Homemade Body Butter
Simple, homemade, and customizable body butter that leaves the skin naturally-nourished and moisturized.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Plant Therapy Shea Butter unrefined/crude or refined (41g)
- 1/4 cup Plant Therapy Mango Butter or Cocoa Butter * (41 g mango butter or 34g cocoa butter)
- 1/4 cup Plant Therapy Carrier Oil ** (42g)
- 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot flour starch optional*** (5g)
- 36 drops Plant Therapy Essential Oil optional****
Instructions
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Place a glass bowl on top of a saucepan partially filled with water over medium heat. Place the butters in the glass bowl, and allow them to fully melt.
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If you're planning to use arrowroot flour in your body butter, in a small bowl, whisk the flour into the carrier oil. Set the mixture aside. If you're not using arrowroot flour, skip this step.
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Carefully remove the bowl (and melted butters) from the heat source. Add the oil (with the arrowroot flour, if using), and stir to combine the ingredients.
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At this point, the oil mixture should be cooler (along with the bowl). If not, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then place the mixture in the fridge and allow it to solidify (about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on location in the fridge and fridge temperature).
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Once the mixture is opaque and a bit firm (not solid as a rock), remove the bowl from the fridge. Add the essential oil of choice, if desired.
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If you used cocoa butter in your body butter, then whisk the mixture with a fork until it appears "whipped." If you used shea and/or mango butters in your body butter, then you can use the same technique with a fork, or use a stand mixer to "whip" the mixture.
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Scoop the body butter into a jar with a lid. Place the lid on the jar. Store the body butter at room temperature (out of sunlight). This mixture should last about six months, if bacteria isn't introduced to the mixture via dirty hands.
To Use:
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After bathing, apply a small amount of body butter to your fingertips, and then massage the butter on your skin/body. Apply as needed.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Mango butter will yield a softer body butter. Cocoa butter will yield a thicker body butter that smells a bit like chocolate. You can also use shea butter again, if desired, instead of using mango or cocoa butter.
**I like sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or grapeseed oil.
***If you're concerned about the final product feeling too greasy, then I recommend adding this optional ingredient. The arrowroot cuts through the greasy feel that's often associated with body butter.
****My personal favorites: lavender, geranium (Egyptian), frankincense (Carteri). Another option is to use a pre-blended synergy, like: Love Vanilla (my favorite), Soft Skin, or Tranquil. I use a 1% dilution in my body butter. Before using any essential oil, I recommend reading the back of the bottle for specific dilution recommendations--just to be safe.