This simple, citrus-scented DIY body butter comes together in a pinch. The scent is energizing, and the silky texture gently moisturizes the skin without any harsh ingredients.
Our skin is incredibly important, literally and figuratively.
On a literal level the skin is our body’s largest organ, and serves as a protective layer to shield our organs, muscles and bones from the external environment. On a figurative level, our skin is often used to describe how we feel about ourselves. Have a positive self-image? Well then you’re comfortable in your skin. Don’t get bent out of shape by the criticism of others? Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a thick skin.
While I believe beauty is only skin deep, I am also a firm believer in taking care of ourselves on the outside. Often times, how well we take care of ourselves on the outside, can be a reflection of how we feel on the inside. I definitely do not think that means you need to throw on a Kardashian kontour everyday. In fact, I think it is just the opposite. I’m a firm believer that taking care of your literal skin is important for feeling positive about your figurative skin. Embracing and truly taking care of what you are naturally blessed with is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Speaking of, I was given the natural gift of skin that is dry and ashy AF. Blessings on blessings.
An important lesson I have learned when it comes to taking care of my literal and figurative skin is to understand what I am slathering myself in everyday. I touched on this in my facial skincare post, but it bears repeating – the ingredients in some of our products are downright scary. After learning more about toxic ingredients in cosmetics and body care products, I felt silly working so hard to make fitness a priority and eating (my version of) a nutritious diet if I was just going to slather myself head to toe in harmful, synthetic chemicals all day. In recent years, studies have shown that on average women put about 515 synthetic chemicals on our bodies every day. Our skin absorbs over half of what is applied, and many of these substances are considered carcinogenic. Yikes.
One of the first places I started was with a product I used all over my body on a daily basis – body lotion. When I first started cleaning up my beauty routine, I used organic coconut oil as a body moisturizer and still do on occasion in a pinch. Although it is effective, it can be a bit greasy, I eventually grew tired of smelling like a pina colada, and I missed the smooth feel of traditional lotion or body butter. There are some nice non-toxic options available out there, but being the DIY junkie that I am, I wanted to try making my own. I started whipping up versions of this recipe until I reached the consistency and effectiveness I was looking for, and now I’m hooked.
The fun part about making your own body butter is making your own scent. I am a sucker for anything citrus, so I went with Grapefruit and Sweet Orange. Lavender essential oil would be lovely if you like floral scents, and would be really relaxing especially when applied at night. Peppermint would also be wonderful, and is an energizing scent. The sky’s the limit – have fun with it, and use scents that make you feel great. After all, being comfortable in your own skin is what it’s all about.
- ¾ Cup Shea Butter
- ½ Cup Coconut Oil, solid (chill in the fridge for a few minutes if it is too soft)
- 3 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
- Essential Oils of Choice (I used Sweet Orange and Grapefruit)
- Before you begin, make sure your coconut oil is nice and stiff. You want it to be solid, and firm. If it is melted or soft, place in the fridge until firm.
- Place the shea butter, coconut oil and sweet almond oil in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip until smooth and fluffy, and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Stop the mixer and add in your essential oils. I used about 10 drops each of sweet orange and grapefruit. Continue whipping with the mixer until the essential oils are incorporated.
- Transfer the body butter to a mason jar or other glass container with a lid. Store in a cool, dark place away from sunlight.
Your Turn:
- What do you do to feel comfortable in your skin?
- What are some of your favorite non-toxic beauty products?
dry and ashy AF haha – i feel you!! especially in the winter time, its like i’m a freaking lizard. I loveee this DIY post, and sweet orange + grapefruit sounds so heavenly. mmm!
Haha so glad I’m not alone. And I’m sure Toronto winters are no joke!
This is absolutely wonderful!! I love your post and your pictures!!!
Thank you so much JSol! Miss you! <3
I love this! My friend once gave me a homemade peppermint sugar scrub for Christmas and it was heavenly. Can’t wait to make this.
Ooh that sounds like an amazing gift! I definitely want to share a sugar scrub recipe soon too 🙂
As long as you’re doing what works for you, it’s all good 🙂
Great idea and I bet it smells beauriful! Thanks for sharing, looking forward to trying it, Pinned 🙂
I am sure I would love this! I love homemade body butter, and citrus! I personally have had trouble getting a fluffy texture to my body butters, and tips?
The whipping should help give you a fluffy texture 🙂
Hello there , i Just want to know which preservatives you recommend to use for scrubs and creams ? Thank you !
Hi Dafne, I’m not sure I know how to answer your question. Almond Oil is a good source of vitamin E which has some preservative properties. I hope that helps!
Gahhh this post scares me! My fave non-toxic DIY skin treatment is coffee scrub – I take used coffee grounds, mix with olive or coconut oil, and some organic sugar, and voila – a perfectly healthy body scrub that’s non-toxic and recycles something that would otherwise go in the trash.
Ahhh don’t be scared! That definitely wasn’t my intention. I just want folks to be informed 🙂 that coffee scrub sounds fabulous!
Wow, this looks amazing. And I completely agree that taking care of the skin that God made to protect our bodies is essential and important. It shouldn’t be ignored, and I’ve always struggled with really dry skin so I’m bookmarking this to make when I get home. Where do you get the shea butter?
Yes, EXACTLY Emily – I 100% agree! I ordered the shea butter from iherb.com. You could probably find it at Whole Foods or health food stores as well!
SO excited to make this!!! I’m ordering the shea butter now 🙂
Yay! I hope you love it Liz 🙂