Enjoying the benefits of making your own body butters

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After considering the dangerous chemicals in health and beauty products, many women have decided to experiment with making their own beauty products. After doing some reading and  watching some "how to" videos, I decided to try it. I can truthfully say that is fun and exciting.  Imagine being able to control what goes into your skin cream or body butter! I just used up my first batch and I can say that I was pleased with the outcome. So, I thought that I would share some of my learning here on the blog.  I invite readers to share their knowledge and information as well.

Geting started

Start out with raw, unrefined shea butter.   This is usually a pale, yellow color and is somewhat solid at room temperature.  Use six to eight ounces. Warm to approximately a paste-like consistency in the microwave or in a bowl over a cup of steaming hot water. (Remember, don't cook the shea butter, you will probably loose vitamins and antioxidants if you do). Remove from heat and roll up your sleeves, the real fun is about to begin.

Essential oils

An essential oil is a liquid that is distilled from leaves, stems, flowers, bark roots and other elements of a plant. They contain a number of healthful and healing qualities that  are used in aromatherapy and in body butters.  These healthful substances  are absorbed into the bloodstream and do wonders for our health and beauty. Now, imagine being able to select just which oils you will use based on your skin and body's needs. Fantastic. ("Essential Oils" http://www.wikipedia.com/)

I prepared my shea butter with the undiluted essential oils, which means that you will use only drops of this concentrated substance. I combined my ingredients as follows:

six-eight ounces of warmed shea butter
5 - 10 drops of tea tree oil (as an antiseptic and preservative)
One tablespoon of olive oil
One tablespoon of almond oil (Use the diluted one)
Peppermint oil (use a scented oil for fragrance such as lavender or spearmint oil)

Again, you can use additional vitamins and nutrients according to your skin and hair needs, such as vitamins A and E.

Blend  in a blender until creamy or desired texture. Pour into jars or containers and enjoy.

Related articles

• Shea Butter as a moisturizer and emollient (healthlifestyleforever.com)
• Tackle The Colder Weather Skin Blues With These Natural Weapons (urbanbellemag.com)