Welcome to February everyone! February for me always feels like a bit of a turning point.  The excitement of the new year has worn off, I’m getting settled in to whatever my new years resolution was, and I know that Spring is just around the corner!  I live in Colorado but happen to really dislike being cold so February sometimes feels like a marathon to get through the winter to warmer days ahead 🙂

As a Coloradoan one thing I know far too well is dry skin! In my college days I tried nearly every product under the sun to manage my dry skin.  After I began my natural living, zero waste journey I wanted to find something more natural and easy to make myself.  I also found that I wanted to know exactly what was in the products I was using…

Enter your challenge for this week- homemade body butter.

I’m going to give you two recipes today.  Both can be made with items that can be found at a health food store or in bulk at your local herbal apothecary.  They’ll moisturize winter skin and are a great way to pamper yourself!  They’re fast to prepare and customize with essential oils, and I’ve tricked many people into thinking these were a super expensive cream.  Shhhhh- don’t tell that they only cost a couple dollars per batch!

My first recipe contains only one ingredient- coconut oil.  For those who haven’t discovered the magic of coconut oil you will love it!  Not only can you use it for cooking but it makes a great moisturizer.  Many people use it straight out of the jar for moisturizing but this body butter absorbs much more evenly, it’s super light and fluffy and provides a more consistent texture than coconut oil plain.

The only factor with this recipe is that you need solid coconut oil and not liquid.  Coconut oil melts at below 76 degrees so if you keep your home warm you’ll need to refrigerate the oil before making this. If you want a coconut smell choose regular coconut oil, if you’re not crazy about the coconut smell choose a refined coconut oil.

Whipped Coconut Oil Body Butter

*Whip desired amount of solid coconut oil (I usually use 1/2- 1 cup) on high speed with whisk attachment in a mixer until it achieves a fluffy texture similar to soft frosting.

*If you want to add a scent you can add add 1-3 drops of the essential oil of your choice per cup of coconut oil.

*In a Kitchen Aid mixer this will only take a couple minutes.  In other mixers this may take 10-15 minutes.

*Scoop into glass jars and label as desired.  This won’t melt like regular coconut oil so it will be ok in your bathroom for a while at room temperature.  In the summer or in warm climates you will want to store it in the fridge.

 

The second recipe only needs one additional ingredient. It stores better at room temperature when it’s hot out and it smells like chocolate!  We’ll be using cocoa butter for this recipe.  It smells so fantastic you might just want to dig in and eat it (it’s edible with a food grade cocoa butter).  My 4 year old who refuses to use lotion begs for this chocolate lotion. This is an ultra moisturizing body butter that makes a great addition for a romantic massage.  I love to give this as a gift for Valentine’s Day!

Whipped Cocoa Butter Body Butter

*Combine 1 part coconut oil with 1 part cocoa butter in a glass jar or container that can be put in hot water. 

Whipped Body Butter 1

I use an old spaghetti sauce jar that I kept to use just with projects like this.

*Make a double boiler by putting the container in a pan with 1 inch of water

*Gently melt cocoa butter and coconut oil while stirring occasionally

Whipped Body Butter melted

This is what it’ll look like when it’s all been melted

*Pour into mixer bowl (the glass will be hot- use a hot pad!) and freeze or refrigerate until opaque.  Don’t let it completely solidify.  In the fridge this might take a couple hours but in the freezer it will only take about 20-30 minutes (I put mine out on the porch on cold winter nights!)

Whipped Body Butter sunset

Enjoy the sunset and let it cool on your porch if it’s a cool night 🙂

Whipped Body Butter 4

You’re looking for something this color after it’s cooled. It’s still nice and soft on the inside but not runny

*Whip with wire whisk attachment until fluffy.  If it looks runny you can stick it back in the cold for a bit, if it’s too solid you’ll have to remelt

Whipped Body Butter 2

Light and fluffy 🙂

*If you want to add an essential oil such as peppermint to make chocolate-mint add a couple drops in the whipping stage as heating essential oils will damage the scent

*Package in glass jars and label as desired

*Store at room temperature or in the fridge

Enjoy making these yummy body butters!  

Let me know in the comments below or at blog@keeper.com  and let me know what scents you’d like to try out and if you’ve ever made something like this!

~Olivia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and 4 year old son.  She enjoys spending time in the mountains, studying about essential oils, natural remedies and herbs, as well as upcycling/ DIY projects.  Olivia’s family made the move last year towards becoming a Zero Waste household.  They have gotten down to one bathroom sized trashcan a month of garbage but hope to be totally Zero Waste by the end of 2015.

 

Like this?  Check out the rest of our Waste Less and Be Green in 2015 series for more tips!

 

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