Homemade Whipped Body Butter: easy self care or handmade gift

Do you ever feel like your skin is begging for some love and hydration? This homemade cacao body butter combines the luxurious richness of cacao butter with nourishing oils to create a decadent moisturizer that will leave your skin feeling soft and supple with a light chocolaty smell.

Get ready to indulge in some sweet self-care for your skin. Make some for yourself or give it as an easy and thoughtful homemade gift for family and friends.

Making your own beauty products is pretty easy to do, especially in the case of body butters and lotions. The only special equipment you need is a mixer.

This recipe combines three different oils for a variety of skin soothing antioxidants. The coconut oil keeps it soft. Shea butter moisturizes the skin and contains anti-inflammatory properties to soothe itchiness. The cacao butter gives it a light chocolate smell which is divine.

What's the difference between cacao and cocoa butter?

Cacao butter is cold pressed from raw cacao beans. Cocoa butter is extracted after the beans are roasted to be ground into cocoa powder. The heating changes the chemical properties, such as lowering the antioxidants and the aroma.

Sometimes, cacao butter will be sold as unrefined or cold pressed cocoa butter.

can you use refined cocoa butter instead?

Sure, it may have slightly less antioxidants in it and often has less of a chocolate smell. If all you have is cocoa butter then go for it.

How to store homemade body butter

Honestly, you can store it in any container you like. But, something this soothing and wonderful really deserves to be kept in a pretty jar or a little aluminum tin to make it portable.

Ideally you want to keep it at room temperature between 75-79 degrees. Too cold and it will be too hard to spread on the skin. If it gets too warm the coconut oil will begin to liquify and it will be a soupy mess. If that happens just chill it in the fridge for a bit to reharden.

how to make homemade body butter

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cacao butter
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup shea butter (optional or use more cacao butter)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat.
2. When the ingredients start to melt, immediately remove from heat and stir to blend and continue melting.
3. Put in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool in the refrigerator until the oils begin to solidify but is not completely hard.
4. Whip with the whisk attachment of the mixer until it resembles whipped cream, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to small jars.
6. Keeps at room temperature for about 6-12 months.