My biggest advice for someone who is trying to switch over to a more natural, healthy lifestyle is to just do a little at a time, and I follow my own advice. I think it is the key to sustaining changes in the future.
Now that it doesn’t feel like such a struggle to buy, cook and eat naturally, I’m starting to take aim at other areas in my life. My new goals? Switching over the health and beauty products I’m using to more natural alternatives. Our skin is our largest organ, right? So, why would we want to gunk it up with a bunch of junk? I’ll admit my cabinets have been filled with Bath and Body Works lotion. It’s my weakness, but after I checked out the ingredient list (and realized I didn’t know what nearly anything was), I decided to end the love affair. Seriously, check this out:
That’s why this rich and creamy body butter was one of my first projects, and I have to say I AM IN LOVE with this stuff! It is light, fluffy and leaves my chapped winter skin feeling silky, smooth and moisturized. I don’t think I will ever buy lotion again.
This body butter is made from just three ingredients: coconut oil, cocoa butter and essential oil. That’s it. No chemicals or unpronounceable, unidentifiable ingredients.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve surely heard by now how great coconut oil is for just about everything in the world. At the top of the list of beneficial uses is skincare. It seeps in through your skin to provide a deep, soothing moisture, great for dry winter skin.
Cocoa butter, which is full of antioxidants and provides deep hydration, is also a great for the skin and provides a chocolate scent.
The sssential oil gives the body butter a great scent, and depending on which oil you use, it can contain some beneficial properties as well. If you use peppermint essential oil, it leaves your skin with a cooling sensation and mixed with the cocoa butter smells amazingly like mint chocolate chip ice cream or peppermint patties. If you use orange essential oil, you get an amazing chocolate citrus scent. They both smell SO good!
Here’s how it’s made:
Ingredients
1 cup organic coconut oil
1 cup organic cocoa butter
essential oil of you choice
Note: I bought my organic coconut oil and organic cocoa butter at Amazon.com. Coconut oil is readily available at many grocery stores, but I haven’t found cocoa butter anywhere locally. If you are in a larger city, you may be able to track some down.
1. Measure out one cup of coconut oil and one cup of cocoa butter. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the coconut oil will probably be in a soft solid state similar to the consistency of Crisco. The cocoa butter on the other hand is more solid. I usually take a butter knife and hack at the cocoa butter container until I get enough chunks to fill the measuring cup. It’s a great way to take out your frustrations from the week!
2. Put the coconut oil and cocoa butter into a small to medium saucepan on medium heat. Melt the contents until completely liquid, and there are no longer any chunks. It usually takes 4-5 minutes.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and refrigerate until the liquid becomes a soft solid again. This took about a few hours for me, but I’m sure all refrigerators are different.
4. Add your essential oil to your liking. For this batch, I used two cap-fulls of peppermint, first distill, from my essential oil sampler pack I ordered from Brambleberry.com.
5. Mix until light and fluffy, similar to whipped cream consistency. This took me about 10 minutes on a high setting on my Kitchenaid stand mixer.
6. Transfer to a jar, and enjoy. That’s it!
Note: Because the body butter is made partially from coconut oil, you’ll want to store it at a comfortable room temperature. If it’s too cold, it’ll become pretty solid, and if it’s too warm it’ll turn to liquid. If it happens, no problem, just transfer it to a more temperate area.
I made a few jars up for Christmas gifts for friends and family, the last of which finally was finally delivered yesterday to the wonderful foreign exchange students I oversee throughout the year. Our scheduled December sleepover and German Christmas party had to be cancelled because of ice and snow, so we met back up on Saturday and had a late Christmas party. We exchanged gifts and Henrie, our German girl, cooked up a huge German feast. It was a blast!
For their gifts, I transferred the body butter to a couple of jelly jars and just added some scrapbook paper, puffy letters for their initials and some leather string with a pine cone attached. I think they turned out really cute!
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Mine keeps turning out very greasy. Is this normal?
Thank you so much for this recipe, loved making it and it makes a great addition to a pamper kit Christmas present! Thank you and keep them coming:)
will you get the same results if replacing the Coca butter with Shea butter ?
Made this for Christmas gifts. It’s amazing! Thank you so much for sharing:)
Any advice on which vanilla oil to use for the best sent? Mine still smells like coconut.
I should say that mine still smells like coconut after using vanilla fragrance oil and I put quite a bit in. I just got it at Michael’s so I’m sure its not the best quality.
Use expeller pressed coconut oil. No scent. Tropical Traditions (online) have it and it’s awesome.
You said you use Brambleberry essential oils. What is the difference between those oils and Young Living essential oils?
I am in the process of making this right now. I put the mixture in my kitchen aid mixer bowl and put in the fridge. After about an hour the outer rim is solid but all the 3/4ths in the middle is still a liquid. I think the outer edge is too solid and the rest is too liquid to be able to whip. I have it setting on the counter now-maybe my refrigerator is too efficient! Has this happened to anyone else? Next time I might just let it cool off on the counter-although it would take a long time! I can’t wait to try it out though…
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i found cocoa butter (its a lotion form) does that work for this recipe?
No, cocoa butter in lotion form isn’t actually cocoa butter. It might have some in it but it’s largely chemicals. Dollar General stores sell 100% pure cocoa butter sticks by Queen Helene at $1.50 per stick. The cocoa butter is solid. Look at the ingredients list to be certain. Anything with petrolateum gel/jelly is going to be drying anything added is going to ruin the purity of the cocoa butter.
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Hi I have featured your fab recice here on my blog(giving you credit of course) , I am now a follower, and would LOVE if you followed me back. thanks for the great DIY!
HERE IS THE LINK: https://dramatiquedesigns.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/weekly-diy-body-butter/
I love this body butter and your blog! You are the subject of my latest blog post. Thank you for this healthy alternative to store bought lotions.
I made this yesterday and it was super easy. The only thing is that it is kind of grainy. Is that typical? I’m thinking it was the coconut butter. Idk, has that happened to you or anyone else?
I made this today. Skipped the essential oil and just used the cocoa butter and the coconut oil because it’s all I had on hand. Turned out just like the photos. My only recommendation is that after the ingredients harden back up in the fridge, to then let them sit out at room temp for at least an hour, and after that kind of break the form into at least six or seven pieces before mixing in your stand mixer. Bent the heck out of my wire whip attachment because mine was still a little too cool and firm on the first try. Great results otherwise. A little goes a long way. Want to try peppermint in the next batch! Thank you so much.
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I just made this and love it! I used my electric hand mixer and it took about 15 minutes to whip up. It turned out perfect! Some had a few complaints about it being greasy, but I found it to be silky soft. It practically melts onto your skin leaving it soft and smooth. It will not be grainy as long as you keep whipping. The cocoa butter and oil have a weird smell, but when you apply it to your hands and left it soak in all you smell is the scent you chose. Also, DONT let it get hard in the fridge. You want to be able to push your finger through the center. That will also prevent any hard parts from being inside the finished product. Everyone should try this. It was a lot of fun. 😀
I didn’t see it in the comments already, but check your local Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, or even Family Dollar for cocoa butter. I find it there in stick form. You’ll have to buy a couple sticks for this recipe but it’s pretty cheap.
I love the way mine feels, But it was a little grainy and very greasy, as mentioned in a couple other comments. Suggestions?
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I am making this. Who wants some? ??