Body Butter

Slather your skin with this silky smooth, nourishing body butter.

A little bit goes a long way so consider sharing as a gift to friends and family.

The original recipe by Rosemary Gladstar is called Rosemary's Perfect Cream. I changed the name because Idon't want people to think this is a cream you should eat. Although many of theingredients can be found in yourkitchen such as coconut oil, cooking oils, and food-grade aloe gel.

It contains one preservative- vitamin E. This will help prolong thelife of the body butter, however keeping most of it in the refrigerator and some in a container for use is a good idea.

Some benefits using this body butter:

• Aromatherapy - create your own scent with the use of essential oils (example: improve relaxation with lavender or increase energy with citrus).

• Low Scent - make it without essential oils for those who are sensitive to smells. • Helps support supple, hydrated skin with the combination of oils and water.

• Self massage - rubbing the body butter into the skin helps promote circulation

Ingredients:

Waters

• 2/3 cup distilled water (or rose water)

• 1/3 cup aloe vera gel

• optional: (1/4 teaspoon) vitamin E oil

• Essential oils (optional) Amount depends on

strength of the scent you desire

Oils

• 3/4 cup oil (apricot, almond, grapeseed oil are lightweight for the skin. Olive oil

can be used too, though expect your body butter to feel more oily.)

• 1/3 cup coconut oil or cocoa butter

• 1/4 teaspoon lanolin (optional)

• 1/2-1 ounce grated beeswax

Directions:

.1 Combine the waters in a glass measuring cup.

2. In a double boiler slowly heat theoils. Just enough to

melt them together.

3. Pour the oils into a blender and let the mixture cool to

room temperature. The mixture should become cream

colored, semi-solid.

4. When the mixture has cooled, turn on the blender at its

highest speed.

5. Slowly drizzle the water mixture into the blender. Very

slowly into the center of the blender. It should look like

buttercream frosting. Don't over beat. 5. It will thicken as it sets.

Tips

• Tap water can be used but impurities in the water may make it go rancid faster.

•For step 3, the mixture could be cooled in the refrigerator, but check on it frequently and stir. The top may harden which causes the cream to have lumps in it. If this happens warm the cream slightly.

•Hydrosols can be used instead of rosewater.

•The finished cream lasts longer in the refrigerator. Keep a smaller amount out at room temperature.

•Keep some in a jar by your bed to apply right before at bedtime so it has time to soak in.

•The cream feels greasy when first applied, but quickly soaks into the skin.

Essential Oil/Fragrance Tips

• Test the body butter on the back of your hand step 4.

• If the scent is too light and more essential oil drops.

• Smell some coffee grounds in between test applications to "cleanse the sniffer" of past scents.

• Use your arm to test the scents if yourhands have too many samples on them.

• Once you have the desired scent on your skin, then you're done blending in essential oils.

• You may have to borrow someone else's arm or hand to test the body butter on, if your arm and hands are full of samples.