectations from skin care, and have become more discerning when it comes to what they put on their skin.
What is a Lotion Bar?
A lotion bar is a moisture rich bar that looks similar to a bar of soap, but you don't need water to use it. It is generally for the body, feet and hands. It has moisturizing properties that dispense the product with body heat instead of a lotion pump. At their inception they were made from animal lard (like beef tallow), candle wax and plant extracts. In more recent times, they have been made from a variety of oils, fragrance and some sort of natural wax (think beeswax or soy wax). These bars were brought back into use because consumers wanted an alternative to lotion that was bottled in plastic or made with mostly water.
Why Ava's Apothecary Original Lotion Bar??
A modern-day cold cream? Sort of...
The number one reason we could call this a modern-day cold cream is its versatility. Although a bar, not a cream, these gems enrich skin while providing a moisture barrier that keeps out free radicles with natural antioxidants. It's concentrated. We don't use any water in our formula, so a little goes a long way with maximum benefits. It's convenient. It can be applied to not just to the body but the face as well. It's effective. An all-in-one product that can remove make-up, moisturize, soothe and heal skin.
The star of the show is cocoa butter. It is a wonderful source of natural fatty acids and Vitamin E which aid in skin heath. Cocoa butter is a primary part of many topical treatments for conditions like eczema and dermatitis as well. Then, our proprietary blend of organic oils is rich in linolic and oleic acids helps with inflammation and redness, while enhancing tone and texture. Also, we don't use any fragrance! Our formula has sweet orange essential oil, adding Vitamin C which promotes brightening and clarity. Its aromatherapy brightens both your skin and your mood.
If that weren't enough, we don't use wax and fillers. As stated before, the lotion bars found on the market today have a good amount of wax--which is not only sticky in texture, but can also clog pores and keep the enriching oils from blending into the skin.
It took hundreds of experiments and painstaking testing to formulate a lotion bar that is not only organic and effective, but also feels good with no wax or fillers. We have been mindful in choosing packaging that is infinitely recyclable. Our product is vegan and tested on friends, not animals. It is because of this arduous experimentation, focus, and care we confidently say we make the best lotion bar you can find anywhere.
We know you're going to love the way it feels, and what it can do for your skin.
Resources:
*— Dr. Russell, To A Lady: in imitation of the thirtieth Epigram of the fifth Book of Martial
**For Appearance' Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming