Monday, April 27, 2015

W is for Whipped


It's the last week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! This week, we take on the toughest set of letters... W through Z. Today is letter W and I'm doubling it up with Wild Orange Whipped Cocoa Body Butter.

Homemade gifts are becoming more and more popular and it's always nice to have a spa product for yourself. I've assembled more than one Pinterest board for making homemade items including soaps, body scrubs, and of course body butters.

There are a lot of different recipes for body butter out there. While I liked the scent used by Amy over at The Idea Room (and her labels), I actually fabricated my body butter based upon merging a few of the different recipes from my pin boards.

I started out by purchasing some 4 oz. Bell jars. The rest of my supplies came from Bulk Apothecary.

Ingredients:

1 cup Raw Cocoa Butter
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
15 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil (use more or less as you see fit to get the strength of smell you want)

When you get ready to put this together, your cocoa butter will be a solid brick. That doesn't mix well. Measure out what you need and then pop it in the microwave for a quick 10-15 seconds, just enough to soften it up, but not so much that it completely melts into liquid.

I blended my ingredients in my mixer and made a serious mess. Not kidding. It was a greasy, sticky debacle. But my hands were super soft when I was all done.

The goop was transferred into jars and sealed up. As it sets, the mixture will harden again. If it's too hard when you're ready to use it, just pop it back in the microwave for about 10 seconds and it will be ready to roll again.

It doesn't take much for this body butter to go a long way. It's a slightly greasy application, but it does soak into skin pretty quickly. Afterwards, your skin will be nice and silky and smell like delicious chocolate oranges. You could probably eat this if you really wanted to, but I'm pretty sure it smells better than it tastes.

A jar of this will last a long time, but may start getting bacterial growth (due to bacteria from your hands as you scoop it out) after 3-4 months. Periodically zapping it in the microwave will extend its life as you kill off some of that bacteria.


Miss any of my A to Z posts so far this year? Find them below...

1. A is for Anna (Easy Anna Cape)
2. B is for Bath (Appliqued Bath Mat)
3. C is for Child (Children's Growth Ruler)
4. D is for Denim (Denim Bib)
5. E is for Etch (Etched Casserole Dishes)
6. F is for Felt (Felt Hopscotch Mat)
7. G is for Good Night ("Good Night" Envelope Pillows)
8. H is for Hood (Easy Hooded Towel)
9. I is for Insulated (Insulated Beverage Cozies)
10. J is for Jumper (Embroidered Spring Jumper)
11. K is for Know (Know When to Hold 'Em/Fold 'Em Laundry Sign)
12. L is for Loveseat (Envelope Loveseat Pillows)
13. M is for Mittens (Fleece Baby Mittens)
14. N is for Ninja Turtle (Felt Ninja Turtle)
15. O is for Owl (Owl Stuffies)
16. P is for Princess (Princess Peg Dolls)
17. Q is for Quilt (Moustache Quilt)
18. R is for Reading (Appliqued Reading Pillow)
19. S is for Superheroes (Superhero Peg Dolls)
20. T is for Tumblers (Custom Etched Barware)
21. U is for Upcycled (Little Kitchen)
22. V is for Vinyl (Vinyl Pallet Art)

Are you visiting from A to Z?

Be sure to leave me a comment (including your blog link) so I can come over and return the favor!

Tomorrow is the toughest letter in the alphabet...X...where I get a little creative with my word usage.

10 comments:

  1. I bet that's edible--which is probably good, since I'm sure it smells amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I resisted the urge to try it, but it sure did smell good! :)

      Delete
  2. My wife is all into the essential oils and has a few creams that use the coconut oil/butter. It works pretty well for her so I call that a win!

    Sean at His and Her Hobbies

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like this stuff. It's pretty simple to make, all things considered, and it does just as good a job (if not better) than the ones you can buy in stores. Plus...you can make whatever scent you want! Bulk Apothecary has tons of different essential oils.

      Delete
  3. Oh, YUM. I wish I could use something like this. Damn my sensitive skin! What a great gift idea, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh. Sensitive skin is no fun. I have a niece with the same issue and she really struggles with some basic hygiene products.

      Delete
  4. I just started getting into soap making and lotion stuff last year. I made a really nice whipped body butter with Shea and cocoa butters...Mine too was a bit on the greasy side, but once it soaks in its heavenly! I did add a small bit of preservative since I used water. Bulk apothecary is a great place for stuff...so is wholesale supplies plus. Nice to meet you! Visiting from A to Z...
    Katie @TheCyborgMom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't tried soap making yet, but I have wanted to. I considered adding in the shea butter, but weenied out. I'll have to check out Wholesale Supplies Plus. Thanks Katie!

      Delete
  5. Sounds like a brilliant gift idea - but how long did it take you to clean up after you made it? ;)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh goodness...it was a good one. I learned a few lessons on the way that should make it easier next time, but it took me at least a good 30 minutes to clean up the disaster. My poor mixer... Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie

      Delete

Other Posts You Might LIke

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
01 09 10 11 12
Blogging tips