Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Day 17- Cold Weather Makes For Dry Skin

Hello everyone and welcome to Day 17 of Advent Countdown. Today I've got yet another DIY for you. You may remember I had Candy Cane Sugar Scrub and Candy Cane Soap DIY projects in past Advent days, well this time it's...

Body Butter/ Lotion

Yes, that's right. I'm going through your bath/ shower regimes. I'm making a list, and checking it twice, gonna find out what makes your skin feel nice. Or something. So, we've had soap, then a scrub, now a lotion. This is another simple project, that really doesn't take much time (unless you count the cooling period, but we'll get to that). So first things first, what do you need? This is to make 1 cup of body butter/ lotion. I used a recipe I found on GI 365. All credit there. FYI, they used peppermint oil for the scent.

Ingredients (Again I will post links on the ingredients to where I bought them).  

1/4 cup grated beeswax (I bought 100g, which made three portions of body butter. And there's no need to grate it).

1/2 cup coconut oil (I bought this from Sainsbury's (a supermarket in the UK), but I'm not sure how good it was. I know that the website where I got the beeswax offers coconut oil, and I'd get it from there if I was to make this recipe again. I don't think it was supposed to be as hard as I found it).

1/2 cup aloe vera gel (I bought 250g, which struggled to make three batches, but would be more than enough for two).

1/8 teaspoon essential oil of your choice (I chose a ginger, cinnamon and mandarin mix that smells divine. I got 5ml and found that was plenty).












So now it's time for the How To:

1. Place your beeswax and coconut oil in a saucepan over a  low heat. 













2. Wait until they have melted, then immediately remove from the heat.

3. Whisk in the aloe vera gel and the essential oil, then leave to cool for about an hour.







4. Once cooled, stir the ingredients to make sure they are all combined, then mix with an electric hand mixer or a blender until light and fluffy. 








5. Scoop into a container. 

This lotion lasts for between 2-3 weeks. If you want it to last longer, keep it refrigerated (though that will change the texture a little).

And that's it. You have your lotion. This is a very moisturising product, in my opinion. I tripled the recipe to fill one jar, and had a little left over. I tried it out on my hands (which I'm constantly washing, and so are always in danger of drying out) and my elbows, and it worked wonders. I'm not entirely sure whether it's a lotion or a butter, as it's thicker than the former, but thinner than the latter. I'd say it was closer to being a butter though. It's pretty decadent and very luxurious feeling.

I really have to mention the essential oil I used too. I was  
afraid I wouldn't like it (as scents are so personal, and I bought it online), but it's the perfect warm, spicy scent that compliments the season beautifully. It's strong so you only need a little to go a long way. 

All in all, I'm very happy with how this recipe turned out. Let me know if you give it a shot.








That's been Day 17 of Advent Countdown. See you tomorrow for Day 18 (oh it's coming up on us fast, isn't it?).

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