This body butter is light, fluffy, and glides onto the skin. As you rub it in, it initially feels a little more on the oily side than a lotion. However, I find that it soaks in nicely.
Before we get into the ingredients list, I must warn you… you will be tempted (heavily) to lick the spatula while you are scooping it into the jars. It looks so beautifully, silky creamy like it belongs on a cake and in your tummy! Hehe, Therapeutic wise I decided on the following ingredients…
Shea butter is also known as “Vitamin A Cream.” This is a pretty powerful vitamin for the skin. It aids in the skin’s natural collagen production and helps to protect, as well as nourish the skin to prevent drying. It’s great to help with bug bites, skin allergies, and even frostbite. (source)
Cocoa butter is the best salvation for people who have sensitive skin. Cocoa butter moisturizers are good at protecting skin from heat, healing such diseases as eczema and other problems. A cocoa buttercream will definitely help you keep your skin soft and supple.
According to Dr. Axe, “Cocoa butter contains compounds called cocoa mass polyphenols. Research shows that its polyphenols have several positive indicators for skin health, including improved skin elasticity and skin tone, better collagen retention/production, and better hydration.”
This oil works by creating an oily layer on the top of the skin that traps water in the skin. It works on your face, neck, hands, feet, and hair. I have been using jojoba oil for years now as a face cleaner of all things. One wouldn’t think that washing your face oil makes sense, but it works.
It removes dirt, makeup, and bacteria from your face. It’s even safe for cleaning eye makeup, and it’s hypoallergenic. I just put some in the palm of my hands, rub them together and then rub it over my face. I then remove it with a warm washcloth. It is rich in iodine, which fights harmful bacteria growth that leads to breakouts. The antioxidants present in jojoba oil also helps to soothe fine lines, wrinkles, and naturally slow down other signs of aging.
Coconut oil is rich in protein which helps keep the skin healthy and rejuvenated, both internally and externally. These proteins also contribute to cellular health and tissue repair. Coconut oil contains Vitamin E, which soothes eczema, sunburn, and psoriasis, and its antiviral and antifungal benefits even help to treat bug bites.
Look for the words “unrefined,” “cold-pressed” or “crude.” This means that the product was extracted with natural methods that don’t overheat the ingredient during the process, thus destroying some of its nutrients.
Melting in a double boiler:
Melting in the dehydrator: (this is what I do)
Whipping the body butter:
I am so glad to see the step by step instructions. I’ve been unsuccessful in whipping body butter in the past. I’m sure I didn’t preset it enough to start and was probably impatient, giving up too soon. I look forward to trying your combination of oils. I’m going to use lime essential oil with the vanilla bean. Thanks again for sharing all the knowledge you have!
I hope that you have better success now. It’s a lot like making your own raw almond butter… people tend to give up before the process is over, thinking they messed up (raises hand, guilty party hehe). Please keep me posted with comments or questions. Blessings, amie sue
I love this ! I am serving in the US. Peace Corps for 2 years in the Eastern Caribbean and been making body butter by hand, .. using all the ingredients you recommend except the jojoba…. I use a mixture of essential oils as I can get them. I do always add tea tree oil and citronella oil. (Trying to keep the ever present mosquitos at bay..haha)
Your posts have given me so much inspiration even though because of my limited circumstances I cannot make many! (I brought a circular dehydrator but there was a power surge and it burned up) Oops!
Soon I return home though and can’t wait to get back to creating raw delights!
Thank you for being with me on my journey ! Sending joy and peace . .. Joie
Good morning Joie,
So wonderful to hear from you. You are on quite a journey. Sending you love, prayers and blessings in all that you are doing!
There are so many wonderful combinations of oils that can be used. I love the idea of add tea tree oil too. Sorry to hear about your dehydrator. Shew.
Please keep in touch as you can… know that I am with you in spirit. Blessings! amie sue
I am definitely going try this and I am in LOVE with your mixer! Can you tell me where I can get one?
Good afternoon Anne-Marie,
I hope you do give the recipe a try. Keep me posted if you would.
