Primally Inspired Real food, Natural Remedies, Holistic Living
Today’s guest post by Real Fit Mama gets a place of honor in my favorites section. This homemade vanilla bean body butter is so rich and luxurious. You won’t find a nicer, more moisturizing body butter out there! I hope you find some time to make it because it’s so lovely and smells so good. It would also make such a wonderful gift for someone special 🙂
I’m also excited to introduce you to an awesome chick, Julie, who created this recipe for me. Her blog, Real Fit Mama, has amazing, kick your booty fitness workouts like her newly posted, 16 Minute Get It Done Workout. And she loves real food so you’ll find plenty of delicious real food recipes like her Scallops with Black Plum, Kale and Bacon Salad – so good! I hope you’ll check out her site and connect with her on facebook and pinterest.
Vanilla Bean Body Butter
Easy to make yourself, this vanilla bean body butter deeply moisturizes the skin while it soothes the soul.
Want to feel sexy? Try it! The fresh vanilla adds a sensual rich fragrance to the skin-enhancing cocoa butter and coconut oil. Used as an aphrodisiac in many cultures, vanilla has a relaxing & pleasing affect on the body, mind and spirit.
Apply before bed to enhance sleep, and in the morning after bathing as a natural perfume.
Ingredients:
â–ª 1 cup raw cocoa butter
â–ª 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
â–ª 1/2 cup coconut oil
â–ª 1 vanilla bean
How to Prepare:
1. Melt cocoa butter and coconut oil. Remove from heat and let cool for 30
minutes.
2. Grind a vanilla bean in a coffee grinder if you have one. If not, use a food
processor.
3. Stir sweet almond oil and vanilla bean bits into the cocoa butter and coconut
oil.
4. Place in freezer to chill – about 20 minutes. Wait until oils start to partially
solidify.
5. Whip with an electric mixer or in the food processor until a butter-like
consistency is achieved.
6. Spoon into a glass jar and enjoy! Makes roughly 3 cups whipped butter – keep in the refrigerator or another cool place.
Meet Julie de Lagarde from
Real Fit Mama
Julie de Lagarde, Real Fit Mama
Conceived in the belly of my integrative wellness practice, Real Fit Mama was born in early April 2013 as the next generation in my wellness family. I recently started blogging like mad, inspired to educate and motivate, ready to share what I’ve learned through decades of living and nearly a decade of clinical practice, and eager to hear what others have to say that might inspire as well. Real Fit Mama has opened doors to allow me a more personal and intimate connection with a broader base of people, based on my experiences as a mom, Real Food eater, athlete, and lifelong pursuer of happiness and inner peace.
I notice that a lot of the homemade body butter recipes use a glass container. Is there a certain reason for this? Could I just use a plastic container?
Plastic is porous which will leak into any product you are storing in it especially if left in a warm place. Glass is the best for storing anything for long periods of time, so if you have it use it.
Yes, you can just use a plastic container!
This sounds amazing!
The reason why you find that glass containers are used in so many DIY products is because if they use essential oils, they can pull the toxins away from the plastic containers. That is why it is best to use either glass containers or PET plastic container.
Thank you, Diana!
where can I get raw cocoa butter?
I buy mine online (Amazon) because I live in the boonies. lol Health stores may carry it (not sure, though)
Here’s the kind I buy: http://amzn.to/13fOnTS
Love that stuff 🙂
You can find it at Trader Joes for probably the most economical price. They sell it at whole foods as well but it’s a little more costly. 🙂
Have you ever used an oil other than almond oil? My oldest daughter and I are allergic to almonds so anything with almonds or almond product is not a good idea for us.
Jojoba oil is a wonderful substitute!
I’m wondering how oily this recipe leaves the skin? I’ve made some recipes that have left me feelings greasy. How well does this absorb into the skin?
It it hard to clean the Food Processor or the cooking pot after blending these ingredients? Do have ones you set aside for use only for making your body/skin care?
Does the cocoa butter have to be raw?? I have some, but am pretty sure it’s not raw. I got it from bulkapothecary.com . If not, I’m all in on this one! Christmas gifts, check!
