This post is a little late because it is going to take a bit of typing. I really wanted to show you some great ways to package your body butter as gifts for the holidays, but that post is going to have to wait.
I have used this body butter to soothe my summer/winter skin (when my skin is at it’s driest ) and as a makeup remover. You, your family, and friends will be so grateful to have this stuff around. I know I am. Friends have gifted me this and it makes me incredibly happy.
This recipe is adapted from Organic Body Care by Stephanie Tourles. I have used Ms. Tourles’ recipes for years. In fact I worked at a health food store when The Herbal Body Book came out. I bought it right away and dreamed of making a lot of the recipes ( I couldn’t afford all the tools and ingredients at the time ).
You could make this body butter with any number of herbal combinations. I love the floral smell of chamomile, rose, and lavender, but you may want something different like geranium, clary sage, and patchouli. My only warning would be to not use citrus essential oils ( lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit and bergamont ) to scent this because they will make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Meaning it can cause hyper-pigmentation. I don’t know anyone that wants that.
Chamomile, Rose, and Lavender Body Butter
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil or floral infused olive oil
⅓ cup coconut oil ( extra-virgin, unrefined )
4 T beeswax
1½ – 2 t pharma grade lanolin ( This is the best lanolin I’ve used. It’s not sheepy. It does have a slight scent, but it’s subtle. I use it as lip-gloss and I would NEVER do that with other lanolins )
1 cup of distilled water or chamomile, rose, lavender, or calendula hydrosol or a combo of the two
30 drops of Roman chamomile essential oil
30 drops of lavender essential oil
Time: about 30 to 40 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes to completely cool
Tools: double broiler or a large glass bowl over a sauce pan, spatula, thermometer ( optional ), hand mixer or stand up mixer, storage jars
Yield: about 2⅓ cups
➊ In a sauce pan or in a double boiler ( I use a large glass bowl over a sauce pan of water ), warm evo, coconut oil, beeswax, and lanolin until it is just melted. In another pan warm the water or hydrosol ( really just warm it, you will see why later ).
➋ Remove both the oil and water from heat and allow to cool to almost body temperature. The oil mixture will start to thicken and become semi opaque. The cooling process takes some time depending on how cool or hot the temp of your kitchen is. It is not mandatory, but I like to make sure the water and the oil are with in 5 degrees of each other in a range of 90-95. This helps make sure that your oil and water don’t separate later.
➌ Using a hand mixer ( I use a whisk attachment, but I have used the beaters too ) start to blend the oil mixture on a medium or slow setting, slowly pouring the water mixture in at the same time. Right away the fats will start to thicken. Blend for 5 to 10 seconds more. Check the consistency of the butter, it should be thick.
Add the essential oils. Blend for another 5 to 10 seconds.
➍ Wait about 30 minutes to make sure no separation is occurring ( if separation occurs see note below ) then start the packaging process. Spoon into container(s) and seal.
No refrigeration is required if used within 30 days. If you do wish to refrigerate it will change the consistency a bit, but not the potency and it will extend it’s shelf life to 3 to 6 months. I don’t usually refrigerate and I’ve kept it past the 30 days without any spoilage. Be your own judge.
➎ I use this and all lotions right after getting out of the shower to seal in moisture. Enjoy.
Notes: The body butter can separate if the temperature of the fat and the water are not close to equal or cool enough when you start the blending process. If you notice during the cooling process that your butter is starting to separate blend for a few seconds every 2 minutes until completely cool to keep it emulsified. I have found this to work very well if I got too impatient during the cooling process.
If you didn’t let the batch cool slowly and you have separation you can fix it by gently reheating mixture in a double boiler and adding ½ t of lanolin. Repeat the blending process. You will need to baby this mixture during the cooling process because it’s already partially emulsified by whisking every 2 minutes or so while it cools. Colleen would also say that singing in an operatic tune of ‘it’s going to work,’ also helps.
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