Everyone dreams of having baby soft skin and moisturization is the key to healthy and smooth skin. While most of us have been using the same moisturising lotions that our mothers used, it might be time to stop and think whether the moisturizer you use is doing enough for your skin. Although the commonly found moisturisers do a decent job with normal to oily skin, they don’t help people with dry skin. Luckily, some smart people identified this problem and introduced the concept of a body butter.
What Is Body Butter?
As is obvious from the name, a body butter looks nothing like the regular liquid moisturiser. Picture something that looks like a thick cream and is packed in a jar as opposed to the usual bootle in which moisturising lotions are packed. Body butters are made using natural butters and oils like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, coconut oil and jojoba oil to name a few. The thicker texture of these butters makes them ideal for people with dry skin. So does this mean that using a body butter benefits women with dry skin only? Not really. There are so many compositions of butters available that every woman can choose one that suits her skin type. A body butter can be used by almost anyone for a wide variety of purposes.
8 Must Know Benefits Of Body Butter For Skin
- It helps to nourish dry areas like the elbows and knees
- It doubles up as a cuticle repair cream.
- It can be used in place of a cold cream.
- It makes for a great foot cream.
- It can replace a makeup remover.
- It helps to prevent stretch marks and skin irritation when applied on the baby bump.
- It can be used as a hand cream.
- It works effectively as an after shave.
Although the market is flooded with various kinds of body butters in a variety of fragrances and compositions, these are extremely easy to make at home as well. The biggest advantage of using a DIY body butter is that you can use ingredients of your choice. In addition to this, you can make your body butter in small batches to ensure a continuous supply of customised, natural and preservative free buddy butter.
6 Simple DIY Body Butter Recipes That Are Great For Skin Nourishment
1. Coconut Body Butter
If the smell of coconuts transports you to the visuals of you on a pristine beach, sipping on Pina Coladas, then this body butter recipe is just what you need.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup coconut oil (preferably virgin and cold pressed)
- 10-12 drops of essential oil of your choice
- ¼ cup shea butter/cocoa butter
Method:
- Melt the coconut oil and shea butter/cocoa butter together in a bowl using the double boiler method.
- Once melted, leave the liquid to cool for about 30 minutes or so.
- Add the essential oil to the liquid.
- Use a hand blender to whip the mixture until you reach a soft, butter like texture.
- Transfer the ready body butter into a jar with a light lid and store in a cool place.
Tip: Since coconut is filled with natural moisturisation benefits, you can try this homemade moisturiser with the goodness of coconut to provide deep nourishment to your skin.
2. Grapefruit Body Butter
This grapefruit body butter is an ideal choice for women looking for a body butter recipe which nourishes the body without making it sticky and smells great at the same time.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup shea butter
- 5-8 drops of grapefruit essential oil
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
- 2-3 drops of soap colorant (optional)
Method:
- Melt the base oil and butter using the double boiler technique.
- Leave the melted mixture to cool for 30-40 minutes.
- Add the grapefruit oil and sweet almond oil to the mixture.
- Whip the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
- At this point add the soap colourant and whip again till a smooth butter is formed.
- Transfer the body butter to a jar.
3. Strawberry Body Butter
Who doesn’t like strawberries? This body butter recipe allows you to have the sweet smell of strawberries on your skin all day. Not only that, this strawberry body butter is 100% edible too.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup shea butter
- 1 tablespoon apricot oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon jojoba oil
- ½ tablespoon strawberry food flavouring
- 2-3 drops of red food colouring
Method:
- Use a double boiler to melt together the oils as well as the shea butter.
- Wait till the mixture has cooled down before adding the strawberry food flavouring.
- Whip the mixture together for 3 minutes using a hand blender.
- Add the food colouring drop by drop, stopping when you reach the desired colour.
- Whip the mixture again for 3-4 minutes till the body butter has a smooth texture.
- Transfer the strawberry body butter to a jar.
4. Original Unflavoured Body Butter
This one if the people who like to keep it classic and simple. Devoid of any additional fragrance and addition, this body butter is a good choice for women who are not fans of overtly perfumed products.
Also, it needs just two simple ingredients to make.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup oil (avocado/ almond/ coconut)
- ½ cup butter (avocado/ shea/ cocoa)
Method:
- Mix the oil and butter together in a pan using the double boiler method.
- Once the mixture has melted, take it off the stove and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Use a hand blender to whip the mixture till you see a butter-like consistency.
- Empty the prepared butter in an airtight jar.