Nope, you should be good to go with what you have!
I just made this for gifts and used jojoba oil instead of sweet almond because it’s what I had on hand (I think grapeseed or sunflower oil would have worked as well, since they’re also light oils and easily absorbed). It is VERY greasy until it absorbs (I’d say five mins tops) but feels amazing once it does! This will be great for my mother in law who owns a farm and probably has very dry hands from being outside and washing hands, and my husband whose skin is cracking this winter. I also used unrefined coconut oil and cocoa butter, which lends their natural sweet fragrances to the lotion. Next time I think I’m going to try halving the coconut oil with shea butter so it’s less greasy. A very small amount goes a very long way!!
Awesome, thanks for the feedback, Lindsay!
Hi Lindsay, did you try the shea butter mix? How did it work out?
Hello! I made this tonight and it is amazing. So silky smooth! One question, I didn’t have a vanilla bean on hand so I just used about 30 drops of vanilla essential oil. But I still don’t really smell the vanilla, just the cocoa butter really. Could I add in more vanilla? I kept adding more and more and it almost didn’t change the scent at all! Thank you!
Yes! Keep adding more until you get a nice vanilla scent 🙂
Hey. I was wondering what I should do if I don’t have a mixer or food processor. I would be willing to mix until get the right consistency, but are there any other ways?
Thanks!
An immersion blender would be a great option. If not, a hand mixer or hand beater works great, too.
do you remove the vanilla bean by straining from oils or leave there? From your description looks like you leave it in the butter – but I guess the vanilla specks a little bit messy once applied to the skin, isn’t?
Whipped body butters are a little too light for my liking. could I add a little beeswax to thicken it up, or does it have a fairly thick consistency on its own?
Adding beeswax is a great idea and something I’ve been doing myself the past few months in all my whipped oil lotions, too. I like the consistency a little better, too 🙂
I am going to make this tonight.. Curious about the one vanilla bean. Is that correct, just one? Thanks!
Yep just one!
Does it have to be stored in the fridge? Not suremy girlfriend would like putting cold lotion on.
Thanks.
Hi Rick, I do not keep this in the fridge and all is fine!
Can I use Shea butter instead of cocoa butter? I don’t have any cocoa butter, at the moment.
Yes definitely!
How much does this recipe make? I am going to be making a bunch of this all together. I have a lot of people!
About 2 cups, Makala! It’s super luxurious and a little goes a long way!
Hi, It looks as if you have the Vanilla bean bits still in the butter. Do you remove the bits from the butter or leave them in. And can you really smell the vanilla sent ?
Hi Kee-Kee! Just leave them in! And yes, it smells heavenly!
Hi, I was just wondering if anything else could be used instead of the coconut oil – I dont have any left but have loads of cocoa butter and sweet almond oil?
Hi Jemma, I think I would try substituting 1/2 cocoa butter and 1/2 sweet almond oil for the coconut oil.
thank you 🙂
Does this have a pleasant smell? I would like to try this recipe but I don’t want it to be very strong.
I think it’s a very pleasant smell, Tricia. To me, it’s a very light vanilla scent. Yum 🙂
Hello! Would pure vanilla extract be an acceptable subsitution for the vanilla bean? I didn’t want to drop the $12 for 2 beans!
Hi Catherine! Yes, that works great, too. Although I’ve noticed that when using vanilla extract, overtime it tends to separate from the rest of the mixture. The solution is just a quick stir, which is no big deal, but I just thought I’d let you know 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi, I really want to try this and have bought some cocoa butter which smells very strongly of dark chocolate (drool). I’m wondering if the vanilla would be strong enough to overpower the choc smell or do they compliment each other. I aslo have some deodorized cocoa butter. Would this be better to use? Thanks
Hi Angie! Cocoa butter is amazing! I think cocoa butter and vanilla compliment each other very nicely. I absolutely love the smell of cocoa butter so if it were me, I’d use the regular kind 🙂
Hi this looks amazing! I don’t have any almond oil- what do you think of making it with just cocoa butter and coconut oil combo?
I’ve done it that way before, Pam and it turned out great! Enjoy 🙂