Welcome Homemade Lotion Lovers!
I’m excited to share with you this creamy lotion that I love with all my skin cells! My creamy shea butter and cocoa butter lotion recipe uses three SUPER STARS in the skin care world which are Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil, all of which are highly moisturizing, exceptionally nutritious in many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and completely plant-based, vegan and natural. And since you’ll be making it yourself, you can rest assured that this lotion is chemical-free, toxin-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free and provides pure goodness to heal, protect, soothe and moisturize your skin.
DIY Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter Lotion Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unrefined shea butter (get it here)
- 2 tbsp cocoa butter (get it here)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (get it here)
- 1 tsp jojoba oil (get it here)
- 2 vitamin E capsules (get it here)
- 1 tsp aloe vera gel (get it here)
- 7-12 drops essential oil of choice
Directions
1. Before you start, you will need to create a simple double-boiler system to melt and incorporate all the ingredients (except for the essential oils) together. All you have to do is to place a large sauce pan with water and heat it up on your stove. Now place a smaller, clean and dry sauce pan on top of the heated water in the larger pan. This is your double-boiler system, which will enable you to thoroughly melt and combine all your ingredients, without having any of them get burned and denatured, as they would if you were to heat them directly on a pan. Or, for your convenience, just buy a double boiler!
2. Now into your smaller pan, measure out and gently place each ingredient (except the essential oils) into the small, clean and dry saucepan that’s sitting on top of the heated water in the larger pan. I do hope this is clear. If it’s not, please have a look at the picture below of the double boiler technique.
3. Carefully mix the oils as they melt using a clean spatula. Make sure none of the water in the saucepan below gets into your lotion mixture!
4. Once all the oils are completely melted, you can stir one last time just to make sure all the oils are evenly combined.
5. Switch off the heat and remove the saucepan containing the lotion mixture and gently pour in your aloe vera gel. Then snip of the edges of 2 vitamin E capsules and squeeze the oil into the melted lotion mixture. Stir vigorously with a whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
6. Now place your lotion mixture in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes so that it can partially solidify. This is to cool it down as well as enable easier mixing into the creamy form as shown in the picture above.
7. Get it out of the refrigerator after 15 minutes and then start beating it using a hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes until you get a white cream.
8. There you are! Your shea butter and cocoa butter lotion is ready! Transfer it to a clean container.
9. Now is the time to add whichever essential oil of choice to your lotion. The reason we are adding the essential oil now is to prevent the strong aroma of the essential oil from contaminating your sauce pan, which you may later use for cooking. Another reason is because essential oils are quite volatile oils and minor temperature changes can cause them to become denatured and therefore less effective. So add in the required drops of essential oils and stir it in with a spatula (or even the back side of a clean fork)
10. Store your creamy shea butter and cocoa butter lotion in a cool, dry and dark place. Know that this lotion lasts 2 years but of course, lush as it is, it’ll get over way before then!
What Essential Oils Blend Well with Shea Butter?
In most of my recipes, I always specify what essential oils to use, but in this one I haven’t because even I like to vary the essential oils I use in this lotion from time to time. I usually use a combination of essential oils, and you can do so too. As you know, the scent of shea butter can be overwhelming and a strong essential oil is needed to overcome the shea scent. Here are a few essential oils that combine well with shea butter, yet have amazing benefits for the skin as well:
→ Lavender: The calming scent of lavender is floral, slightly herby and sweet but it does have a sharp note that cuts right through the nutty smell of shea butter. Lavender essential oil helps heal acne prone skin, controls excessively oily skin and reduces the appearance of stretchmarks, scars and blemishes.
→ Geranium: Geranium essential oil has a distinctively sharp smell that works well with shea butter and cocoa butter. It has a heady floral scent with a peppery note, making it a deep, feminine and romantic oil to add to your shea lotion! Geranium oil is hormone-balancing, promotes youthful skin, prevents acne and pimples and clears blemishes and puffiness in the skin.
→ Clove: This is a more readily available oil, that is exceptionally high in antioxidants and is a pain-reliever, too. The strong minty smell of clove essential oil is perfect for masking the nutty scents of shea butter and cocoa butter, if you so wish. Clove oil stimulates and warms the skin and promotes blood flow to the skin cells which promotes youthful looking skin. Persons with sensitive skin should exercise caution when using clove oil on skin. Do check for sensitivities before use.
Click on the picture above to go to the post ‘Is Shea Butter Better than Cocoa Butter?‘
Notes
→ I have used no distilled water/hydrosol in this recipe, that’s why the consistency of this lotion leans towards the “creamy” side, rather than being a silky smooth lotion. For me, this works just fine as it still glides super smoothly on my skin. Plus, this lotion has a much longer shelf life than it would if it were to contain a liquid ingredient. However, if you are looking for a much thinner consistency, like normal store-bought lotion, then please check out this DIY LOTION of mine.
→If stored well, this lotion can be kept for up to 2 years without spoilage. Make sure you use clean hands when dipping into the lotion. To get most out of the lotion while the ingredients are still fresh, best use the lotion before 6 months since preparation.
Wanna Know a Pro-tip?!
Use this homemade shea butter and cocoa butter lotion as soon as you step out of your bath or shower before you actually pat dry your skin with a towel. This makes all the difference in the world! This homemade shea butter and cocoa butter lotion will tightly lock in all the water that left on your skin after your shower and your skin will stay hydrated, moisturized and supple throughout the day!
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