Whipped Body Butter

I've just had a go at making a whipped body butter. A couple of months ago I picked up an American magazine with lots of 'recipes' for making everything from shampoo to lip balm to candles. My first foray into this new craft-form was to make a foot salve, which I'm really enjoying using.

Having just finished up the last of my shop-bought body lotion I decided to have a go at making a body butter. The recipe in the magazine seemed a little 'involved' so I cast around on the internet for some alternatives. In the end I went a bit freestyle!

Since it's a complete experiment I didn't want to make too much so mixed 23g each of shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and almond oil by heating them in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Once they had all melted I removed the bowl from the heat and added a dessert spoon of glycerine (supposed to be the best ingredient for adding moisture to your skin) and then left the mixture to cool.

I then added about 35 drops of essential oil to add fragrance. I chose a mix of sweet orange and bergamot oils. The bowl then went into the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes, by which time it was beginning to set and cloud.

The final step was to 'whip' the mixture. This adds air to make the consistency lighter and easier to apply.

The last step was to scoop it into a tub, saved from a shop-bought product. I'm hoping the uplifting scent of sweet orange and bergamot will help kick-start my mornings.