Shea Body Butter Recipe

Discovering the power of shea butter was like a miracle to me. Moving from California to Nevada left my skin dry and itchy. I could only imagine how my 2 year old felt as I watched him scratch his leg and there being a long white mark where he dragged his little baby nail on his leg. Needless to say, I had to figure something out so that both of our skin wouldn't experience such a dramatic drying out after living in a humid climate. 

Organic, raw shea butter

Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties which is amazing, but it also protects against sunburn, moisturizes and helps heal cuts and abrasions. The selling point to me was when I also learned it helps with insect bites, eczema, frostbite, dermatitis and WRINKLES! Hello there! There's nothing like being a mom in her 30's to make you start to worry more about wrinkles. Obviously, I had found a base for my body butter. Happy that it isn't to oily and doesn't leave my skin looking greasy. So when I came across this tutorial for a DIY Shea Butter body butter, I had to try it out. 

However, the recipe calls for a carrier oil and I didn't have the same kind used in the tutorial, so I opted for coconut oil. I'm sure if you're reading this blog than you're already aware of how wonderful coconut oil can be, but just in case you don't I'm going to list a few of the benefits here. It's antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial and it blocks about 20% of UV rays. It has a tendency to be oily, but the recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of it. When you have a toddler running around, the natural antibacterial and antiviral properties are a blessing... anything that helps him not get sick from all the little germs he comes across, I am so excited about it. Keep in mind, this is the carrier oil I chose and you can choose a different one if you have different needs. 

Jojoba Oil

Now, you might be wondering about adding another oil at this point, but don't worry. Jojoba oil is more like a liquid wax. It's not so much a moisturizing oil, it seals moisture into the skin while also being an antiviral, anti bacterial and anti-inflammatory. These are all very beneficial to keeping skin clean and moisturized throughout the day without excessive reapplication. 

Vegetable glycerin is clear and odorless. It helps the skin absorb the moisture provided by the body butter. It draws the moisture into the lower layers of the skin helping skin retain moisture longer. It also pulls water from the air (there isn't much in Nevada) then creates a hydrogen bond with it. This plus the jojoba oil retains moisture and with consistent usage there will be a noticeable difference in how dry your skin gets. I can wash my hands several times before it is dried out making me need to reapply lotions after using the body butter for a week. 

The next ingredient is Vitamin E Oil. This acts as a preservative making sure that the body butter does not go rancid. Just a little goes a long way and makes the butter last for about 6-7 months. Aside from that Vitamin E Oil also helps with scars and skin irritation. Makes for a wonderful combination. The arrow root helps with the consistency of the body butter, although it will be hard at first. The very last ingredient is the optional essential oils. I used lavender and chamomile to help elevate moods, add to the antibacterial properties of the body butter and sooth skin irritation. Be careful with the essential oils as using too much can result in rashes and discontinuing the usage of the product you just made. 

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Ingredients

Shea Butter
Carrier Oil
Jojoba Oil
Vegetable Glycerin
Vitamin E Oil
ArrowRoot or regular cornstarch
Essential oil (optional)