Here is the link to the artist who painted this mixer: http://candy-zine.com/hand%20painted%20items.htm
My husband surprised me last year for my birthday with it. It is so colorful and makes me smile every day when I look at it.
Blessings, amie sue
Awesome recipe, sounds luxurious! LOVE that mixer too!!! It is happy and fabulous, where did you get it from?
Thank you MJ. I am so happy that you are enjoying the recipe. Isn’t that blended the bomb! My husband got it for last year for my birthday. We saw it at an antique show in Portland. Here is the site of that gal who did the wonderful paint job on it. http://candy-zine.com/hand%20painted%20items.htm
Blessings, amie sue :)
Great recipe but lemon eo is phototoxic. Steamed distilled is not. Love your recipes!
Thanks for the beautiful illustrations and explanation of making body butter. I feel much more confident now :-) BTW, cutest blender ever!
You are welcome Leila and thank you for the kind words. I do hope that feel inspired to give the recipe a try, Please let me know what you think. Blessings! amie sue
This looks great…there wasn’t mention of when to add the jojoba oil…can you just put all 4 of the oils together, and then melt it all at the same time….? thanks…k.
It’s added after you have melted the other oils. Enjoy and have a great weekend. :) amie sue
lovely !!! and the mixer is absolutely exquisite and has the look of love
Thank you Angie :) We all need a little extra color in our life, don’t we? :) Blessings and have a great evening, amie sue
indeed … lol … thank you Amie Sue … blessings to you as well, love
Can you use a blender or food processor?
I haven’t got a mixer…
Hello E,
I haven’t attempted it but anything is possible. If it were me, I would go with the food processor, using the small bowl attachment if it comes with one. You will have to stop the unit often to scrap the edges down into the blades, but it’s worth a shot. If I had to use a blender, I would use my Vitamix that comes with the tamper so I could keep pushing the mixture into the blades while it runs. Let me know if you give it a try. Blessings, amie sue
Due to coconut oil content, does this melt and/or separate when it gets overly warm?
Yes Lisa, it will melt if it gets too warm. Coconut oil has a melting point around 76 degrees (F)…. so you need to keep this below that to hold its structure. Thanks for asking, great question. Have a blessed day, amie sue
It’s good stuff!
I have a container of it by the kitchen sink for applying a protective shield to my hands. I’ve just started wearing surgical gloves (sometimes) also to protect my hands and once in a while while I’m cuttin’ n’ choppin’ a bit of the vanilla fragrance wafts into the air and it is an emotional high. A little bit of it ends up on my hair also and that is an added plus because it absorbs into the hair shaft rapidly and functions as the best hair conditioner.
At night time before closing my eyes I turn into a slatherer and go crazy applying it in large quantities. It has just the right drag for massage.
I am going to make nothing less than a triple batch from now on.
I am also going to use some to make a light weight lotion that will absorb right into the skin quickly; it will include pink grapefruit essential oil (for cellulite).
Ok, I am ready for a massage now! lol I wear surgical non-latex gloves a lot when prepping food and doing dishes. I have jars of this recipe in many areas of our house and vehicles. I like to slather it on, put the surgical gloves on, then slip my hands into my garden gloves. Then off I go to do some yard work. When it’s all said and done my hands are clean and super soft. People always ask how I have such nice nails and hands since I like to play in the dirt… the secret is out. hehe
Thanks again for sharing. I love reading your comments. blessings and hugs, amie sue
Thanks for the feedback back, because it reinforces that I’m on the right track. The cream does make it easy to slide on the gloves. I made the Sweet Almond and Orange Body Butter too. I want to make it again though with stronger bitter orange oil before I comment on that one.
I keep them in pretty containers so no one is going to confuse them with vanilla puddin’.
I didn’t think much of body butters before but now, expecially with the cooler weather, these body butters are going to save the day.
As an aside, I assumed that your nails are fake one that you put on just before taking the pictures!
Again, so thrilled to hear that you are enjoying them. You could use so many different essential oils… it’s endless. :) And good idea about the containers. Bob taste tested one before. lol The beauty is, it wouldn’t hurt you if you did. hehe And NO, those are my real nails in that photo. :) Blessings, amie sue