Homemade DIY Body Cream Recipe
Making your own DIY homemade body cream is actually a lot easier than you think. I’ve started making this body butter recipe for myself to not only save on packaging and help me live more sustainably everyday but to also use something a bit more natural on my skin.
Why Bother Making Your Own Body Cream?
Why should you bother going to the hassle (it’s not really that much hassle) of making your own body butter when you can just find some at the shops? There are three great reasons why:
It Saves on Packaging
The amount of body cream you get in store bought ones isn’t much and you end up going through a lot more packaging than you do if you make it yourself. Even if you can’t find the ingredients in plastic free packaging (which is most of the time), you will still save on plastic bottles and tubes if you buy the ingredients in bulk and make your own.
It’s More Natural
Even body butters that are advertised as natural, organic, SLS free etc still contain a large amount of ingredients that I personally don’t understand and don’t want on my skin. By making our own, we know exactly what is going into it and what is soaking into our bodies.
Perfume Free
Since living a more sustainable life, I’ve noticed that I don’t like the smell of synthetic perfumes as much as I used to and I can’t bear the smell of them on my skin. If that’s you too, then making your own is so much better because you can make it smell how you like. You can leave it natural like I do (this recipe has a chocolatey-nutty smell to it) or add an essential oil to give it the smell you prefer.
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The Ingredients
Before getting to the actual homemade body cream recipe here are a few notes about each of the ingredients.
Is Cacao Butter and Cocoa Butter the Same?
These two names are often interchanged however there is a slight difference. Cacao butter is the raw version of the fat taken from the cacao bean. It is extracted using low temperatures which means it keeps more of its nutrients. Cocoa butter is extracted using higher temperatures. If you want a more nutritious body cream then use cacao butter.
The Difference between Refined & Unrefined Shea Butter
Unrefined shea butter retains more of its natural properties, such as Vitamin A and E, which make it a beneficial ingredient in body cream. It is also creamier in nature and will blend better with other oils.
Refined shea butter, however, is odourless and has a longer shelf life. So it depends on which properties are a priority for you. If prefer to have the natural shea butter smell (which is nutty) and the extra vitamins.
Coconut oil
I’ve found that the coconut oil brands that are available in store are not always the same in terms of quality and ethicality. Before buying, I like to check the list of ethical coconut oil brands on the Ethical Consumer website to make sure that we’re supporting a company that cares about the impact they’re making.
Is Sweet Almond Oil Different to Pure Almond Oil?
Sweet almond oil and pure almond oil are not the same. They are both edible and can be used in cooking but only sweet almond oil is used in skin care products.
Pure almond oil has a more bitter taste to it and is used for aiding in digestive issues and high cholesterol. It is typically used to dress salads or to bake bread.
Sweet almond oil can also be used in cooking but it is more beneficial for helping to heal dry or cracked skin.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are a tough subject. I usually leave them out when I make my body cream because I really like the natural smell it has from the combination of the cacao butter and the shea butter. However, if you want to add some to your body butter to give it a different scent then consider searching the files in the Using Essential Oils Safely group on facebook to choose one that would be best for you and your body.
The Body Cream Recipe
What You Will Need
2 Small glass jars
Glass mixing bowl
Hand mixer
100g coconut oil (measured when solid)
100g shea butter (measured when solid)
100g cacao butter (measured when solid)
100g sweet almond oil
10-30 drops of essential oil (optional)
Top left to top right: Shea butter, sweet almond oil, cacao butter, coconut oil.
How To Make It
1. Measure out all the solid ingredients into a glass bowl.
2. Melt all the solids over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the water isn’t touching the bowl and that the oils do not boil.
3. When all the solids have melted, take it off the heat.
4. Pour in the sweet almond oil and any essential oils you have chosen and stir well.
The colour will be golden when it has melted.
5. Pop the bowl into the fridge to set for a couple of hrs. Make sure it has completely set before moving onto the next step.
6. Remove from the fridge 30 mins before you plan to hand mix it.
7. Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients for about 2-3 mins or until it reaches the whipped consistency that you like.
The colour is now like edible whipped cream.
8. Fill your jars with your new body butter.
That’s it!! So easy.
A Few Extra Tips
In the winter, keep your body cream out of the fridge. We usually keep it in the bathroom cabinet and it stays a lovely whipped consistency for applying.
In the summer, if you have high temperatures like we do in Cyprus, I recommend keeping it in the fridge so that it stays whipped and doesn’t melt.
If you’ve accidentally left it out of the fridge and it has melted in the heat, you can reset it in the fridge and rewhip it to bring it back to its creamy, whipped consistency.
