I was recently in Canberra (just in time for the coldest start to winter in 15 years) and within just a few days of being there my skin had completely dried out and within another few days I was nearly covered in eczema. I’ve always had sensitive skin hence so have used toxin and fragrance free skin care products from a young age, but I can’t even remember the last time I had eczema!
The friend I was staying with at the time shared some of her homemade body butter with me, something I have been meaning to make myself for years and it worked a treat. So as soon as I got back, I set about making a big batch of my own.
Having only made it once, I am hardly an expert but I can report that I’m very happy with the result. It was really simple and quick to make and it is really nourishing on the skin.
Here is what I did as a starting point for your own creations/experiments:
Whipped Body Butter Ingredients
2 cups shea butter
1 cup coconut oil
½ cup olive oil
Optional – essential oils of choice
Method
Melt the shea butter and coconut oil to a liquid consistency. There are different suggestions on how to do this. I didn’t want to heat it much so just sat the bowl in a sink of hot water (quite a slow method). Then I added the olive oil and popped the whole mix in the freezer for a few minutes until it had started to harden. At this point I added some therapeutic grade essential oil (dreamy lavender for this batch) and then I used an electric hand mixer to whip the mix for a number of minutes until it turned into a creamy consistency. I read somewhere that repeating this last step makes a more creamy blend. So I popped it back into the freezer for another few minutes and then repeated. From there it was just a matter of scooping the thick mixture into some glass jars (this recipe made 3.5 big jars).
A jar of homemade body butter in your bathroom is not only a natural alternative to nourish your skin. Using it can become a decadent and nurturing part of your self-care routine through winter and beyond…
By Emily J Rooney | www.thehomealchemist.com
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