And there is only THREE INGREDIENTS!
Coconut Oil - I use 100% pure coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. It's refined but not with any harmful chemicals. Coconut oil is used in many natural beauty products, and for good reason: It's naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, it's an excellent moisturizer, it can penetrate hair better than other oils. If you don't already have coconut oil in your home, GO GET SOME NOW!
Shea Butter - Deeply moisturizing and protective fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals leave skin soft and smooth. I get my Fair Trade Shea Butter from my local health food store. Again, this is unrefined and non-GMO.
Avocado Oil - Rich, skin-rejuvenating oil extracted from the flesh of the ripe fruit. This oil is very high in oleic acid and is excellent for massage and the care of dry or aging skin. I find mine also at the local health food store. The brand I get also has some Vitamin E included.
That's it! No nasty parabens, synthetic ingredients or petroleum-based chemicals. Just nourishing skin food!
I also add my favorite ESSENTIAL OIL to my recipes. It depends on my mood as to what I put in. Today, I used Joy™.
Note: This recipe yields just over a full cup of body butter.
Ingredients
2/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup shea butter
1 Tbsp avocado oil
Essential Oils
Equipment Needed
- Small sauce pan
- Glass jar with lid (leftover jars work great)
- Measuring spoons & cups
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- 8-oz glass jar (I use a Ball canning jar)
- Towel
- Small mixing bowl
Directions
- Put a few inches of water in a saucepan and heat on the stove over medium heat. DO NOT LET BOIL! You'll be putting your glass jar in the water (like a bath) and don't want the water near the lotion mixture.
- Measure all ingredients - except the essential oils - into the glass jar.
- Place jar into heated water bath and loosely put on the lid.
- Let the oil and shea butter melt completely. You may need to swirl it around a few times. This will take up to 10 minutes.
- Remove the jar from the water and wrap in a towel.
- Pour melted mixture into small mixing bowl. (You're wrapping it so that no water gets into the lotion mixture. Water + lotion = bad!)
- Put in the fridge for about an hour or so to solidify. Alternately, put in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
- When solid, get our your mixer and insert the whisk attachment.
- Place the solidified lotion into the mixer bowl and turn on low. This will take a bit to get through the solid mixture so be patient. Gradually turn the mixer up to higher speed so the lotion whips.
- When almost complete, add 10-20 drops of essential oil. (I'm usually a bit stingy on the oils and end up smelling like shea butter instead!) Whip thoroughly.
- Transfer to your final jar and cover.
If you live in a warm climate or it's summer, you can keep this in the fridge to prevent melting. I'm in the Midwest so I'm good with it out on the counter most of the year.
[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="350"]
Whipping this body butter yields an airy, light and decadent skin treat![/caption]Slather all over your body and enjoy the decadent feeling of soft, sultry skin!
Need some oil combination suggestions?
- Lavender - all-around great scent. Excellent for children and babies. Calming for irritated skin. Read more about Lavender HERE.
- Melrose - combine with Lavender to soothe skin that may be irritated.
- Joy - Uplifting. For more information on Joy, go HERE
- Peppermint - Reminds me of holidays but is also an excellent scent for uplifting. Combine with Lavender for a cooling foot lotion.
- Roman Chamomile - for dry, itchy skin.
- Geranium - for combination skin (this recipe can be used on the face)
- Frankincense - aging, wrinkled skin
- Carrot Seed - natural sunscreen
- Rose - another all-around universal scent but has rejuvenating properties.
I only use YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS.
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