Body Butter Recipe
When I started looking at the ingredients in my beauty products, I found that most body moisturizers are full of cheap fillers, synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers, dyes and fragrances . I also realized these products were cheap because the number one ingredient on the list was usually water, followed by ingredients I couldn’t even read. I then looked into buying “natural” or organic body lotion hoping that would contain pure ingredients, but I was surprised to find that even these products contained preservatives, emulsifiers, fragrances, and dyes. Some of these products claim that these additions are safe, but when looking into the ingredients further I found that there was still potential health risks. Some products I did find that were pure were overly priced, so I decided to make my own with quality ingredients that I could choose.
My first attempt was to make lotions. This was a difficult task since I did not want to add any chemical emulsifiers or preservatives that are usually required for formulating water-based lotions. First I tried beeswax as an emulsifier and essential oils as a sort of natural preservative, such as rosemary, tea tree, grapefruit, and vitamin E (for my personal use and experimentation). It was difficult to get the oil and water not to separate – the temperatures and measurements had to be perfect! Even when I did perfect it, there was no way I would sell such a product since these essential oils do not act as a full-spectrum preservative, making it’s shelf life unpredictable and mold development a possibility.
With further research I then decided to start making body butters with only plant-derived oils, butters, and root powders. Since the butters I formulate do not contain water, I was able to create a self-preserving formula that is not only safe, but very effective at creating smooth and silky skin. Yes, these products are more expensive to make since they are not watered-down, but they contain richly concentrated ingredients that offer more benefits with their rich vitamin & mineral content. Also, a little goes a long way with this butter since it is very concentrated.
Finally, I would like to point out, when shopping for body butter please be aware that not all are created equally. There are many companies who create body butters where the number one ingredient is water, just like lotions, followed by preservatives, emulsifiers, chemical fragrances and coloring. There are also some that do not contain water, but still contain fragrances, dyes, and harmful emulsifiers. Always read the ingredients and be critical of any ingredients you cannot read.
Below I have provided a recipe similar to my Orange & Vanilla Body Butter. I just simplified it in order to make it more user friendly. And remember, if you don’t feel like making it but want it, you can buy it freshly made from my store. Enjoy!
Orange & Vanilla Body Butter
Ingredients:
1 cup Shea Butter
2 tbsp. Coconut Oil
¼ cup Sweet Almond Oil or Avocado Oil or Grapeseed Oil or Jojoba Oil or Olive Oil
1 tsp. of Arrowroot Powder (optional, but I like it to make the product less greasy and smooth to apply)
10 drops of Sweet Orange Essential Oil (or what ever scent you like)
5 drops of Vanilla Essential Oil (or what ever scent you like)
Note: You can change the butter and oils used, but just make sure to keep the ratios around 75% solid ingredients to 25% liquid. Also the oil you choose determines how greasy the product will be. Olive oil is a nice rich ingredient, but may be greasy, so it may be best to do half olive oil and half jojoba depending on what you’re looking for. There are many wonderful oils out there, but I just provided some options that most readers will have access to.
Directions:
Using a double boiler to melt the Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can also use a pot with an inch of water with a metal or glass bowl over top. Once melted, remove the bowl from heat and mix in the balance of the ingredients.
You can either place the product directly into a container and give it time to solidify or you can whip it. Personally I like to whip it up. To do this put the product in the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow it to harden a little. This step is important – you don’t want it too hard or too liquidy. When you take it out of the freezer it should be mildly difficult to mix. Now whip for at least 7 minutes until you get a nice thick whip cream like consistency. Then place in your containers and give it a day to solidify.
Need Essential Oils to Make This Product? Check out our store
Want it but don’t want to make it?
No Worries….You can buy it freshly made from our online store.
