To clarify, you should not eat the body butter in this article, despite the fact that it looks like whipped cream. We felt like that was a necessary warning because it smells enchanting and has a fluffy, luxurious texture. It will taste gross, so please resist the temptation if it strikes. 

Body butters are water-free skin care options that help to enhance moisture levels in the skin. Surprisingly, you don’t need to use a lot to in order to moisturize the skin. There’s no comparison between a run-of-the-mill lotion and a DIY body butter. The reason for this is because lotions typically contain 70% – 80% water and about 5%- 10% of moisturizing butters and oils. Lotions are lightweight and tend to soak into the skin quickly, while body butters take longer to soak in. This helps your skin feel moisturized for a lot longer. 

The concentration of oils, butters, and other botanicals in body butters gives them a denser consistency. There’s no need for emulsifiers that are commonly in lotions to increase thickness. You can also whip body butters to make them light and fluffy. It feels much more pleasant and hydrating when you apply a body butter on the skin versus applying a lotion. Plus, people who have dry or cracked skin have more success with skin repair when using body butters. 

Why Use Shea Butter?

Shea butter has potent anti-inflammatory properties that may help to relieve irritated or itchy skin. Because the body can easily and quickly absorb shea butter, it’s a beneficial ingredient for people with eczema. In fact, a lot of research indicates that shea butter may be as effective at reducing flare-ups as medicated creams. Shea butter is one of the most non-clogging and non-comedogenic cosmetic butters on the market. The natural fatty acid, vitamin, and antioxidant content helps your skin retain moisture and shine. It’s soft, pure, and free of additives, making it the perfect base for a body butter. 

Why Use Rosemary?

Rosemary has a variety of uses outside the kitchen, especially for the hair and skin. It has an earthy, herbaceous aroma that’s quite soothing, which is why rosemary essential oil is popular in aromatherapy practices. Rosemary has been known to assist in protecting the skin from sun damage. Some studies found that applying a cream with rosemary extract helped prevent acne breakouts. Rosemary is beneficial for people with oily skin because it helps decongest it and acne without causing dryness. It works best when you infuse it with carrier oils like almond oil. We’ll explain how to do that in the recipe below. 

Homemade Rosemary Body Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unrefined shea butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond oil
• Needles from two rosemary branches
• 20 drops rose essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

• Place the shea butter, coconut oil, and almond oil and rosemary needles in a double boiler over low heat. Allow the butter and oils to melt, stirring occasionally.
• Once everything is melted, keep the mixture over low heat for two hours. This will allow the rosemary to infuse into the shea butter and oil mixture. 
• Strain the rosemary from the oil by pouring it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl. 
• Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about one to two hours, or until it is firm, but not completely solid. 
• If you are using the essential oil, add that in when you remove the partially solidified oil mixture from the fridge. 
• Use an electric hand mixer to whip the mixture into a fluffy body butter. This should take a couple minutes or so. 
• Spoon the body butter into jars and store them in a cool, dry place. It’s best to use body butter within five minutes of exiting a shower. This will help lock in as much moisture as possible. 

Vincent Stevens

Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.