Body butter
Autumn has started now, which means many people will suffer from chapped skin again. When I went looking for body butter, I couldn’t find anything that matched my wishes. I did find all kinds of creams based on shea butter combined with oil and honey.
Unfortunately, ingredients such as substances from the petroleum industry and essential oils were often added. I prefer not to put those ingredients on my skin. That’s why I decided to make natural body butter.
Substances from the petroleum industry
Substances from the petroleum industry, also called mineral oils, are known to seal the skin. This can cause you to suffer from skin irritation, acne and chapping. I prefer not to put any creams that contain petrolatum, paraffin, mineral oil and many more substances on my skin or hair.
These often greasy substances make it seem as if your skin is being protected. A layer is put on your skin that closes your skin. As a result, waste products can no longer be properly disposed of and your skin becomes lazy in the production of your oils and fats.
Because of this laziness, your skin will produce less fat, so you have to fall back more on that ‘fine’ greasy cream. Your skin becomes increasingly drier and dependent on the cream with mineral oils.
Essential oils (and why I don’t use them)
Essential oils are highly concentrated oils sourced from nature or synthetic from a lab. The oil obtained may have properties that can support chapped skin.
Unfortunately, these oils are also known to irritate the skin, cause allergic reactions or even be carcinogenic.
By adding essential oil, your body butter naturally gets a nice scent, but because of the risks of the oils, I prefer not to add it to my body butter.
Shea butter
Shea butter is obtained from the nuts of the shea tree. After the fruits have fallen from the tree, they are picked up and the flesh is removed. The nut is dried, heated, and ground. As the very last step, water is added and the different fats that are released are separated.
Shea butter is claimed to have moisturizing and healing properties. For example, it should be a nice support for dry skin and can help with skin problems such as psoriasis, fissures, and eczema.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is obtained by crushing, drying, and pressing the flesh of coconuts. You can use coconut oil for baking, but also for rubbing. If you suffer from dry skin, coconut oil would be a good tool to combat dry skin. In addition, the oil should have a bactericidal effect and you can therefore also use it if you suffer from acne.
Raw honey
What exactly is raw honey? Raw honey means that the honey is not heated or processed. It is only swung and put in a jar. Because the honey is not heated, it has all kinds of properties that are good for your body.
For example, honey would inhibit bacterial and fungal growth, thereby reducing dandruff and an itchy scalp. Raw honey is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect, protect your skin well because it is full of anti-oxidants. Furthermore, it is used as a moisturizer and softener for your skin.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a by-product produced by bees to make honeycombs. It is a greasy, firm substance and contains antibacterial substances that counteract inflammation of the skin. In addition, the beeswax ensures that your cream becomes firmer at room temperature.
Supplies
- Saucepan
- Glass bowl
- Kitchen scales
- Hand mixer
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup ± 150 gram Shea butter
- 1/4 cup ± 120 gram coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon ± 30 gram raw honey
- 1 tablespoon ± 20 gram beeswax
How to make
Place the saucepan with water over medium heat and place the glass bowl on top. Melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax. When all three components have melted, remove the bowl from the pan and allow the mixture to cool. Add the honey as soon as the mixture starts to solidify again. Blend the mixture until the honey is completely incorporated. Transfer the body butter to an airtight jar.
Tips
- Store your homemade body butter in a brown or violet jar. The body butter then has a longer shelf life because it is protected against UV radiation.
- Be careful when buying oil. There are different degrees. Some oils are refined. This means that the oil, or butter, is deodorized by heating it. Unfortunately, this process also removes the substances that provide good properties. So it is preferable to buy unrefined products.
Body butter
With this recipe you have your own all-natural body butter in no time. Due to the raw honey and shea butter, this cream is extremely suitable for chapped skin.
Materials
- 3/4 cup ± 150 gram Shea butter
- 1/4 cup ± 120 gram coconut oil
- 1 eetlepel ± 30 gram raw honey
- 1 eetlepel ± 20 gram beeswax
Tools
- Saucepan
- Glass bowl
- Kitchen scales
- Hand mixer
- Measuring cups
Instructions
- Place the saucepan with water over medium heat and place the glass bowl on top.
- Melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax.
- When all three components have melted, remove the bowl from the pan and allow the mixture to cool.
- Add the honey as soon as the mixture starts to solidify again.
- Blend the mixture until the honey is completely incorporated.
- Transfer the body butter to an airtight jar.
Notes
Store your body butter in a brown or violet jar so that the it has a longer shelf life. This way the body butter is protected against UV radiation.
This post contains one or more affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission when you buy a product via the provided link at no cost to you! See my full disclaimer here.
