I’m so excited about this formulation, and even more so by the possibilities it represents. I’ve had lots of questions about how to make products like L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil and Glossier’s Body Hero Daily Oil Wash, and the answer has always been a really disappointing “we can’t get the key ingredient 😞”… until now! 🎉
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What is a foaming shower oil?
Honestly, it’s exactly what it sounds like! It is a product that looks and feels like an oil, but when you work it up with water it turns all milky and generates gorgeous, fluffy bubbles. It has great rinse off and can be used as a body wash or a foaming bath oil.
A quick perusal of the ingredient lists for such products shows that they look and feel like oil because they are almost entirely oil—usually something inexpensive, like grapeseed oil or soybean oil.
From a formulation point of view, this is really neat because oil inhibits lather; we typically avoid putting lots of fat in a formulation if we want it to be really bubbly. So, to have a product that is almost entirely oil lather up beautifully is quite special and a bit counter-intuitive.
Why does foaming shower oil foam?
Foaming shower oil formulations foam because they use a special type of surfactant that is very happy to lather away even when there’s lots of oil around. Up until very recently this type of surfactant has not been widely available unless you were a company and wanted to buy a drum of the stuff.
The special surfactant is a MIPA or TIPA sulfate; L’Occitane uses TIPA-Laureth Sulfate and Glossier uses MIPA-Laureth Sulfate. This ingredient is then paired with the emulsifier Laureth-3 or Laureth-4 to enable it to mix clearly into all sorts of oils. We can now purchase these ingredients in the form of LUMOROL K 5229: an ingredient that blends Laureth-4 (and) MIPA-Laureth Sulfate (and) Propylene Glycol. Hooray!
I’ve had a couple bottles of LUMOROL K 5229 since early 2021 courtesy of Aromantic in the UK, and made a lovely foaming bath oil with it, but I was hesitant to use it in any published formulations until it was available in North America. And now it is! The bottle I’ve used for this formulation is from Yellow Bee, here in Canada, and in the US you can purchase it from Dauphine Organics. I’ve linked to some other suppliers in the free Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia entry on LUMOROL K 5229.
What’s the basic gist of a foaming shower oil formulation?
It’s very basic indeed! Start without enough LUMOROL K 5229 to give the level of lather you want, and then the rest of the formulation is mostly liquid oil, with some room for fun things like fragrance, essential oils, vitamin E, and perhaps some oil-soluble extracts.
Whatever you do, I recommend keeping the ingredients that make up the bulk of the formulation cheap. You won’t notice much (if any) difference between $50/L golden jojoba oil and $16/L rice bran oil in this wash-off product. (That said… if you’ve got an oil that’s nearing the end of its shelf life, this is a great formulation for motoring through large quantities of oil!).
I’ve used a blend of apricot kernel oil and Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT/Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride), but please feel free to switch this up—just keep the bulk of it inexpensive.
So, how much is “enough”? I did some experiments with 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60% LUMOROL K 5229 in oil to find out (and shared the full results as a patron exclusive video!). The formula I made from Aromantic back in 2021 used 58%, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that substantially lower amounts worked beautifully. I’ve used 40% in my formulation, and I find that lathers more than L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil!
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How long will this shower oil last?
The shelf life of your foaming shower oil is mostly dependent on two factors.
The first is the natural stability of the oils you’ve used. If you use something that is pretty prone to spoilage, like flax seed oil, it’ll spoil faster than more stable oils like apricot kernel oil. You can also extend the shelf life of the shower oil by including an antioxidant like vitamin E (which I’ve done in this formulation).
Factor #2 is the packaging: be sure to package your foaming shower oil in a way that won’t allow water to get into the bottle. L’Occitane uses a disc top (that’s what I used, too); Glossier uses a pump top. If water gets into the product it can mould; keeping the water out keeps the mould out!
Where can I get the ingredients?
If you’re a brand new maker, Yellow Bee has put together a kit of everything you’ll need! The kit contains the two carrier oils, the LUMOROL K 5229, and the vitamin E, leaving the packaging and fragrance (or essential oil) up to you.
If you’ve made a few things before, you probably have everything you need except the LUMOROL K 5229. You can find links to places to buy LUMOROL K 5229 by scrolling down to the written formulation on this page (I always link ingredients in the written formulation), or by looking it up in the free Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia. I’ll update the entry as I find more sources, but for now you can find it in Canada, the USA, and the UK.
