Homemade: Organic Belly/Body Butter

(Recipe Updated 2/16/14)

This past weekend, I made some homemade pregnancy belly butter (for me it's belly butter, but of course is also a wonderful body butter/moisturizer for any part of the body). I had tried Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter, and then the Lavender Body Butter from the Maui Lavender Farm, and I loved both of them - but I wanted to try my hand at making my own. Plus, after I did the math, I discovered it's significantly cheaper! 

Cost Breakdown:

Coconut Oil – 28 oz - $8.68 ($0.31/oz) ($0.31 x 1.5 oz = $0.47)
Cocoa Butter – 16 oz - $12.97 ($0.81/oz) ($0.81 x 1.5 oz = $1.22)
Shea Butter – 16 oz - $10.97 ($0.69/oz) ($0.69 x 1.5 oz = $1.04)
Almond Oil – 16 oz - $9.59 ($0.60/oz) ($0.60 x 1.5 oz = $0.90)
Beeswax – 16 oz - $11.99 ($0.75/oz) ($0.75 x 0.34 oz = $0.26)

= $3.89 for about 6.5 oz

Burt’s Bees Belly Butter costs about $1.57/oz ($10.19 for 6.5 oz) and this recipe costs about $0.59/oz ($3.89 for 6.5oz). So I'm saving about $1/oz – over 60% savings!

So that was enough reason in itself for me to look into making my own. I searched for some recipes online, and liked the recipe and ingredients from Jellibean Journals the best. I've made three different batches and liked this one best. It's more like a salve than a butter in my opinion, but I love it just the same. 

Ingredients You Will Need:

3 T. (1.5 oz) coconut oil
3 T. (1.5 oz) cocoa butter
3 T. (1.5 oz) shea butter
3 T. (1.5 oz) almond oil
2 t. (0.34 oz) beeswax pellets (or grated beeswax)

Note: This batch lasted me a little over a month. But if you use it over your entire body, it may not last quite that long. 

I purchased my ingredients from the following sources after researching brands and reading online reviews. However, I'm sure there are several companies that make a good product. Just do your research. :)

Note: Prices and availability may vary by area and vendor.

- Better Body Organic Coconut Oil - Sam's Club – $8.68/28oz
- Essential Depot Organic Unrefined Cocoa Butter - Amazon.com – $12.97/16oz 
- Molivera Organics Unrefined Raw African Ivory Shea Butter, Fair Trade - Amazon.com – $10.97/16oz
- Now Solutions Sweet Almond Oil - Amazon.com – $9.59/16oz
- Stakich Filtered Pure Beeswax White Pellets - Amazon.com –$11.99/1lb (16oz)

Step 1: 

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the cocoa butter and beeswax, stirring constantly. (You can also use a heat-resistant glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Just a little more protection as far as burning goes...)

Step 2:

When they’ve melted, add the remaining ingredients until smooth.    

Step 3:

Immediately pour into a small container that holds approximately 1 cup of liquid. 
(I used two 1/4-pint mason canning jars.)

Cool before sealing with a lid.

It takes about 24 hours to thicken up. It's kind of runny and oily at first, but then thickens up a little bit to a nice smooth texture that's a little easier to rub on. I liked the chocolate/almond-y smell of the final product,  but I'm sure you can add some essential oils if you prefer a different scent. You could also substitute a different oil instead of almond oil if you prefer a different smell (like vitamin E, apricot, etc...).

Lather up and enjoy!