Herbal Whipped Body Butter
Part 1
Step 1. Make the herbal infused oil that you will be using in the body butter. Measure out ¼ cup of roses, a ¼ of calendula, a ¼ of lavender, and a ¼ cup of lavender into a clean pint sized mason jar.
Step 2. Cover the herbs in the jar with a carrier oil filling the jar to the top. Place a tight fitting, clean lid on the jar. Place the jar in a dark, warm place for 6 weeks. Shake daily.
~Use dried herbs for this, fresh herbs will introduce bacteria into your oil infusion.
~Carriers oils that have little to no scent work best for this body butter. Apricot, almond, and grapeseed oil are all good choices.
Step 3. At the end of six weeks, strain the herbs out of the herbal oil infusion. Set a clean funnel on top of a new clean jar. Place cheesecloth or a coffee filter in the funnel and pour herbal oil into the funnel. Let the herbal oil strain and drip until no more is dripping. Go do something else, this part can take a while. When it is done straining, place a tight fitting lid and label on the jar.
Part 2
Step. 4 Add the shea butter and mango butter and add to a double boiler. This can be a proper double boiler or a glass bowl set over another pot. The important part is to prevent water from getting into the melting butters. Melt the shea butter and mango butter gently over low heat.
Step 5. Once the butters are melted remove them from heat. Measure and add the herbal infused oil to the melted shea and mango. (Save your left over herb infused oil for another recipe). Give a little stir to incorporate. Next add the arrowroot powder. Break up the little chunks and stir them, they eventually dissolve.
Step 6. Place the entire bowl of melted butters and oils in the fridge to solidify.
Step 7. Once the butters and oils are semi solid remove from the refrigerator. You don't want them too hard or solid, it’s easier to whip if they are slightly soft. If you waited too long to remove it from the refrigerator, just leave it on the counter until it is like soft butter.
Step 8. This is where the fun happens. Whip it whip it whip it. It may seem at first that nothing is happening, just keep whipping until it’s light and fluffy. Add the essential oils and whip some more to incorporate. A hand held mixer works well for this part.
Step 9. Scoop into clean jars with tight fitting lids. Make sure to label with date and ingredients.
These body butters will last about a year but you’ll use it up before then. Mango and shea butter are quite shelf stable, especially if kept in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Some tips;
Make sure your tools and equipment are clean. Wipe them down with rubbing alcohol. Use clean jars with tight fitting lids. Cosmetic jars or mason jars work well.
If the consistency is not how you like it, you can remelt it and add more oil to soften or more shea butter or mango butter to harden. Some brands of shea and mango are harder or softer than others, so you may have to adjust your recipe.
Enjoy!
