Simple DIY Body Butter Recipe

Two hot seconds after I found out I was pregnant in 2016, one of the first things I did was hop on online that same day and order a block of unrefined, raw Shea Butter to make myself some DIY body butter. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a good thing too. I have a smaller body frame, and before my mid-twenties, was particularly skinny. That, and I have dry skin. It turned out that one of my earlier pregnancy symptoms was also really dry skin. I was truly looking like a lizard. Dry skin tearing and stretching did not seem fun to me.

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So it was no wonder I decided to get out in front of the situation. I’d initially bought the shea butter for use as is. Then, after browsing Pinterest, it gave me the idea to make a DIY body butter instead and since I had most of the ingredients, I decided to go ahead and try it. I have zero regrets. This recipe is honesty, greasy, but intensely moisturising. It was a battle during the summer heat, but I was determined to protect my skin as much as I could. The fact that I have no tummy stretch marks where I did use the butter and quite a few on my hips and butt (where I didn’t know will stretch tells a tale of effectiveness.

I was super shocked and excited to be pregnant, however, I couldn’t help but imagine all the ways my skinny frame would stretch to accommodate my baby and decided that I needed to be on top of it. I remember all the years looking at my mom’s own flat but stretched-out tummy and hearing that stretch marks are typically genetic.

Ingredients for your DIY Body Butter

1. Butter Base

Start with a natural base. I had initially thought to use cocoa butter, but when I was looking, that was out of stock and I gravitated towards the shea butter. Better Shea Butter company provides a few options including mango butter that you can purchase in blocks.

2. Oils

You can choose to use coconut and/or olive oil. I chose to use olive oil along with a bit of coconut oil since that is better for my skin issues and is one of those things I always keep in my bathroom. it’s a heavier oil, but with my skin concerns, it was perfect.

You can also ass other oils like scented ones, vitamin e oil or bio oil. It’s up to you

3. Essential Oils (Optional)

You can add essential oils to influence the scent of your butter but I didn’t. I like the cocoa/shea butter smell.

Method:

The butter in it room temperature state is solid, though it will melt on a hotter day, and solidify on a cooler day, much like coconut oil.

1. Warm/Melt your butter in a microwave until it is in its liquid form. Don’t make it too hot.
2. Once you’ve melted down your butter, add your preferred oils.
3. Hand whip (takes longer our use a mixer to mix your oils until it because a smooth, creamy whipped cream-like texture.
4. Store your body butter in a tightly close container and use it daily as needed.

The body butter is said to have a shelf life of six to eight months. So measure your ingredients with this in mind. my 16 oz block of shea butter lasted well beyond my pregnancy.

Have you ever tried to make DIY body butter for stretch marks or other use?

Xo, Shandean,

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