Moisture is essential for beautiful skin and since skin is the largest organ on the body, we should be more careful about what we put on it. Most over-the-counter lotions are made with harmful chemicals and contain none of the nutrients our skin truly needs. Our best options? Opting for natural skincare products or simply putting on our kitchen beautician aprons and making it ourselves.
I know, crafting a body butter that smells good and is moisturizing without being greasy, can be challenging without a recipe. So when I discovered that my friend Brittany made her own using only 4 ingredients, I asked her to share her Shea Coconut Body Butter Recipe with us. She was so gracious to do so. Hope it helps!
RECIPE: Shea Coconut Body Butter by Brittany Williams
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Cup of Raw Shea Butter
- ½ Cup of Unrefined Coconut Oil
- 40 Drops of Essential Oil (I use Lavender Oil for its soothing properties & smell)
- 2 Teaspoons of Cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Microwave the Shea Butter for 30 seconds to melt it. Depending on the strength of your microwave this may take more time. If so heat in 30 second increments until mostly melted.
2. Combine Shea butter, Coconut Oil, Essential Oil, and Cornstarch in a medium-sized mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat on high until well blended. I recommend a mixer with whisk attachments as a wand mixer may get clogged when it thickens.
3. Place mixture in the freezer for 5 minutes and grab a quick snack (optional but recommended).
4. Remove bowl from freezer and place in an ice bath. Make sure your ice bath container is large enough to allow the cold water to surround your mixing bowl.
5. Whip the mixture on the highest setting until it forms soft peaks (like whipped cream), making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. If you are unsure, stop the mixer and test the consistency of the mixture.
6. Spoon into desired containers. This recipe usually fills 1 large, wide-mouth mason jar and 2 smaller face cream containers.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Shea Butter: moisturizing, reduces inflammation and smoothing.
Coconut Oil: moisture retention, anti-aging, skin softening, soothing and vitamin E.
Cornstarch: anti-inflammatory and soaks up excess oil.
Lavender Oil: acne treatment, antibacterial, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory.
I started making this body butter after I began reading the ingredients for commercial lotions. Most use some combination of water, petrolatum, mineral oil, and alcohol as their top ingredients. None of those are good for truly moisturizing your skin. As a note make sure you thoroughly wash your mixer and bowls afterwards with an oil-cutting detergent and hot water.
Enjoy your soft, baby-smooth skin!
About Author
Brittany N. Williams is an actress, social media charmer, writer, and Brooklynite by way of Baltimore, DC, Hong Kong, and London. You can catch her all over social media evangelizing the beauty wonder of DIY skincare & jar lunches on Pinterest, geeking out on Twitter, giving slice-of-life realness on Snapchat, and taking over Instagram one selfie at a time.
Add/Follow Me on Twitter / Instagram / Snapchat / Pinterest / Vine / Periscope / Peach & Waffles: @brittwills4
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