What Are Body Butters?
Body butters are the essential fats and minerals extracted from natural ingredients. Body butters are absorbed quickly, and are incredibly hydrating and beneficial to our skin. You can use butters in cosmetic creations such as lip balms, soaps, creams, deodorants, hair care and more. It is key to know the properties of each type of butter so that you can derive the maximal benefit from each. Learn what kind of texture they have and their benefits due to their antioxidants, vitamins, fatty acids and even their SPF factor.
Cacao Butter
An edible fat obtained from the cacao bean pod. One of the most popular and well known body butters, it is naturally high in vitamin E to help hydrate and soothe skin, and contains natural antioxidants. Because it is a fantastic thickening agent you will often find cocoa butter in lipsticks, lip balms, soaps and creams. It helps to create an amazing whipped body butter The texture tends to be creamy and yellowish in color and it has a heavenly light chocolate scent and feels delicious on your skin. A high quality cacao butter will be suitable for both cosmetic and culinary uses. Cacao butter is very popular for stretch mark and scar relief. Shelf life: 2 years
Shea Butter
A fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. Another one of the most popular and well known body butters, shea butter is rich in vitamins A, E and F, provides collagen (to assist prevention of skin aging & wrinkles), and contains essential fatty acids. Unrefined shea butter will have a noticeable nutty aroma with a creamy faintly yellowish color. You can apply this directly to your skin, or choose to combine it with other ingredients in a skincare recipe. Shea butter is incredibly hydrating and can be applied to the scalp to help combat dry, itchy scalps. It also has a natural SPF factor (approximately 6) so it’s a key ingredient in homemade sunscreens, especially since it forms a natural barrier on the skin to keep moisture in, so it’s a great choice to apply either before sun exposure to keep your skin moisturized. Shelf life: 1 year
Mango Butter
Mango butter comes from the kernels of the tropical mango tree. The texture and composition resembles shea and cocoa butter yet it contains more fatty acids making it a more intense moisturizer. This butter provides skin softness, soothing and moisturizing properties, and is a natural emollient. Mango butter tends to be rich, white in color with a mildly sweet scent and is hard at room temperature. Due to mango butter’s texture it’s best to combine it with other butters or oils to make it more pliable for use on the skin. If you are choosing to use it by itself, it is best to warm and melt it a bit. Shelf life: 2 years
DIY Body Butter Recipe
½ cup shea butter
½ cup cocoa or mango butter
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup light carrier oil, (sweet almond, olive, jajoba)
Optional: 10-30 drops essential oils of choice
In a double boiler, combine all ingredients except essential oils. Bring to medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add essential oils and stir. Move to fridge and let cool for an hour, or until beginning to harden. Whip with hand mixer for 10 minutes until fluffy. Return to fridge for 10-15 minutes to set. Store in a glass jar with a lid and use as you would regular lotion or body butter.
Try one of Pureparker’s fabulous body butter’s for baby soft skin, but be warned - you’ll be hooked!
