Lavender Shea Body Butter Recipe

This creamy DIY lavender body butter recipe is made with all natural ingredients! Use it as a hand cream or smooth it all over; it’s especially helpful for dry elbows, knees, and feet.

It features:

• shea butter, to moisturize, repair, and condition dry or damaged skin
• lavender flowers, for their soothing, anti-inflammatory properties
• skin nourishing oils
• and purple Brazilian clay, a natural colorant.

Ingredients Needed:

Measurements are by weight – you’ll need a kitchen scale to make this recipe.

• 5 oz (142 g) shea butter (use refined to avoid a strong scent)
• 2 1/2 oz (70 g) lavender infused oil (directions below)
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder – optional
• 1/2 tsp purple Brazilian clay – for optional color
• 30 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil

Yield: makes 7.5 oz (213 g) of body butter by weight, but whips up to fill 2 or 3 four-ounce jars

Don’t have lavender flowers? Skip the infusing step and use plain un-infused oil instead.

Can’t use shea butter? Try mango butter or avocado butter instead. (Cocoa butter is too hard for this recipe technique.)

Since body butters don’t contain water, you don’t need to add a preservative. Just make and enjoy!

See my article: Homemade Whipped Body Butter for tons of helpful information and troubleshooting tips when making DIY body butters!

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For the Lavender Infused Oil:

• Fill a half-pint jar about 1/2 way with dried lavender flowers.
• Choose one or more lightweight oils that absorb into your skin quickly. Shea butter is heavy and soaks in slow, so you want to counterbalance it with super light oils. Good choices include apricot kernel oil, rice bran oil, fractionated coconut oil, jojoba, argan, and grapeseed. (I like a combination of 3/4 apricot kernel or rice bran oil + 1/4 fractionated coconut oil.)
• Pour the oil(s) of your choice over the dried flowers, until the jar is filled. Give the mixture a stir to release any air bubbles, then cap and set aside for four weeks, shaking occasionally.
• If you’d like a quicker result, don’t cap the jar. Instead, set it down into a pan containing a few inches of water. Set the pan on a medium low burner (I use my wood stove in the winter since it’s always burning) for two to three hours, checking to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate out or the oil gets too hot.
• Once sufficiently infused, strain and store your oil in a clean, dry jar in a cool, dark place. Shelf life of infused oil is around a year, or as long as the oil smells good.

Instructions to Make:

1. Place the shea butter in a a 4-cup pyrex measuring pitcher, or other tall narrow mixing container or bowl, and beat for several minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
2. Once the shea butter is light and fluffy, add all of the other ingredients. Arrowroot is optionally added to help cut the greasy feel that body butters made with shea butter tends to have. If you don’t have arrowroot, try tapioca or corn starch instead.
3. The clay is added for a light lavender color, that won’t tint your skin. If you don’t have any on hand, just leave it out.
4. To prevent splashes and splatters, resume beating on low, gradually increasing speed as everything incorporates together. Whip for several more minutes or until it reaches an airy, cream like consistency.
5. You can put in containers right away, or cover the mixing bowl and let it sit overnight. The next day, whip the body butter again, to make it extra fluffy.
6. Spoon into jars and cap tightly. Shelf life is at least 6 to 9 months. After several months of storage, the cream will start to settle a bit. You also want to keep it out of direct heat or sunlight or it may melt down.
7. Rub a small amount into dry skin, as needed. For best results, apply after bathing or showering, to help lock in hydration. A little bit goes a long way!