Body butters are no strangers to Live Simply. First, we made this ultra-moisturizing shea butter lotion. Then we made a simple lip balm and shea butter cream facial moisturizer.

Today, we’re making silky smooth body butter for the whole body: face, arms, legs, wherever you need moisture.

In this post, I’ll guide you through making homemade body butter via photos and a video.

Key Takeaways

• Simple Ingredients – You’ll need skincare butter (shea butter, mango butter, or cocoa butter), carrier oil, and two optional ingredients- arrowroot starch/flour (to reduce the greasy feel) and essential oil.
•  Easy to Make – Melt the ingredients, chill in the fridge, then use a fork or hand mixer to whip. That’s it!
•  Inexpensive – Body butter can cost a fortune if you buy it at the store, particularly from a natural company. Making body products, like body butter, is usually cheaper. Buying the ingredients is an extra cost, but once you have them, you can create multiple jars of your whipped body butter (and other products).
•  Non-Toxic and Natural – No synthetic fragrances, preservatives, or other unwanted ingredients. Just nourishing ingredients that are good for your skin.
•  Shelf Life – 6 months

Learn More About Each Ingredient

1. Butter

Homemade body butter starts with a moisturizing skincare butter. Shea butter is the perfect base butter since it’s soft, easy to work with, and melts into your skin. My recipe calls for at least a 1/4 cup of shea butter.

From there, it’s up to you, the maker, to customize the body butter. You’ll need a total of 1/2 cup of butter. So use all shea butter (for a total of 1/2 cup shea butter), or mix the shea with a different butter: 1/4 cup of cocoa butter or 1/4 cup of mango butter.

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Best Butters

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• Shea Butter: Shea butter comes from the “nut” (or pit) of the fruit found on the Karite Tree. It has a strong scent when it’s purchased in an unrefined state. I use unrefined shea butter in recipes (including body butter). If you don’t care for the strong scent, use refined shea butter instead. Since shea butter is naturally soft, it makes a wonderfully soft whipped body butter. It may be used on its own with a carrier oil, or combined with another butter like cocoa butter or mango butter. See all the ways you can use shea butter to make your own body products.
• Cocoa Butter: Cocoa butter comes from cocoa beans, so it has a strong scent and smells like chocolate. Cocoa butter is hard at room temperature, and it melts easily. Cocoa butter is naturally hard and dense, so if you use it, mix it with shea butter or mango butter to make a softer body butter. See other ways to use cocoa butter to make your own body products.
• Mango Butter: Mango butter comes from the seed of mango fruit. It’s naturally soft, similar to shea butter, and can have a gritty texture before melting. It yields a soft, airy body butter when mixed with shea butter. If you don’t want to use shea butter (due to allergies) in my recipe, then mango butter is the best replacement.

2. Carrier Oil

A liquid oil is the second main ingredient used to make body butter. The oils used in skincare recipes are known as carrier oils, although I usually call them nourishing oils. The oil used is entirely up to you.

See all the ways to use carrier oils to make your own body products.

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Best Carrier Oils

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• Sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or grapeseed oil are best for making a non-greasy body butter that is easily absorbed by the skin. Great for all skin types.
• Virgin coconut oil may be used, but it can be very greasy and clog pores. Avoid if you have body acne or sensitive skin.
• Olive oil is another option; however, olive oil can be extremely heavy and feel greasy. Just like with coconut oil, this is not an option for all skin types and you may not love the results.

3. (Optional) Arrowroot Powder

Whipped body butter recipes can be very greasy!

The good news is that there’s a simple solution for this issue: add arrowroot flour/starch. Arrowroot is a natural starch (used in cooking to thicken soups, sauces, and stir-fry) that will absorb the greasy feel of the butters and oils, without drying out your skin.

Substitution: Some folks use tapioca starch and cornstarch (which are similar to arrowroot starch); however, I haven’t used these ingredients so I can’t speak to their success.

4. (Optional) Essential Oils of Your Choice

An essential oil may be added for scent and additional skincare benefits. Use just one essential oil, mix a few essential oils to create different scents, or an essential oil blend (a pre-blended bottle of essential oils). Currently, my favorite essential oils for body butter are lavender, geranium, and frankincense (carteri).

I use a 1% dilution in my body butter recipe. Before using any essential oil, read the back of the bottle for specific dilution recommendations.

