Body butter was one of the first personal care products I made, it is super easy and so fun to play around with. Body butter is a mix of butter and oil, making a rich, thick moisturizing cream or do I want to call it a cream, it is more like, well...butter. Body butter melts right into the skin as you apply it, leaving the skin feeling well hydrated, soft and moisturized. In fact I apply this all over my body every time I bathe and do not have to reapply until the next bath or shower. My skin always feels soft and smooth and I never I have the dry, itchy, flaky skin I used to get every winter. For my face and hands I use my Miracle Face Cream, but for the body I always use a body butter. You can use any of the butter or oils we talked about in Natural Skin Care Ingredients to create a body butter but my favorite is a simple mix of cocoa butter and coconut oil I found at My Healthy Green Family.
The Recipe
6 oz. Coconut Oil
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
optional: 30 drops essential oil
Measure out the oils and melt over very low heat. If you want to use an essential oil add that now, the Natural Skin Care Ingredients post has skin care essential oils you can choose from, stir thoroughly. Personally I don't add essential oils to this butter because I love the smell the cocoa butter lends, smells just like a chocolate bar (this coming from the girl that puts essential oils into EVERYTHING!). Pour into a glass bowl and let it sit until it becomes foggy.
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
optional: 30 drops essential oil
Measure out the oils and melt over very low heat. If you want to use an essential oil add that now, the Natural Skin Care Ingredients post has skin care essential oils you can choose from, stir thoroughly. Personally I don't add essential oils to this butter because I love the smell the cocoa butter lends, smells just like a chocolate bar (this coming from the girl that puts essential oils into EVERYTHING!). Pour into a glass bowl and let it sit until it becomes foggy.
Stir and watch until the oils become the consistency of pudding. Now it's time to get out the hand mixer and beat until light and fluffy, then scoop into a container and you're ready to moisturize.
A Few Tips
- To apply, simply scoop a fingerful out of the container and rub into skin.
- Don't expect the same light and fluffy texture you get after whipping. This will harden a bit as it sits and will feel just like butter.
- If you leave this in a warm place it can melt, although I've never had a problem just keeping it in the bathroom cupboard. If this happens just whip again or put in a cooler place until hardened.
- Be cautious if you want to apply this to your face because it is very heavy and could cause pores to become clogged. For your face you really want a good mix of oils and liquids.
- If you want a simple no fuss recipe just skip the whipping and pour right into your container of choice and cover after hardened. The body butter will have more of an ointment feel than a butter feel, the moisturizing properties are the same it is just a texture preference.
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Because we have hard water and live in a dry climate, body butter is a must have for after bath skin moisturizing for the whole family. If you would like to try experimenting more with body butter, here are some great posts I have come across:
Where to Purchase Ingredients
I like to get my coconut oil from Costco or Amazon is another great place to get it. Mountain Rose Herbs carries a large selection of butters and oils.
Shared on: Wildcrafting Wednesday Hygiene Edition
