INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup raw shea butter
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp almond oil
- 10 drops of each essential oil of your choice (in this batch I used lavender and I didn't have vanilla essential oil, so I used 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and it worked just as great!)
Making the Whipped Shea Butter
- Put all of the above ingredients in your blender, and mix well. It's just that simple.
- Put it in a storage container of your choice.
- You can either refrigerate it to set. Or simply leave it out at room temperature to set. Either way you have a new body butter product that is loaded with Vitamin E and minerals that are good for your skin.
This whipped shea butter is excellent for both the skin and the hair! That's right! You have a 2-in-1 item here. I use this particular mixture mostly for my hair though, it's such a light yet nicely scented. If you love the smell of lavender, you'll love this. The vanilla doesn't over power the lavender, but it adds a hint of subtle sweet to the lavender scent.
Listed below are the benefits of the combination of oils...
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is excellent for both your
hair and scalp. Not only does it relieve that dry itchy scalp, but it
also rejuvenates the hair shaft and help to repair dry, damaged and
brittle hair. It also provides the essential proteins
required for nourishing damaged hair. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to
that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having
any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil.
Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of
skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin, which normally become
prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems
including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. More on coconut oil here.
Almond Oil: Almond oil has been used since the beginning of time. Even in the bible we see several ways almond oil was used (i.e., skin, hair, healing, cooking, etc.). Almond oil benefits the outside of the body as well as the inside. It is
often used as an additive in cosmetic products such as shampoos and
moisturizers and for good reason. The February 2010 issue of
"Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice" published a report on the
benefits of almond oil, which include its ability to soften and
regenerate the skin and reduce scarring that can occur after surgery.
Almond oil can also protect the skin from damage, especially from the
sun. Researchers from Hamdard University in New Delhi, India, found that
when skin is pretreated with almond oil before being exposed to the
sun's UV rays, not only does the almond oil protect the skin from
further damage, but it helps repair the damage that has already been
done from previous exposure. The mouse study, published in the March
2007 "Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology," took place over the course of 12
weeks and the results show that there were obvious visible changes to
the skin. Almond oil is one of the best "carriers" for scented oils and parfumes. Always remember that when making your own.
Raw Shea
Butter: Shea butter is great for locking in moisture. Its a
misconception that it provides moisture-when it doesn't. What it
actually does is lock the moisture in. By using it raw, you get the full
nutrients of vitamins A and E, which are both components to hair
growth. It helps to prevent breakage, repairs and mends split ends,
while absorbing quickly and not leaving you with a sticky residue. Added
benefits of Shea butter is that it helps heal a variety of scalp
problems, including dry scalp, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis and
protects hair from weather damage caused by wind, humidity, and extreme
dryness, and repairs such damage. Aside from the obvious greatness of raw shea butter known mostly for its nourishing abilities of
Vitamins A, E and F to help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy.
These vitamins are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin and help prevent
premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and
rejuvenator. Proving to provide clearer, brighter skin; less wrinkles; and even
less sun damage. Lastly, but certainly not least, shea butter has great
abilities in maintaining your skin's elasticity and suppleness (this hides all
of the unwanted cellulite).
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