I don’t use commercial lotions anymore, despite terribly dry skin. First, commercial lotions just don’t work for me. I have to reapply them constantly. And considering how expensive the better ones are, that’s just not realistic. Thankfully, I made some DIY Body Butter. This stuff is wonderful.
15 months ago I had my 2nd beautiful baby boy. I also had a very overactive thyroid, along with all it’s wonderful symptoms, including very, very dry skin. I would apply my expensive moisturizer only to need more 5 minutes later. No joke. One day I had some coconut oil left over on my hands, and out of desperation (or baby brain) rubbed it on my face. It was wonderful. My skin didn’t feel dry till that night after washing! I ended up just smearing it all over. Not only does coconut oil work better than commercial lotions, but you also avoid any nasty extras that make their way into commercial lotions.
I checked EWG.com to see how my old lotion was rated, and it scored an 8 (out of possible 10). Among other problematic chemicals, those in particular that are of concern are: retinyl acetate, which is linked to cancer and developmental/reproductive toxicity; propylparaben is linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption; and finally diazolidinyl urea which is linked to cancer and immunotoxicity. Yay! Sounds like stuff I want to put on my skin. Not.
I scoured Pinterest for ideas on how to make coconut oil an even better moisturizer. I loved Wellnessmama’s recipe for whipped body butter, but I didn’t have everything necessary to make it. I altered the recipe to fit what I had. This is super easy to make, and it makes a nice present too.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Organic unrefined coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup Pure Shea Butter
- 1.5 tsp. organic beeswax pellets (optional)
- 10-30 drops essential oils of choice (optional)
Combine oils and beeswax in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat until melted. Add essential oils if using and stir well. Refrigerate until nearly solid. Whip with hand mixer or stand mixer until desired consistency is achieved. If it doesn’t start to whip right away, put the oil mixture back into the fridge for another 10 minutes. Keep trying. You can store it in a canning jar or similar container. For this recipe I used an empty 14 oz. coconut oil jar.
You can use different oils, but shea butter was the more affordable option for me. Cocoa butter would work well here, or a mixture of the two. You could also add some olive, jojoba or almond oil.
DIY Body Butter
