Yummy Body Butter Recipe

Lavendar Body Butter

Ingredients needed: Shea butter, Coconut oil, Vitamin E, Almond Oil, Essential oil and Aloe Vera

Make a double boiler and use a thermometer to bring Shea butter and Coconut oil to 180-degrees for 15 minutes

After it sits for 30-minutes, it will begin to solidify.  Use your mixer on highest speed to make a light fluffy mixture

Looks so good you could eat it!

Store in clean sterile PBA free glass jars

Recipe yields approximately 3-cups or   about 24-ounces total

I made my first batch of body butter today and I think my life will be changed forever. I have been wanting to make my own natural products for quite awhile now and hoping to use the least amount of ingredients and without anything artificial, (if that was even possible).  I see now, it is possible and I don't think I can ever use anything else again - I am officially IN LOVE with this smooth decadent body butter!  Try it, and you will see exactly what I mean.

Body Butter Recipe

1-cup (packed) raw unrefined organic Shea Butter

1/2-cup organic Coconut Oil (contains Lauric acid which has natural antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal and antibacterial) 

1/2-cup organic pure Almond Oil (use grape seed oil for problem skin)

2-tbsp Vitamin E oil (antioxidant, natural preservative)

1/2 cup of pure Aloe Vera (optional)

25-drops organic Lavender essential oil or rosemary and peppermint 
Note:  if you choose to use rosemary essential oils then do not mix this with the vitamin E or it will turn rancid.  Eliminate the Vitamin E oil or substitute Argan oil or another oil specific to the needs of your skin.

Use a double broiler and heat to melt the Shea butter and coconut oil until it reaches 180-degrees (to kill any bacteria, mold or fungus) and hold for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 30 minutes.  Mix almond oil, Vitamin E and essential oil in a separate bowl, then add to Shea butter and coconut oil mixture to it, (once the cooling period has passed).  Now wait around 30-minutes for the mixture to "set up" or solidify. I put mine in the refrigerator because I am always anxious to see how it turned out!  (When it's considered "set up", it looks like what reminds me of bacon grease after you let it sit. It will harden all around the edges but still have a thick liquid in the middle.)

Now that it is firm, take a mixer and blend the Aloe Vera in with the mixture on the highest speed until it is light and fluffy like whipping cream or whipped icing.  It's so creamy and beautiful, it looks just delicious.  Seriously, you will see what I mean when you make this!

Scoop the whipped butter in to clean sterile glass jars. You can store it in the refrigerator for 6-months, or in the bathroom for a 3-month shelf life. When you scoop this up, it will melt once it touches your skin.  Give it about 3 minutes to soak in and dry.  If you are in a hurry, put it on and just gently run a towel over your hands or body to wipe off excess.  It comes right off.

Body butters are made to sit on your skin to move slowly into your dermis (skin) over a short period of time and then washed off. Because body butter does not use water as it's main ingredient, it sits on top of your skin and your skin does not breathe as it soaks in. Your skin needs to breathe. However, water is the main ingredient in lotion so it allows your skin to breathe. I suggest using body butter at night so it fully soaks in and feeds your skin.  Then wash it off in the morning and switch to moisturizing lotion for the day.

Here are a few more research points that I found and thought would be interesting for you too:

• Always use organic or pure products purchased from sources that have a good reputation for quality. Ask someone you trust, especially if you know some who is knowledgeable in herbal education. My favorite source is Monique at MiAromaSpa.com.
• Shea butter is graded, use only Grade A, preferably organic. 
• Make sure that you do not get any water in to the mixture.  Bacteria can feed & grow (yuck!).  Also, make sure the lid to the container is completely dry before attaching.  If it is warm, or freshly washed & not completely dried, it could cause condensation or moisture under the cap that will lead to bacterial growth.  Don't add any lotion to a container unless it's cool so it doesn't cause condensation, which in turn is a place that may, again, harbor bacteria growth.
• Using "berry" essential oils will reduce shelf life to about 2-weeks because the berry will turn rancid.
• When choosing products, pick the one without artificial coloring, artificial fragrances. or preservatives.  Keep in mind that this is nourishment for your skin. Your skin, the largest organ in your body and absorbs any and all ingredients used in any product applied.
• This recipe is packed with intensely moisturizing fats such as Shea butter and coconut oil. Using skin healing essential oils such as rosemary, peppermint and sweet orange essential oil will leave your skin feeling fresh, smooth and supple. 
• Rosemary essential oil is said to improve thinking to foster creativity, and it's a natural preservative.  Peppermint Essential Oil refreshes and combats mental fatigue.
• Not all essential oils are skin friendly, or child friendly, do your research before adding.
• Carrot seed essential oil can protect up to an SPF of 30, while raspberry seed oil has protective qualities up to an estimated SPF of 50. But, these oils alone are not enough to protect from a full day in the blazing sun. A natural mineral called zinc oxide, needs to be added to reflect the sun’s rays.
• Do not use a microwave in place of a double boiler.  A microwave will change the molecular structure of anything heated in it, and this would just defeat the purpose here. Avoid using pans with Teflon (non-stick) because there are studies showing it can seep in to any foods cooked in them.  Choose stainless steel for mixing bowls and pans.
• Use cleaned BPA free glass whenever possible. Weck mold jars are a tiny bit expensive once shipping charges are added, but if you use them over & over then it may just be worth it to you too.

Feed your skin:  My Mom was recently diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer) and it really has my mind spinning. If skin is the largest organ in your body, then what you "feed" this organ should be the most important thing we think about, right? Doesn't that just seem logical?  I started reading the ingredients in all of the high-end products that I have always used, and there are just too many listed to read.  Even the brand I have always loved most, and known for how basic but beautiful it is, has more ingredients than I could understand (even after "google-ing" them).  I can't help but wonder how much these chemicals that are absorbed in through the skin can be attributed to such a widespread and very deadly disease. 

I played around with a basic recipe that I searched to find on the internet, but found that one to be really greasy.  I am not a fan of "Crisco feeling" lotion or creams so I adjusted the formula.  I am really happy with the way it turned out, I am so proud of myself!  This has a light whipped frosting type consistency that just melts when it hits your skin.  Rub it in, and wait about 2-3 minutes for it to dry up.  If you have too much on your hands, just wipe it right off.  It comes off clean.  You will love love love the results and how wonderful it makes your skin feel and I am happy to share it with you.  Try it and let me know what you think!

Enjoy,