5. Minty Fresh Body Butter
Use this simple recipe to come up with a natural and frugal way to keep your skin feeling nourished and smelling like a dream.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup shea butter
- 20 drops of peppermint essential oil (can be adjusted as per preference)
- 2 teaspoons almond oil
Method:
- Take the shea butter, coconut oil and almond oil in a pan and melt them together using the double boiler method.
- Wait for the mixture to cool down.
- Add the peppermint oil in the required quantity and begin whipping the mixture with the help of a hand blender.
- Continue to blend till the mixture resembles a smooth butter.
- Transfer the ready peppermint body butter to a jar.
6. Bronzing Body Butter
While this body butter does what it is meant to do – nourish and hydrate the skin, it also leaves you with a sunkissed look with its bronzing properties.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup cocoa butter
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (dalchini) powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (quantity can be adjusted depending on how much bronzing effect you desire)
- 3 tablespoons jojoba oil
- 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
- 10 drops essential oil of your choice (optional)
- 5-6 drops vitamin E oil
Method:
- Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together in a double boiler.
- Let the mixture cool for 30-40 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon (dalchini) powder, cocoa powder, aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil and jojoba oil.
- Whip the mixture for 2-3 minutes before adding the essential oil.
- After adding the essential oil, whip the mixture some more till you reach the desired consistency.
- Transfer the body butter to a tight jar.
Note: The cinnamon powder and cocoa powder in this recipe are the ones that lend the bronzing effect to the body butter. The quantities for these should be determined on the basis of the skin tone of the user.
Using The Double Boiler Method
The double boiler method involves the use of two pans, one inside the other. While the ingredients for the body butter are melted in the smaller pan, water is put to boil in the larger pan. This method ensures that the level of heat in the smaller pan is maintained and the oil and butter don’t burn.
While there is nothing better than making your own body butter, there are many brands currently available in india which have some pretty interesting and effective body butters. Some of the exceptional body butters to try are:
- The strawberry body butter from The Body Shop
- Khadi’s chocolate and honey body butter
- Rose and almond body butter by FabIndia
- Chocolate mint body butter by The Nature’s Co
- Palmer’s cocoa butter
How To Use Body Butter?
The usage of a body butter is different from that of a body lotion. While the body lotion consists of water which gives it the flowy texture, a body butter contains no water and is heavy on the skin. Since it has the tendency to sit on the skin, the best time to apply a body butter is just after a shower. It is also a good idea to apply body butter at bedtime.
Although body butter does wonders for the entire body, most people refrain from using them on the face because it can make the facial skin look extremely greasy. Body butter used on the face could also clog your pores. Having said that, some women who have exceptionally dry skin do use body butter on their face as well. There are no set rules for using body butter. It is up to the user to decide which kind of body butter they want to use on which parts of their body and how often.
Tips And Tricks For Making Body Butters At Home
- Always use tight jars to save your body butters
- Store the body butters in a cool and dry place to prevent the body butter from melting
- The quality of a diy body butter is as good as the ingredients used. So, try to use organic ingredients wherever possible
- Homemade body butters are made without any preservatives. Hence, one must keep in mind that their shelf life will be shorter. It is recommended to make these butters in small batches
- While removing the body butters from the jar, ensure that your hands are clean and dry
- The base oils and butters are for moisturising the skin while the essential oils are to appeal to the senses. Choose the essential oils that work for you. Some recommended essential oils for diy body butters are peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, orange and rosemary
- You can alter the proportions of the base oils and butters depending on how rich you want your body butter to be
- Slow absorbing oils like avocado oil and castor oil can be used to make the body butter less greasy
- Some butters like mango butter and shea butter tend to get grainy when they begin to cool after being heated. If this happens, you can place the melted mixture in an ice bath (keep the butter bowl inside a larger bowl of ice) to help it cool instantly before the whipping process
- The shelf life of the diy body butters is the same as that of the oils used to make it
Key Takeaways
- Body butters give your skin the hydration and nourishment usual moisturisers cannot
- A DIY body butter can be made using ingredients that suit your skin type
- Since the DIY body butters are made without using any artificial chemicals, they are gentle on the skin
- Organic products are recommended for making your own DIY body butter
Adopting and maintaining a skincare ritual is easier and healthier than having an extensive makeup routine. It is simple things like these that can allow you to have nourished and hydrated skin all year long. So, take out some time, prepare your own body butter and notice how your skin gets better and better with each use.
