DIY Cocoa Vanilla Mint Body Butter

This body butter is not only nourishing to the skin but it rivals anything you might find in any “body care” store. The best part is that it is completely natural, non toxic, and smells so amazing.

Cocoa Vanilla Mint Body Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 C Cocoa Butter (unrefined)
• 1/2 C Coconut Oil
• 1/2 C Jojoba (for drier skin) or Olive oil (normal/oily skin)
• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Vanilla Absolute

Supplies:

• Glass measuring cup with at least 3 cups of room (I prefer pyrex) or a 1 Quart glass mason jar.
• Sauce pan or pot to fill with water
• A good hand or stand mixer

Directions:

1. Place cocoa butter, coconut oil, and jojoba or olive oil into your glass measuring cup or mason jar.
2. Fill your pot half way with water, making sure you can place your glass container in the pot without water getting into it, and without overflowing the pot.
3. Heat the pot with water on medium/low allowing the water to slowly warm and melt the oils together.
4. Remove from the heat as soon as it is finished melting and place the mixture in the mixing bowl.
5. Place the bowl in the freezer, refrigerator, or in the cold night air and let the oils cool enough so that the sides and top of the bowl start to harden, but it does not harden throughout. This can take some time depending what your mixing bowl is made of (metal cools faster than glass or ceramic) and how cold you are making it.
6. Once the oils start to form that crust, scrape all of the soon to be butter off of the sides, add 15 drops of peppermint essential oil and 10 drops of vanilla absolute, then place the bowl in the mixer.
7. Use the highest setting or the “whip” setting on the mixer and mix until the butter starts to form soft peaks. Be sure to scrape the sides constantly when you are mixing to make sure the butter is an even consistency throughout. Mixing will take 10-15 minutes, depending on how cool the oils got before you started whipping. If it takes longer than 15 minutes take a break and let it cool down some more before trying again.
8. Once the butter is the correct consistency spoon it into sterilized jars to use as you like.
9. The butter will firm up a bit more when it gets cooler, but softens up wonderfully when you put it on the skin.

This makes the perfect gift to give to friends for holidays, birthdays, or just because. The cocoa mint vanilla combination is sure to please with its deliciously invigorating fragrance.

When made with fresh ingredients, and stored in a sterile jar, this body butter can last anywhere from 1-2 years.