ANOTHER GIFT FROM MY KICHEN

Want to give some lovely gifts for Christmas this year?  Well, even if you don’t want to make some of your gifts, you’ll find these recipes for Body Butters just the thing to keep at your bedside to give your skin some TLC.

I used to get Body Butters at Kenwood Mall in Cincinnati, at The Body Shop.  Princess Diana made this store popular in the USA when it came out that she frequented their London store.  So of course, Linda and I headed there in our futile attempt to look just like her.

The Body Shop was expensive, although we did love their products.  So having these recipes will be a big help – to our skin AND our budgets.  And as I said, they make a great gift.

 

COCONUT OIL BODY BUTTER

You probably know this, but Coconut Oil makes a great  moisturizer. For those who may not be familiar with coconut oil, it changes consistency based on the temperature. So if the temp in the house (or the pantry) is BELOW 76 degrees then the coconut oil will remain solid. If it’s HIGHER than 76 degrees it starts to turn into a liquid. The coconut oil is fine most of the year.  During the fall, winter, and spring your house is probably where coconut oil is either completely hard, or just soft enough to be able to scoop it out easily (when it’s hard you can just put it in some warm water for a minute or so).

But then summer comes around. And it is HOT.  So what happens?  Your jar of coconut oil will turn into a pool of liquid.  It WORKS as a moisturizer when it’s a liquid, but it’s just a lot easier to put on your skin when it’s in a firmer state.  Whip it!! You know, the same way that you would whip cream? Just like cream stays at a better consistency to spread when it’s whipped – SO DOES COCONUT OIL! Who knew?!

This will far exceeded your expectations. With a jar of this on hand, you’ll never be tempted by expensive store bought lotions ever again.  The recipe only requires one (yes, one!) ingredient: coconut oil. Anything else is completely optional. It also only takes a few minutes, and you’ll have enough whipped body butter to last at least a month or two.  It feels sinfully luxurious as a moisturizer, and yet an entire jar of it costs less than $2 to make.

1 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)

A few drops of your favorite essential oils for fragrance

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Note: Do not melt the coconut oil first. It will only whip up if it’s solid.

Mix on high speed with a wire whisk for 6-7 minutes or until whipped into a light, airy consistency.

Spoon the whipped coconut oil body butter into a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your house is so warm it melts the oil.

Tip: An electric hand mixer will work, but a  blender or food processor will not work with this coconut oil recipe, because they tend to warm the oil too much and prevent it from whipping up.

Now keep in mind that your skin is typically 98.6 degrees.  So as soon as that coconut oil comes into contact with your skin (no matter what state it’s in) it will turn to liquid very quickly.  But this process makes it SO much easier to put on in the summer.  And you still get the benefit of using a moisturizer where you know every single ingredient that goes into it!

It’s WONDERFUL on your face and for dry & cracked feet.  Just apply this every night before bed and your heels are nice and smooth again.  

HOMEMADE GRAPE & LAVENDAR BODY BUTTER

There is nothing more luxurious than homemade bath and body products that are so fresh, natural and organic. This grapefruit and lavender body butter is delicious! You might have a hard time not wanting to scoop it right into yiour mouth. . . though I am sure it feels and smells better than it actually tastes. It is a base of two butters and two oils which when melted, chilled and whipped together make this smooth and silky cream. It is on that last step of whipping that you will add your essential oils for the final fragrance. I love citrus mixed with lavender for a soothing yet energetic finish. Of course you can choose your favorite essential oils.

1/2 cup each of organic:

cocoa butter

shea butter

coconut oil

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of essential oils (1/4 each of grapefruit and lavender)

Add cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil into a double boiler. If you do not have one, use a glass or metal bowl over a pan of boiling water.

Heat until melted, mixing with whisk. Remove whisk and put mixture into fridge for one hour or until firm.

With hand mixer, whip oils until creamy and light. Add essential oils and mix again.

Spoon your body butter into glass jars. Mixture may seem a bit moist after whipping but will firm up after a few minutes.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups of whipped body butter.

CREAMY PINA COLADA BODY BUTTER

This yummy smelling body butter pairs Shea butter with coconut oil, honey and jojoba oil. The classic combination of coconut and pineapple is simply delicious and aromatic.

1/2  cup raw Shea butter

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup jojoba oil

2 tbsp raw honey

2 tsp beeswax

15 drops of natural pineapple fragrance oil

10 drops of natural coconut fragrance oil

Double boiler

Spatula

Lidded Container

Ready the double boiler on a low flame and slowly melt the Shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax and honey.

Once melted, kill the heat and add in the jojoba oil – allow to cool slightly.

Next add in the drops of essential oil and mix to incorporate.

Pour the liquid into the awaiting container and allow to harden.

SWEET ORANGE WHIPPED BODY BUTTER

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had an on-going love affair with anything orange.  I think it started from going shopping in Leesburg (Florida) and getting a little tube of Orange Cream Sache.  I never used it, but carried it in my little purse to take a whiff every now and then.  And I still love anything with an orange scent … from candles to potpourri. 

This particular Body Butter is a bit on the oily side initially but that’s the perfect consistency for a body butter.  If you want to make it not-so-oily, you could add cornstarch or arrowroot to calm that down a bit.

2.25 ounces of Shea Butter

2.25 ounces of Cocoa Butter

3.5 ounces of Apricot Kernel Oil

1 teaspoon of Vitamin E

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Equipment You Will Need:

 A food scale

Double boiler

2 Metal bowls (one bigger and one smaller)

Metal Spatula

Jars to put your body butter in for storage

Handheld blender

Melt both the Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter together in double boiler, making sure that it is mixed well

Place the bigger bowl filled halfway with water in the freezer

In the separate smaller bowl weigh out the apricot oil and set aside

Pour melted Shea and Cocoa butters into the smaller bowl with the apricot oil, mixing well

Place this bowl in the bigger bowl in freezer for around 15 minutes, you will notice that the mixture will become cloudy on top

Remove from freezer.  Add Vitamin E and fragrance and whip until mixture turns fluffy, I like to whip mine for at least 30 minutes

Using a spatula, place body butter in jars for home use, or label and give as the best gifts ever

This mixture should keep for at least 12 months, probably longer. However, I feel like it is going to get used way within a year! It is just too good to sit in a jar looking pretty!