Lavender Shea Hand Cream & Whipped Body Butter Recipe

This luxurious hand and body cream features:

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

It was inspired by the wonderful whipped body butter recipe, found over at the Soap Queen blog.

 

Lavender Shea Hand Cream & Whipped Body Butter Recipe

Measurements are by weight.

• 7 oz (198 g) shea butter (I use refined from HERE)
• 2 1/2 oz (70 g) lavender infused sunflower oil (directions below)
• 2 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp purple Brazilian clay
• 30 drops lavender essential oil
• a few drops of ylang ylang or litsea essential oil (optional)

Yield: fills around 7 two-ounce jars

 

For the Lavender Infused Oil

Fill a jar about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way with dried lavender flowers. If you have a small jar, use a small amount. If you have a larger jar, use a large amount. For this recipe, an 8 oz canning jar will yield plenty, with some leftover for other projects.

Pour sunflower oil over the dried flowers, until the jar is filled. Give it a stir to release any air bubbles, then cap and set aside for four or five 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, it should have a noticeable sweet lavender smell. Strain and store your oil in a clean, dry jar in a cool, dark place. Shelf life is around 9 months to a year.

 

Place the shea butter in a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes. A stand mixer is recommended, but I don’t own one, so use an inexpensive hand mixer with no trouble – as long as I remember to stop every so often so it doesn’t overheat.

Once the shea butter is light and fluffy, add all of the other ingredients. Arrowroot is added to help cut the greasy feel that some creams and body butters can have. If you don’t have arrowroot, try tapioca or corn starch instead.

The clay is added for a light lavender color, that won’t tint your skin. It too helps absorb some of the oily feeling, so if you don’t have any on hand, leave it out and add a pinch more starch instead.

To prevent splashes and splatters, resume beating on low, gradually increasing speed as everything incorporates together. Whip for a few more minutes or until it reaches an airy, cream like consistency.

Spoon into jars and cap tightly. 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. Rub a small amount into dry skin, as needed. A little bit goes a long way!

 

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You may also like:

Lavender Soap | Aloe Rose Anti-Aging Cream | Wild Rose Body Butter

   

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