The BEST Body Butter for Every Day--MIY, Simple!
I make most all of my own body butters, and I enjoy the process! I also love the fact that I KNOW exactly what is going into my body through my skin. But many of my body butters require LOTS of steps and many ingredients too. So, when I ran across this recipe for a simple daily body butter in Chris Dalziel's book, The Beeswax Workshop, I decided to give it a try! Here's how it turned out, and honestly, I think every woman should have this body butter on hand!
Edited: A note about the consistency: If you live in a colder area, like I do, then the consistency of this butter may be on the hard side. Don't worry, though! Just take a little bit, and the heat from your skin will melt it quickly. Just spread a thin coating on your skin and enjoy the loveliness!
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First, the Ingredients are SIMPLE!
Here's What You Need:
1) 2 tbsp. Beeswax
2) 2 tbsp. Shea Butter
3) 4 tbsp. Calendula-Infused Sweet Almond Oil
(You can just use plain oil if you don't have the infused kind, but I ALWAYS have Calendula infused EVOO and Almond Oil going because it's SO great for your skin. You can buy it here, or you can find out how to make your own infused oil in this article.)
4) 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
5) 25 drops Marjoram Essential Oil
6) 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
A note about essential oils: The links above are for Starwest Botanical essential oils, which I have found to be of excellent quality for a good price. I also use doTerra oils for more therapeutic reasons, so if you want a slightly higher grade oil (and also a bit more expensive), please visit my doTerra website!
Second, It's SUPER Easy! Here are the Steps:
Pictures following the directions!
Step 1) Make your own double boiler system by using a pint size wide mouthed Mason jar set inside a pan of cool water, about 1 inch high in the pan.
Step 2) Place the Shea Butter, Beeswax, Calendula Infused Almond Oil in the jar and simmer away on low until the beeswax is melted. Stir or swirl the jar well to be sure all the oils and the beeswax are mixed well together. Remove from the heat.
Step 3) Stir in your Vitamin E oil, and continue to stir for about a minute until the mixture is just a bit cooler---but not setting up yet.
Step 4) Now stir in your essential oils.
Step 5) Pour your liquid mixture into a small jar (a 4 ounce jelly jar is perfect---or you can use an amber glass apothecary jar) with a lid. Label your moisturizer so you know what's in it and don't forget (Ahem. Like I do when I don't label the millions of jars around my house.)
Step 6) Allow it to set up for about an hour or so, and you'll have a lovely body butter for dryish skin--and you can use this every day!
That's all there is to it! And I have to report that this combination of essential oils is Deee-licious! Marjoram is a mild sedative and is great for helping with hypertension and stress. Lavender is another very well-known relaxant. I don't know if Chris chose these two oils together to create a relaxing body butter, but it certainly is soothing!
Also---many people don't like the feel of butters because they can tend to be on the oily side. This combination of ingredients (made using almond oil) is very emollient. A tiny bit goes a LONG way, but it soaks into the skin and continues moisturizing very well. The nice thing about using a butter with some beeswax in it is that it helps provide and build up your skin's natural protective coating while not feeling icky.
If you want just an absolute TON of excellent beeswax recipes, I'd pick up a copy of Chris Dalziel's book, The Beeswax Workshop! You'll find so many useful and natural things to make in this book!
And, if you are interested in making a WONDERFUL healing salve using beeswax and oils, plus special herbs, find out how in this article.
If you enjoyed this easy recipe, I hope you'll stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter! When you do, you will receive a wonderful gift from me: My eBook on How to Use Herbs to Relax in the Evening.
Hugs & Self-Reliance!
Heidi
This article has been shared at these blog hops: Grandma's DIY, The Homestead Hop, The Homesteader Hop, Our Simple Blog Hop, and The Homestead Bloggers Network! Stop on by for many more simple life, homesteading tips and ideas!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and in no manner, stated or implied is any part of this article meant to cure, treat, diagnose, or prevent any medical issue. This article is only meant for informational purposes, and you should see a medical doctor before counting on any herb or essential oil to solve a problem. My advice is based on years of experience and study.