We haven’t posted one of these in a while—and this is a goodie! Here’s why: I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve spent a very pretty penny on whipped shea butter in my day, especially for the ones that smell like vanilla and/or citrus. I’ve also given this as a luxurious gift to friends, and they always love it (boys too). But not once did I think of whipping my own, and scenting it with my favorite essential oils. This is a genius plan for the holidays, and also a great gift if you have any friends who are expecting (though in that case, we suggest going scent-free or just using a bit of vanilla).
Name: Aileen
Hometown: Minnesota
Product: Shea Butter Lotion (creative, I know)
Ingredients: Shea butter (I forgot to take of picture of this in its raw form, but it is solid, yellow chunks when its raw), shea oil, vitamin e oil, tangerine essential oil
How: My sister and I (because this is more fun with company) walked to the coop and bought some raw shea butter and the essential oil for scent. I already had the shea oil and the vitamin e oil from earlier lotion-making adventures. We melted the shea butter on low heat on the stove until it was liquid. Then we added the shea oil and the vitamin e oil and stirred them all together. We poured the mixture into a bowl, which we then placed in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Then we used a hand mixer to whip the lotion (which was still mostly liquid) for a few minutes. Then it went back in the freezer for a bit (5 to 10 minutes). Then we whipped the mixture again and put it back in the freezer. We continued with the “whip the lotion, put it in the freezer” routine until it was the texture of a thick lotion. Then we added the essential oil, whipped it some more, and put it in jars. One of my favorite parts of making this is that you don’t have to wash your hands if you get some on you – you can just rub it in. :) My least favorite part about making this was how difficult it was to clean the pot, bowl, and utensils – it takes a lot of soap to get everything clean.
The shea butter lotion feels nice and smooth, is yellow in color (the color of the shea butter), and smells like summer (well, tangerine).
As I mentioned, we have made this before. I gave jars of this to friends and family as Christmas presents and everyone has told me they really liked it. It’s especially good in the winter (it usually gets very cold, but always gets very dry in Minnesota in the winter). It can be a bit greasy if you use too much, but I like how it actually moisturizes all day and makes my skin not itch (like, almost instant relief) from the dry air. It doesn’t take more than about an hour to make a bunch of this (it takes longer if you make multiple batches) and it feels so nice!
I have ordered the shea butter from Mountain Rose Herbs in the past (along with the shea oil and vitamin e oil), but I won’t do it again. When I got it it was grainy, which I later learned happens when shea butter is heated too much, which destroys some of the beneficial properties of shea (this especially bugged me because the shea butter was advertised as raw, which it obviously was not). I’ve loved everything else I’ve ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs, but I’m going to stick to my local source (the coop) for my shea butter.
Thank you for doing this challenge! I’ve been learning a lot about DIY stiff lately with essential oils and using them to simplify my routine somewhat. I am an avid reader of your blog and I can’t thank you enough for helping to open the world of healthy personal care products and rituals to me. Almost everyone around me thinks I’m weird for caring about what’s in my lotions and makeup (not to mention that I put oil on my acne-prone skin…the horror! :) ), but I’m hoping things like making this lotion for them will help open their eyes.
Aw, thanks Aileen, and keep spreading the word! It feels like people are starting to catch on. :) Now, who’s gonna whip up some shea?[Note: We still have plenty of great recipes in our inbox, but we want more! Don't forget to send yours.]
