Fall is rolling in which means that winter is right around the corner. This also means that cold and flu seasons are coming so in my house this means lots and lots of handwashing. Dry cracked hands that just get worse as the cold winter comes around. This year I’ve been proactive and have already started keeping my skin moisturized and well-nourished. I experimented with a couple of different recipes and my favorite came from Raw Amazing and is actually for body butter. I love the consistency and how it makes my hands feel!

Prep Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic raw shea butter (solid)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (solid)
  • 1/2 cup almond oil (liquid)
  • 4-6 droppers of Pure Hemp Botanicals Tincture of choice (I used 750mg Full Spectrum!)
  • 5-6 drops of essential oils of your choosing

Instructions

  1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
  2. Stir in almond oil, Pure Hemp Botanicals Tincture and essential oils of your choosing.
  3. Place oil mixture in freezer or outside to chill.
  4. Wait until oils start to partially solidify (see photo) then whip until a butter-like consistency is achieved.
  5. Place in a clean, glass jar and enjoy! A little goes a long way.

My favorite essential oils to use in the Body Butter are:

Lavender and cedarwood to help with calming and relaxation.

Peppermint for rejuvenation.

Tea Tree oil for cleansing.

It’s important to do your research on essential oils and which kinds can be used topically. Here are some tips from Holistically Engineered:

  1. Use quality essential oils.  Some essential oils are mixed with other ingredients or synthetic materials to help stretch the oils and reduce costs, but this can cause adverse reactions.
  2. Everyone is different and will react differently so it’s important to test on a small area of skin and try one oil at a time. This is especially true if there is residue from personal care products that use synthetic chemicals.
  3. There are two places you never want to use essential oils: in the ears and in the eyes.
  4. Dilute with a carrier oil and not water (remember oil and water doesn’t mix)
  5. Also, keep in mind that some oils are photosensitive, which means you want to avoid using on the skin that’s directly exposed to sunlight.  Examples of photosensitive oils: Citrus Oils (like Lemon, Citrus Fresh, Orange, etc.) and Joy.

You can find the original body butter recipe at http://rawmazing.com/recipe/homemade-body-butter-recipe/

You can find more information on essential oils and using them topically here: http://holisticallyengineered.com/2015/02/use-essential-oils-topically.html

This blog is for educational purposes only. No product claims intended.