Relevant links & further reading
- LUMOROL K 5229Â in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Apricot Kernel Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Medium chain triglycerides in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E)Â in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- How long will ______ last? What is its shelf life? in the Humblebee & Me FAQ
- Can I use a different preservative than the one you’ve used? in the Humblebee & Me FAQ
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Foaming Shower Oil
148.5g | 45% apricot kernel oil (USA / Canada)
42.9g | 13% medium chain triglycerides (USA / Canada / UK / Aus / NZ)
132g | 40% LUMOROL K 5229 (USA / Canada / UK)
3.3g | 1% fragrance
3.3g | 1% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)Combine all the ingredients in a beaker or glass measuring cup and stir to combine. That’s it!
Package the formulation in a bottle with a lid that won’t allow any water to get into the bottle throughout use. I’ve used a disc cap; a pump-top or turret cap would work as well.
This 330g batch will fill three 120mL (4 fl oz) bottles nicely. I used clear bullet bottles from Voyageur Soap and Candle Co..
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this product does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the formulation, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this formulation in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams, this formulation will make 300g.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- For the LUMOROL K 5229: other options do exist, but I have not found any of them for sale to home crafters. Please refer to the free Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia entry on this ingredient for suggestions.
- You cannot use water-soluble foaming surfactants like Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI), Decyl Glucoside, Coco Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLeS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSa), or Cocamidopropyl Betaine. You also cannot use oil soluble solubilizers like PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil or Polysorbate 80.
- You can substitute another lightweight oil for the oils I’ve used, just keep it cheap! Options include sweet almond, grapeseed, and sunflower seed.
- You can use an essential oil instead of a fragrance oil, but please read this.
Gifting Disclosure
All ingredients were gifted by YellowBee.
Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
I know this formulation doesn’t require a preservative, but if I am giving this product away can I use a preservative? If so, which one would you recommend?
Hi Marie!
I would just like to start by saying that your content is so impressive, creative and helpful!
In regards to this formulation, I’m wondering if this (or different oil based formulations using the same surfactant) could be used as a face wash or shampoo?
I’m also wondering whether it would be possible to add lactic acid to this formulation, even though it could make it cloudy? My skin is quite sensitive and does a lot better when I use lower ph (4.5-5.5) products.
I understand oils don’t really have ph values themselves, but since this shower oil is mixed with tap water when used, I assume the ph on the surface of the skin, while using the product, would be that of the tap water (which is neutral or slightly basic where I live).
I’m sorry if my comment is confusing, English is not my first language
Thank you in advance!
Hi Marie,
For your European followers: aroma-zone in France has its own oil-soluble detergent!
https://www.aroma-zone.com/info/fiche-technique/tensioactif-pour-huiles-rincables-aroma-zone
Greet
Thank you for the information Greet
Is a tree hut shaving oil dupe in the works? 🙂
I was wondering what the chemical reason why your couldn’t use decyl glucoside with an oil. I have an emulsified scrub recipe with it.
fractionated coconut oil 40% shea butter 15% apricot oil 10% acetyl Alcohol 21% phase 2 decal glucoside 6% tocopherol .5% eco mulse 3% fragrance 2% optiphan 1%
Does this Lumerol work in scrubs? I often wondered if there was a powdered surfactant that could be used in scrubs if someone didnt want a whipped foaming scrub texture
I am very intrigued by this new emulsifier! I am allergic to stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, and shea butter making most commercial (high, low, natural and not) inaccessible to me. I am interested in more uses and formulation with it! Also, do you have any intentions of making an exfoliating oil or lotion? Such as amalactin or lotions with urea or acids to help with KP? Thank you for all your hard work and sharing it with us all.
Quick question…
I made a batch of this shower oil and looooove it, but notice its separating after a day.
I tried another batch and stick blended it for almost 10 minutes, but its still seperating.
I used 40% Lumurol K 5229
13% apricot kernel oil
45% sunflower oil
1% vit e
1% fragrance
Any advice or tricks to try?
Thanks!!
That is really odd; I’ve got a hand-stirred version of this shower oil that is 2.5 years old and is still stable, so I’m really surprised yours is splitting so fast! Does it look to be splitting around the 40% mark, as in—does it look like its the LUMOROL K 5229 that is splitting out evenly?
Im doing some experiments now to narrow down the issue. Ive tried 40% with just sunflower nothing else, i even blended for 10 min and it still seperated. I tried just apricot kernel and 40% Lumorol, same issue, im upping the lumorol amounts now and it needs a bit more time but its looking more promising.
I did confirm its Lumorol K 5229, just to make sure i didnt goof.
The seperating is a clear line between the oils and the Lumorol. If the higher amount works i will try the FO and see. Fingers crossed.
I’d send a pic if I could.
Shannon,
Thanks for following up with your results! I suspect the % of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT/Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride) in my formulation is helping as the supplier indicated polarity is a factor. All the hand-stirred experiments I did with varying % of LUMOROL + equal parts apricot kernel oil & MCT (eg. 30% LUMOROL, 35% apricot kernel oil, 35% MCT; experiments ranged from 20%–60% LUMOROL) are stable, and those are well over a month old at this point. So perhaps try including some MCT as I have?
