Homemade Body Butter

By

BriannaN

After buying all those exotic ingredients, most of which are not easily available, this recipe hardly qualifies as "THRIFTYFun." Isn't being Thifty the whole point of this website? I completely agree with MCW and Bryguyf69. Going to the Dollar Store or using baby oil is just as good or better, and less damaging on clothing and furniture. My dermatologist says that there is nothig especially good about shea butter, or any of those oils, for the skin and calls them a marketing scam. Same goes for green tea and all those botanical extracts. Folks, our skin's top layer (and hair) are basically dead cells that don't need nourishment. Just eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated and keep the moisture in with a cheap lotion and you'd be fine. And use sunscreen.

By

twinkies

This looks totally awesome. I can't wait to make it. Thanks for sharing.
Cathy from MA

By

MCW

I was shopping at the dollar stores the other day and checked the prices for a bottle of cocoa butter lotion. I purchased a 32 oz. bottle of Queen Helene Hand and Body Lotion for $2.25. And Family Dollar sold the same product but it came in a 16 oz. bottle for $2.00. What a great deal for 25 cents more I made out better at Dollar General. So you have to learn how to be a wise customer when shopping at the dollar stores.

By

bryguyf69

While this recipe will work, it'll also end up being a lot more expensive than body butter that you can buy. This is especially true because most people don't already have cocoa butter, coconut oil, shea butter, Jojoba oil and beeswax at home. And since you usually can't just buy an ounce or two, you end up lots of leftover ingredients that you don't normally use, i.e. shea butter. Many people also can't find some ingredients locally, so they waste money on shipping/handling. All in all, a very expensive project for something that you can easily buy, even at Dollar Stores.

Or you can just rub Vaseline or baby oil on yourself. Baby oil diluted with water, then shaken, is great because it's less greasy and the water is absorbed into the skin while the oil becomes a barrier, keeping the water in. That seems more effective than this recipe, which contains no moisture, per se (keep in mind that oils and fats are not moisture; that's why oil and water do not mix). Moisturizing lotions will almost always contain purified or distilled water, and then a barrier like oil or wax to seal the water within the skin. This recipe has no water so it's best used after a shower or bath, when the skin has absorbed water.

Furthermore, the commercial stuff has ingredients to increase absorption, making your skin less greasy. This recipe is almost all fat, which not only increases the risk of accidents (slippage of the feet or while holding things), but it will also grease up clothes, bed linen and furniture, ruining them.

By

annelaundrie

Thanks for the recipe, will try it. Anne