Current day lotions and creams are full of alcohols, sulfates, parabens and perfumes that you wouldn't necessarily want in your skin care products. These tend to dry out and irritate your skin and aren't long lasting. For example, I was using Shea Moisture religiously until I realized it wasn't truly moisturizing my skin. I would apply it right after a shower, per usual, and it would last about an hour or so before my skin started itching from the dryness. In hindsight, as I would apply this lotion it would dissolve easily but leave my skin feeling tight immediately after, as if it had already started to evaporate. So, I decided to make my own. You can easily make this whipped body butter with a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer or simply mix by hand with a hand-mixer. Body butter is made with all-natural ingredients: unrefined raw shea butter, unrefined coconut oil, sweet almond oil, aloe vera gel, and essential oils to name a few. Read on to understand the true benefits of each ingredient and get my recipe, below.
Shea Butter
This is the main ingredient in my homemade whipped body butter. Raw unrefined shea butter is full of vitamins and fatty acids that help the skin retain elasticity and moisture. Shea butter also soothes irritated skin and helps treat various skin problems like dermatitis or eczema. Go for the A grade stuff -- its unrefined and organic. This just means that they didn't add nor take anything away when they extracted it. Raw unrefined shea butter is beige in color with yellow or green undertones and has a nutty smell.
Coconut Oil
This trendy oil has been all everyone is talking about for the past couple of years. Dry skin? Coconut oil. Damaged hair? Coconut oil. Bad credit? Coconut oil. There are multiple uses for coconut oil in my life and it plays a huge role in this whipped body butter, too. An all-natural saturated fat, this oil is perfect for dry skin and maintaining a healthy glow.
Sweet Almond Oil
A lighter oil but still ever-so moisturizing, sweet almond oil is easily absorbed which makes it perfect for this whipped body butter. Sweet almond oil is perfect for sensitive skin and can even be applied directly to your skin. Many people use it as a carrier oil for their own homemade skincare products. You may even see it in some of the skincare products you currently own. Do yourself a favor, buy a bottle of sweet almond oil for effortless moisture and cut out the unnecessary ingredients. Extra perk: sweet almond oil is perfect for dry hair! Mix with a little peppermint essential oil, massage into scalp and leave in for a couple of days before your next wash.
Aloe Vera Gel
Brooklyn Botany is my go-to for aloe vera gel. They are sold out so I am not linking until its back in stock or I find one just as great. It is cold-pressed and so pure, it's as if you cut open an aloe leaf straight from the Earth. Full of vitamins key to hair and skin health, this fits into this homemade recipe, perfectly. Aside from adding it to my whipped body butter, you can use it for sunburn, as a leave in conditioner, as a hair gel, aftershave, for bug bites and basically anything that requires intense moisture.
Essential Oils
Essential oils -- another trend that I am 100% on board with. The benefits of each essential oil are endless. Aside from using them in your diffuser for sweet smelling air, they can be used in food, homemade non-toxic cleaners and even applied topically for a variety of symptoms. If you have not already boarded the non-toxic train, hop on because those benefits, well, they deserve their own post. Or two. I use frankincense, lavender and peppermint oils because they are great for skincare. Plant Therapy has great options that do not break the bank.
Homemade All-Natural Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unrefined raw shea butter
- 1/2 cup mango butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil or sunflower oil
- 1/4 cup cold-pressed carrot seed oil
- 4 tbsp of aloe vera gel
- drops of essential oils (frankincense, lavender and peppermint are a few of my favorites)
Instructions:
- Using a double boiler or a pot with a mixing bowl on top, melt the shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil/sunflower oil, and carrot seed oil over medium heat.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes and then add in the aloe vera gel and essential oils. I usually do about 15 drops of frankincense, 15 drops of lavender and 20 drops of peppermint. Feel free to use as many drops as you'd like but remember, these oils are already super concentrated!
- Put in fridge until it firms up. For the consistency you are trying to obtain, think of a stick of softened butter.*
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, mix on medium high until light and fluffy.*
- Store in a pint-sized mason jar in a cool, dry area. For best results, use directly after showering on towel dried skin. Can be used daily!
*If your cooled mixture is too firm or not cooled enough, it will not mix properly. Make sure the consistency is correct before whipping with the mixer.
*Put in fridge to firm up completely and then bring back to room temp to achieve the 'softened butter' consistency you will need. I usually pour the melted mixture into the bowl of my stand mixer before putting in the fridge to cool to allow for easy mixing.
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