Growing up in the dry climate of Colorado, I am no stranger to lotions. I would religiously coat myself in lotion and body butter after every shower and apply some to my hands every night before bed.

But when I started researching the ingredients in conventional items like lotion, I became very wary of what I was applying. Lotion became one of the first things I overhauled when I started living a more holistic life.

Now I control exactly what I put on and let absorb into my skin. And because of that, I can customize my lotion to my exact specifications. I can customize my scent and make the lotion thicker or thinner, it’s really up to me and I love that.

I also save a lot of money because before I would buy a bottle of lotion every month.

At $10 a bottle, that comes out to $120 per year.

The ingredients I use below make enough lotion to last me well over a year.

The average cost for all three oils comes out to around \$45.

Throw in some fancy essential oil, and the entire cost for this DIY version is \$60.

My zero waste (ish) DIY whipped body butter saves me at least \$60 a year!

And as another plus, this lotion is multi-purpose can also be used as a lip balm, cuticle cream, make up remover, etc. That's the beauty of using high quality and simple ingredients - they can do many things!

Ingredients

• ½ cup cocoa butter
• ½ cup shea butter
• ½ coconut, avocado, or almond oil (any liquid oil will do the trick)

Optional: essential oils (I love lavender, but sweet orange is great too)

Steps:

1. In a double boiler, melt the cocoa butter, shea butter, and other oils together over low heat by stirring frequently  (for my double boiler, I  just place a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water).
2. Once melted, place in your fridge for 30 minutes (or your freezer for 15 minutes). We want it to not be a liquid form but also not frozen solid.
3. Once cooled, take a mixer and begin to whip it up! Add in 10-15 drops of your essential oil, and keep whipping until your lotion can hold up stiff peaks.

Boom shakalaka you have yourself a super rich and luxurious body cream.

After, I recommend spooning it into a glass jar, whether that’s one you’ve kept from a pasta sauce jar or one you’ve collected from the thrift store.

Video Instructions

(This is my first video ever, meaning resolution, editing, and filming will only get better from here lol).

If this video hasn't scared you, you can follow me on Youtube here!

RELATED RESOURCES:

My Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Hair Care for all Budgets

Sustainable & Clean Make Up Brands at Three Different Price Points

Wrapping it up!

I hope that you try out this recipe and it works well for you! I’d say give yourself 20 minutes to let it completely sink into your skin (depending on how much you apply). I personally know my skin in Boston during these winters months has been suffering but this butter really helps!

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