We always thought that making our DIY body butter was more effort than it was worth it, needing heaps of ingredients and measurement cups, but it turns out, it can be the easiest thing ever!

There are only 2 main ingredients, and it's so simple to make, it's hardly impossible to not give it a go!

Making your own DIY body butter has many benefits:

• On one hand, the price point is way lower than an average pre-made lotion.
• On the other hand, it is 100% customizable, so you can modify it to your specific needs.
• And lastly, you can be sure of the origin of the products you are putting on your body. 

These are the only things you'll need:

1. Shea Butter

We advise using organic and unrefined for the best results, we used this one. It's highly moisturizing and promotes skin healing. It's also rich in vitamins A and E. Shea Butter can effectively help with dry skin, wrinkles, stretch marks, dark spots, scars, and chapping and strongly supports the regenerative capacity of your skin.

2. Sweet Almond Oil

We're using this one from Fushi, which is organic, unrefined, and cold-pressed. It's rich in Vitamin E, vitamin A, monosaturated fatty acids, protein, potassium, and zinc. And it's easily absorbed into the skin leaving no greasy residue and is suitable for all kinds of skin, including oily and sensitive. 

Thanks to Vitamin E, Sweet Almond oil keeps your skin cells healthy, protects your skin from UV radiation damage, and helps your skin look smooth, soft, and free of fine lines. It's also mostly non-comedogenic, which means it’s unlikely to clog your pores.  

Other optional oils that can be used:

• Jojoba oil
• Coconut oil 
• Extra Virgin Olive oil ( you might this already at home)
• Argan oil (does have a nutty scent)
• You can shop at Natural Heroes for all you DIY ingredients

3. Essential oils (optional)

This step is completely optional. Some people have sensitivity to essential oils so please do a patch test before if you're unsure.

Essential oils can be added if you prefer a certain scent to the body butter and/or if you want some added skin benefits. We have a range of organic essentials oils from Bio Scents.

Examples of essential oil blends:

• Floral - Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Clary Sage
• Spicy - Clove, Cinnamon, Tea Tree
• Herbal - Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree
• Citrus - Lemon, Sweet orange, Lemongrass, Bergamot
• Woody - Cedarwood, Scotch Pine, Frankincense, Patchouli, Clove

Recipe

• 1/4 cup of Shea Butter
• 1/4 cup of Sweet Almond oil

The amount you will use really depends on how much lotion you want to make, but we recommend a 1:1 ratio.

How to make the DIY body butter

3. We let the solution cool slightly and then transferred it to an aluminum container, but you can use any empty jar or tin that you have at hand! 

4. At this point, we also added about 20 drops of Rosemary essential oil and 20 drops of Lavender essential oil and mixed well. This step is completely optional and customizable to your preference, depending on what you personally need from your body butter or you what have available at the moment. 

5. Let the body butter cool until it's solid, we put it in the fridge to speed up the process.

And here it is, your homemade, super simple, and DIY body butter!

Once solid, keep it in a cool and dark spot for longer shelf life. For an extra soothing effect, it can also be kept in the fridge. 

Keep in mind, because it is a completely natural product, it does not keep as long as regular body butter, however since this is an oil- and butter-based product it doesn't need preservatives and it should be good for 6-12 months usually. But you need to check the shelf life of the ingredients you're using, because this will result in the shelf life of your body butter.

On a positive note, it is perfect for traveling, as it is mess free and can be transferred to very small containers!

Tips DIY Body Butter

• This makes a really great gift for friends and family 
• You can double or triple this recipe.
• Be careful using citrus essential oils, like lemon or orange, since they can make your skin photosensitive. If you do use them, don’t go out in the sun for a while. Or, simply use this body butter in the evening.
• If you find that the body butter is still too greasy for your preference, you can also add a teaspoon or two of arrowroot starch to make it less greasy
• If you're making this in the summer, we recommend lowering the amount of oil, as in high temperatures the body butter might become too soft and result in a messy application!

Let us know if you try this and how it works for you! 

Recipe inspiration from: @myplasticfreehome and When Sweet Becomes Healthy