DIY Whipped Body Butter

This DIY Whipped Body Butter looks and smells more like ice cream or cupcake frosting than something you put on your skin…  but I swear this really is a lotion, and there is no image modification whatsoever! I just sloppily stuffed it into a jar, and this is the first picture I took. It feels as good on the body as it looks, and because of the whipped consistency it melts right into the skin, drying within several minutes.

It is a breeze to make, and the result is a rich, very moisturizing cream that is easy to apply and has nothing artificial or irritating for your, or your baby’s, skin. Lately, I even started putting it on my face before bed, after I use my regular moisturizing cream, also homemade :).

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil benefits, both internal and external, are hard to dispute with all the studies that have been performed in the recent years. When it comes it skin – coconut oil was shown to effectively heal dry skin by increasing the its lipid (fat) content (source). It has antibacterial properties, and is helpful to protect dry skin from inflammation due to pathogens, which can enter your body through the excessive scratching while your skin’s moisture barrier is disrupted (source).

CACAO BUTTER

Cacao butter is rich in vitamin E, which is one of the strongest antioxidants available, and is a significant source of polyphenols and minerals, all of which help nourish skin and keep it supple. This study shows that cacao butter is effective at toning and strengthening skin.

I personally prefer it to any other plant butter because of how it makes my skin feel, but find it difficult to use it on its own because of its hard rock consistency. That’s why it’s perfect in this DIY body butter combined with softer fats. It is rumored to be helpful in preventing stretch marks but there are studies that disprove that claim.

I have to say I did use it throughout my first two pregnancies and don’t have any visible marks, even though every female in my family does (their development is supposed to be hereditary) so maybe folk wisdom is onto something? I know, I know, small sample size to make such conclusions.. But whatever, this stuff rocks!

GHEE

Ghee, or clarified butter, is one of my favorite things for cooking and skin care. In fact, I have used it exclusively on my face for the past several months and feel that my skin is better than it has been in a long time, even during pregnancy. Ayurvedic medicine has used ghee for thousands of years to treat a variety of skin conditions, from eczema to severe burns.

SHEA BUTTER

Shea butter is also an amazing moisturizer; according to this article, it  contains “stearic acid, which promotes and protects skin barrier health and various ingredients such as triterpene alcohols, known to reduce inflammation; cinnamic acid esters, that have limited capacity to absorb ultraviolet radiation; and lupeol, this property prevents the effects of skin aging by blocking the action or function of enzymes that degrade skin proteins. Shea butter also protects skin by stimulating production of structural proteins by specialized skin cells.“

This butter has a strong chocolate smell initially, which fades away within an hour; if you’d like to have a milder smell, you can use refined (more processed) cocoa and shea butters, which work just as well. I really like adding natural solid perfume because its fragrance lingers on my skin for a while. Pacifica has great scents that get perfect safety rating from EWG. Essential oils’ fragrance doesn’t stick around for too long.

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DIY Whipped Body Butter

Rich and luxurious homemade whipped body butter made with cacao, shea, coconut oil and ghee for 100% natural skin care

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Active Time10 minutes mins

Yield: 2 cups

Equipment

• Water bath – heat-proof glass jar that fits over a pot
• Stand mixer or hand held mixer

Materials

• 1 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw cacao butter
• 1/2 cup pastured ghee
• 1/4 cup raw shea butter

OPTIONAL

• 20-30 drops essential oil of your choice watch out for peppermint and tangerine, they may give too much of tingling sensation
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract (I get it at spice section of my grocery store)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Melt oil and butters in a water bath, or in a glass bowl over a small pot of water.
• When melted, remove from heat, and add fragrance, if using.
• Put the bowl with melted oils in a fridge for about an hour, or until the liquid starts to solidify slightly.
• Whip the mixture with a stand mixer or a hand held mixer until you get a beautiful cupcake frosting consistency, and the color changes from yellow to white.
• Transfer to pretty jars, and keep at room temperature for a couple of months.