One of the great ways to relieve dry and chapped skin during the colder months is by applying body butter. Body butter is essentially a rich cream with minimum amount of water, and mainly composed of plant oils or waxes like shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax. In contrast, lotion is lighter and contains up to 70 to 90 percent water, making it more suitable for summer. What’s great about using body butter is it offers greater skin coverage, it’s richer, and it doesn’t wash off easily. There are lots of products available on the market, but it is better to make your own to suit your personal preferences. Glycerin is one of the crucial ingredients of body butters because it serves as humectant. Here is a winning recipe for beginners, courtesy of MakingCosmetics.com (http://www.makingcosmetics.com/).
Body Butter with Shea and Cocoa Butters
Phase A Weight % For 100 g /3.6 oz
Macadamia Nut Oil (emollient) 15% 15 g. / 0.5 oz. / 1 tbsp.
Shea Butter (emollient) 5% 5 g. / 1& 1/2 tsp.
Cacao Butter (emollient) 3% 3 g. / 1& 1/2 tbsp.
Sorbitan Stearate (emulsifier) 1.5% 1.5 g / 1/2 tsp
Polysorbate 60 (emulsifier) 3% 3 g / 3/4 tsp
Cetyl Alcohol (thickener) 3% 3 g / 1tsp
Vitamin E Acetate (antioxidant) 1% 1 g / 22 drops
Phase B
Hot Distilled Water (diluent) 61% 61 g. / 2.2 oz. / ¼ cup
Xanthan Gum (thickener) 0.5% 0.5 g / ¼ tsp.
EDTA (stabilizer) 0.2% 0.2 g. / 1/8 tsp.
Glycerin (humectant) 4% 4 g. / 1 tsp.
Phase C
Aloe Vera 10x Concentrate (botanical) 1% 1 g. / 22 drops
Phenoxyethanol/SA (preservative) 1.5% 1.5 g. / 34 drops
Fragrance (optional) 0.3% 0.3 g / 6 drops
Method
Mix all the ingredients of phase A on a sterilized, heat resistant glass beaker. Heat the mixture to 66°C (150°F) until it melts. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients of phase B in a separate beaker and stir well until gum is dissolved. Then blend together both mixtures of phase A and B while heating in the same temperature. Remove the mixture from heat and stir it again until it is even. When the temperature drops below 40°C (100°F), add all ingredients of phase C and give it a final stir. Product is ready to be filled into jars.
