Body Butter Recipe

Lusciously silky-smooth, body butter is a favorite for most. The texture is satisfying luxurious and it leaves the skin perfectly soft. Ultra-conditioning butters and oils make this the absolute best full body moisturizer for especially dry skin. I like to take advantage of the benefits of body butter especially in the winter months. Unlike typical lotions, there is no water in body butter. Mixing water into lotions typically introduces a lot of bacteria and therefore preservatives and stabilizers need to be added to maintain a fresh product. Body Butter is very different than your typical lotion. Due to its high oil content, you might need to let the oils soak in before putting on clothing after application. It is best applied to damp or even wet skin so that it absorbs more easily. Body Butter is also a great moisturizer for dry or cracked hands after washing. 

HIGHLIGHT INGREDIENTS:

Shea Butter: can be purchased unrefined or refined. Refined shea butter will not have much smell whatsoever whereas unrefined shea butter maintains a strong nutty smell. It is naturally rich in Vitamins A and E. This butter is an all around superstar moisturizer. It has absolutely amazing healing capabilities. Shea butter is especially helpful for soothing very dry or cracked skin, but can be used daily to maintain soft, glowing skin. Despite its thick texture, it is non-comedogenic and therefore will not clog pores. Some research has shown that shea butter contains the chemical compound triterpene, which slows the breakdown of collagen. 

Mango Butter: perhaps a little more difficult to find than shea butter, but definitely readily available on the internet: Mountain Rose Herbs or Wild Herb Soap Co. are great resources. Mango butter has a much lighter scent and slightly lighter texture than shea butter or cocoa butter. If you find shea butter to smell too nutty or cocoa butter too chocolate-y, then I definitely recommend mango butter. It has a slightly sweet scent. Mango butter is produced by pressing the kernel of the mango fruit. It has been traditionally used in Southern Asia due to its natural healing capabilities. Mango butter is especially high in Vitamin A and E and therefore can help heal damaged skin - especially light scarring and stretch marks. It might be surprising that mango butter is actually non-comedogenic (non pore-clogging) therefore it can be readily added to skincare concoctions. 

Cocoa Butter: Cocoa butter has an especially thick, creamy consistency. The unrefined version (preferred) will maintain a very chocolate-y scent. You can purchase deodorized or refined cocoa butter if you prefer not to smell like chocolate :) Cocoa butter is especially high in antioxidants due to its high levels of oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid, making it especially beneficial for dispelling free radicals. The high Vitamin K and E content of cocoa butter also contribute to its healing qualities. 

Coconut Oil: Personally, I prefer to use Virgin Organic Unrefined Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil. I find Nutiva to have a really superior product. It has an amazing coconut-y scent. You can find this oil in a lot of grocery stores. If you prefer no coconut smell, you can use the refined version. Coconut Oil has a an especially high Lauric Acid content (about 50%). Lauric acid has antimicrobial properties. The bacteria-fighting properties effects of coconut oil make it arguably beneficial for acne-prone skin, however, coconut oil is somewhat high on the comedogenic scale. This means that it can clog pores. 

Body Butter Recipe

Feel free to get creative. The types of butters can be subbed out. If you prefer cocoa butter, be aware that it does smell like chocolate (unless you get the deodorized version) and might not combine very well with some essential oils. 

½ c Coconut oil 

1 c Butter(s) - your choice of combination of Cocoa, Shea, and/or Mango. I prefer a mixture of ½ shea ½ mango 

½ c Oil(s)- to counterbalance the richness of the butters and coconut oil, it is best to use a somewhat light oil here. I suggest one of the following: Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, Olive, Jojoba or Grapeseed Oil 

~40 drops Essential Oils (optional)

~40 drops Vitamin E Oil - preferably sourced from Wheat Germ, not Soy. Vitamin E adds healing benefits and acts as a natural preservative. 

Potential combos: 

• 15 drops bergamot  + 10 drops sweet orange + 15 drops lavender (this is my favorite) 
• 15 drops lemon + 15 drops geranium (refreshing and lovely) 
• 20 drops rose otto + 20 drops jasmine or 8 drops ylang ylang (for a romantically feminine scent) 
• 10 drops cedarwood + 8 drops lemon + 15 drops clary sage (for a more masculine scent)

1. Use double boiler setup. A glass bowl is preferable. 
2. Melt butters at medium heat in bowl of double boiler. 
3. Add coconut oil 
4. Lower heat and add liquid oils.
5. Remove from heat completely and add Vitamin E Oil and essential oils (if using).
6. Once it is slightly cooled, cover the bowl and put it in fridge. Check on the mixture about every half an hour. When mixture starts to harden (it will turn white on the edges) mix with hand blender on fairly high speed. If the mixture has not hardened enough the texture will resemble something more like pudding rather than whipped cream. If this is the case, return it to the fridge, allow it to harden more and then mix. In total, it should be whipped for approximately 10 minutes. This introduces enough air to make it nice and fluffy. 
7. Use a spatula to transfer to containers. 
8. Can be stored up to 1 year.