I certainly have no concerns about the quality of the product from Windy Point 🙂
It still separated making me think it might be the product itself. I’ve tried multiple different %’s and oils, and blended in a few different ways and durations. With and without FOs
Maybe I got a bad batch. I contact Windy Point and they aren’t being very helpful sadly.
I might order some from Yellowbee and see if that is the issue.
Comment from Windy Point: We tested Lumorol after being contacted by Shannon yesterday. We used 57% as per the formula we have on our website. Note that 40% is less than the manufacturer specifies so for those having issues, this is likely the issue. We stirred one batch with a spatula fairly vigorously for 10 minutes. Another batch was blended with an immersion blender for 6 minutes, and the final batch was mixed with a hand mixer with one attachment (beater) only. After 18 hours, all three batches are stable. We do have pictures if anyone else besides Shannon would like to see them. Please also be aware that gently mixing for a minute or two with a spatula is not ideal. This product should be mixed with a hand mixer until fully homogenous. It will look creamy but that will change as the bubbles settle out and it will become beautiful and clear.
Show us, if you really have a product that has passed stability for 2.5 years show us. Your formula will break, there are lots of people having issues with YOUR formulations because the PROCESS is wrong – just reading the datasheet proves this.
Conveniently you blame the person trying to use your formulations but it’s not their fault. They don’t know any better. Any person that has been formulating knows the fault of this formulation failing is your fault.
You need to stop ignoring the comments or deleting them on IG because your formulation is wrong. It’s not the person having trouble it’s you.
If you are so sure your formula works, why aren’t we seeing it 6 months later. I mean your formula will clearly separate.
Have you tried making it without the fragrance, to see if that’s the problem? Lumorol K 5229 is oil soluble, so there is no reason for it to separate from a simple oil base. Marie is right that gentle hand-stirring is enough for a long-lasting, stable product with this ingredient. Certain fragrances can sometimes add unpredictable results to products that would otherwise be stable.
Just wanted to add for anyone having issues and reading this comments section: have a look at the Yellowbee listing page for Lumorol K 5229. They’ve updated it with some more information from the manufacturer, and they mention a few things you may need to take into consideration when formulating with this product.
I have had separation issues too.
If you ordered it from Windy Point, it might be worth letting them know as they have not heard this complaint before it seems I am the only one, but I have tried everything and it’s not mixing.
Hi! I love this product but would like to formulate it as a thicker more gel like consistency. If that is possible what ingredient would give me this result?
Just FYI this ingredient is also available at
https://www.windypointsoap.com/
Could I use Stearic Acid to thicken this recipe? (foaming oil shower wash)
I was looking at the starter kit you suggested from Yellowbee and it seems like they offer Lumorol K 5229 in 120mL. Isn’t that less than your recipe of 132g? I think I looked at the conversion correctly, but I am pretty great at gaslighting myself too. LOL. If 120mL is less than 132g, then Yellowbee doesn’t have it in the correct amount.
Good morning!
I just wanted to say that I tried the formulation as is and I have had no separation at all. I did test on ly have of the formula as my first trial. I really like it when testing on my hands. I tried it in the shower, because “if” I would like for others to try I wanted to see if I would get the same (bubbly effect) on my body. I noted that when the body is too wet, it tends to slide on like a lotion a bit more than it bubbles. I do not have an issue with that, but my bubbly lovers will probably tell me that this does not do the trick….I would like your thoughts on that, because I really love the feel of this formula…..too bad the Lumorol is synthetic ……that is the only thing I would love to be a bit more closer to natural…..even when I understand that it is a combination of sulfates……but otherwise, Marie, I really enjoy this gem you shared. Thank you so much!
You can definitely use more Lumorol if you want more lather, or you could encourage your testers to use it with a loofah. They’ll get a lot more bubbles that way and you’ll be able to keep costs down 🙂
Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Windy Point comment to “Anonymous Janet” – here is a formulation from Hallstar Beauty for “Mary Soappins Oil” using this product at 51%/:
https://www.hallstarbeauty.com/formula/mary-soappins-oil/?fbclid=IwAR1ErVnmZwXmNibA6FyaQkgO9G4ISlDtX7EusoVDAV4ee40ynQaoWfOXgW4
Please pay particular attention to the the “PREPARATIVE PROCEDURE” at the bottom which reads “Prepare the phase A and put it under stirring for 10 MINUTES.” In our tests, “stirring fairly vigorously with a spatula for 10 minutes” is akin to a mechanical stirrer that Hallstar and any other manufacturer would use in their labs. And no, we did not to a test with a short swish of a spatula for a minute or so as our customer had already indicated this method failed for her.