Last year I bought some whipped body butter from an Etsy seller. When it arrived, at first I was dismayed that it was quite firm and not creamy at all -- I had to dig into it like a balm and melt a pea-sized amount in my hands each time I used it. But the consistency has grown on me, and now I'm almost out. Unfortunately the seller has since gone out of business, and everyone else seems to sell the creamier products with water and emulsifiers in them. Now, making my own skin care products has long appealed to me so I thought maybe I would start by recreating this butter. But I want to make sure I'm doing it right!

What I know about the product I have is that it is "whipped body butter", that it's "60% unrefined shea butter with cocoa butter and mango butter", and the ingredients list is basically shea butter, cocoa butter, almond oil, mango butter, soybean oil, corn starch, vitamin E.

So I figure that I can just acquire the butters and oils I desire, melt them in a double boiler, whip them with an electric mixer as they cool, and decant into jars while they're still a bit soft. Does that sound right? I'm not sure why the corn starch, but I think it's the source of the "grit" in my butter so I plan to skip it. I guess my biggest question is, what proportion of butters to oils should I use?

Thank you for any input!

Hold your cocoa & shea butters at low heat for 20 minutes or so before adding them to your mix. When the proportions of those two particular oils are high, the mix is invariably gritty when it cools down & settles, so this might actually be your "grit"-- it's a common problem & you will know what it is if it happens.

Another way to avoid it is to NOT heat any of your oils but simply beat the crap out the mix with an electric mixer. This can take a LONG time to work out all the lumps,but in my opinion actually yields a better butter.

The consistency of your butter will depend on your ratio of hard oils (cocoa, mango, shea) to soft (liquid) oils (like almond, soybean, etc). It's up to you to decide which consistency you like but I would recommend going sparingly on the soft ones-- a little goes a long way. Before you start, try each oil individually on your skin first to see how it absorbs on you & if you like the way it feels. Don't be impressed with the latest fad oils (like shea)-- each person's skin is different & you should use only the ones YOU like.

Remember that the butter will "settle" & may actually be firmer several days after you've made it than it was when you first put it in the jar.

Cornstarch is used to help the oils have a "dry" feel. Personally, I haven't found it to work well & don't like the idea of messing up my beautiful & expensive oils with it.

Vitamin E helps preserve the mix. Rosemary EXTRACT will work as well to extend the shelf life.

Emulsifiers are used when oils & waters are mixed. You don't need them when mixing just oils.

Good luck.

Sharing your tips and information about body butter is an interesting article to read. Thanks for sharing.

Were you successful with your attempt at the body butter? Sounds as if you received something more like a solid lotion than a whipped butter.