Orange-Chocolate Body Butter!

Let's talk about skin care for just a minute!  What do lotions and body creams have to do with health and wellness and why is it so important that we use products that are natural and homemade? 

Almost everybody has a toxic overload in their systems, and any food or hygiene product that contains harmful chemicals or toxins can feed the bacteria in your body and make you sick.  Your skin is your largest detox system in your body.  This means that we detox A LOT of chemicals out of our skin everyday, but if we're constantly clogging our pores with harmful chemicals, it slows that detox process.  This also means that whatever we put on our skin is absorbed directly into our blood stream, and travels throughout our body, wreaking havoc on our body systems if we don't stick to healthy and natural products.

I learned this difficult lesson when I was first diagnosed and was constantly using store bought lotions, perfumes, deodorants, and other products.  When I gave these products up, my symptoms decreased, and as we learn to use more natural beauty products, our bodies will be happier and healthier!

I've been experimenting with lotion recipes for years now, and THIS ONE is my keeper!  It's so hard to find homemade lotions that aren't overly greasy and absorb into your skin easily.  But this recipe my friends is perfect!  I use this lotion on my face in the morning and at night.  And I use it for dry skin and skin lesions brought on by Lyme.  It's very gentle on your skin, and it smells SO GOOD you'll be tempted to eat it!  

Orange-Chocolate Body Butter

Ingredients:
3/4 oz. beeswax (grated)
1 oz. cocoa butter
1 1/2 oz. coconut oil
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 oz. vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz. water
10 drops of orange essential oil* (you can add more or less depending on how strong you like your lotion)

​Directions:
Pull our your measuring scales ladies!  It's super important in this recipe that you measure your ingredients EXACTLY so that your lotion is the correct consistency when you're finished.  It's also important to make sure that all of your pans, jars, bowls, and spoons that you use are thoroughly cleaned and don't have any residue from leftover recipes in them.

• In a double boiler, melt your grated beeswax on low or medium heat.  Then add your cocoa butter, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil and heat just enough until it is all melted together.  (Do not bring your mixture to a boil.  It will take forever to cool down.  I even turned the heat off before everything was completely melted and gently stirred it until it was all melted.)  Heat your oils slowly so that your mixture won't become grainy later, and stir occasionally.
• Pour your oils into a large glass bowl and let it cool until it is at room temperature.  The mixture should be thick, semi-solid, and opaque.

Right after mixture has been removed from heat.

Mixture cooled to room temperature and ready to mix!

• Mix vanilla, water, and oils together in a glass measuring cup.
• Begin blending mixture with your immersion blender and SLOWLY DRIZZLE your water mixture into your oil mixture while you blend.  When everything seems mixed together I'd recommend scraping the sides of your bowl with a rubber spatula, and then blending one more time to make sure mixture is completely blended.
• Mixture should be thick and creamy when finished.
• Scoop mixture into small glass jars, and store until ready for use.

When you are ready to use your lotion, you do not have to store it in the fridge.  Just store your lotion in a dry, cool place.  I keep mine on my bathroom counter and it's fine.

*As you get used to this recipe feel free to experiment with different oils and scents.
**It's really important that you use organic ingredients in this recipe to avoid harmful toxins that could be absorbed into your skin.

*This recipe has been adapted from Maria Noel Groves' book, Body into Balance.  Her book is amazing and I would highly recommend it!