Recipe Tutorial Video

How to Make Whipped Body Butter: Step By Step Guide

• Step 1: Melt the Butter in a Double Boiler. Partially fill a saucepan with water (about 1/4 of the way full). Then, place a glass (or metal) bowl on the saucepan. Place the butter(s) in the glass bowl. Turn the stovetop to medium heat, placing the double boiler on top of the heat. Allow the butter(s) to melt (about 3-5 minutes) fully.
•  Step 2 Combine Oil & Carrier Oil – If you plan to use arrowroot flour, whisk the flour into the carrier oil in a small bowl. Set the mixture aside. If you’re not using arrowroot flour, skip this step. 
•  Step 3 Combine the Melted Butter & Oil – Carefully remove the bowl (with the melted butter inside) from the double boiler setup. Add the oil (with the arrowroot flour, if using) to the melted butter, and use a spoon to stir and combine the ingredients. 
•  Step 4 Chill – At this point, the oil mixture should be cooler (along with the glass bowl). If not, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then, place the mixture in the fridge and allow it to solidify (about 30 minutes to 1 hour). 
•  Step 5 Add Essential Oil – Once the mixture is opaque and a bit firm (not solid as a rock), remove the bowl from the fridge. Add the essential oil of choice if desired. The essential oils must be added when the mixture is cool, as heat will cause the fragile essential oils to evaporate.
•  Step 6 Whip – If you used cocoa butter, whisk the mixture with a fork until it appears “whipped.” If you used shea and/or mango butter, you can use the same technique with a fork or a hand mixer to “whip” the body butter. Just be careful not to over-whip the mixture.
•  Step 7 Spoon Into a Jar – Scoop the mixture into a jar and place the lid on the jar. Now it’s ready to use!

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How to Make Homemade Body Butter (Non-Greasy)

This whipped body butter feels luxurious and delivers maximum moisture to the skin. Here's how to make body butter that's non-greasy and works for any skin type.

Course DIY

Cuisine Body

Keyword homemade body butter, how to make body butter, whipped body butter recipe non greasy

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 ounce jar

Author Kristin Marr

Cost $4-6 per jar (depending on butter and oil used)

Equipment

• 1 small-medium saucepan to create a double boiler and melt the butter(s)
• 1 medium glass or metal bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler and melt the butter(s)
• 1 small bowl if using arrowroot starch to mix with the carrier oil
• 1 fork or hand-mixer to whip the body butter
• 1 glass storage jar to store the final product

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup shea butter unrefined or refined (41 grams)
• 1/4 cup mango butter or cocoa butter (41 grams mango butter or 34 grams cocoa butter or use 41 grams additional shea butter if using all shea butter)
• 1/4 cup carrier oil of choice: grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or coconut oil (42 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot flour starch optional (5 grams)
• 36 drops essential oil of choice optional

Instructions

• First, make a double boiler: Partially fill a saucepan with water (about 1/4 the way full). Then place a glass (or metal) bowl on top of the saucepan. Place the butter(s) in the glass bowl. Turn the stove-top to medium heat, placing the double boiler on top of the heat. Allow the butter(s) to fully melt (about 3-5 minutes).
• If you're planning to use arrowroot starch/flour, in a small bowl, whisk the starch into the carrier oil of choice. Set the mixture aside. If you're not using arrowroot flour, skip this step. 
• Carefully remove the glass bowl (and melted butters) from the heat source. Add the oil (with the arrowroot flour mixed in, if using), and stir to combine the ingredients. 
• At this point, the mixture should be cooler (along with the bowl). If not, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then place the bowl in the fridge and allow the mixture to solidify (about 30-60 minutes, depending on location in the fridge and fridge temperature). 
• Once the mixture is opaque and a bit firm (not solid as a rock), remove the bowl from the fridge. Add the essential oil of choice, if desired. 
• If you used cocoa butter, whisk the mixture with a fork until it appears "whipped." If you used shea and/or mango butters, you can use the same technique with a fork, or use a hand-mixer to "whip" the mixture. Don't over-whip!
• Spoon the whipped body butter into a glass storage jar with a lid. Place the lid on the jar. It's now ready to use. Store at room temperature (out of sunlight) for up to 6 months.

How to Use:

• Use this product anytime your skin needs moisturizing. Scoop a small amount from the jar, then massage onto the skin. As you massage, the butter will melt into your skin. You only need a small amount at a time.
• I love to use this product after bathing when my skin is still moist. I apply a small amount of product to my fingertips, then massage on my skin: arms, legs, feet, neck, chest.

Video

Notes

Which Butter Should You Use? Mango butter will yield a softer body butter, when mixed with the shea butter. Cocoa butter will yield a thicker, denser body butter that smells like chocolate, when mixed with the shea butter. Or use 100% shea butter, without mixing in other butters. Unrefined shea butter has a strong scent, so refined shea butter may be better to use if you’re sensitive to scents.

Which carrier oil should you use? I like sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or grapeseed oil as they work for all skin types and are light and easily absorb into the skin. Coconut oil and olive oil are also options, but they can be very heavy and clog pores if used on the face.

Why use arrowroot starch? The arrowroot cuts through the greasy feel that’s often associated with body butter. It’s optional.

How much essential oil should you add? I use a 1% dilution in my recipe. Before using any essential oil, read the back of the bottle for specific dilution recommendations. This is also optional.

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How to Make Body Butter (Homemade, Non Greasy)

Homemade Shea Butter Lotion (Non Greasy Without Coconut Oil)

The post How to Make Body Butter (Homemade, Non Greasy) appeared first on Live Simply.

You guys, today is a big day. A day many of you have been waiting for. It’s time for another homemade lotion recipe.

We’ve already made homemade lip balm and body butter, and today we’re making a silky smooth lotion.

First, a little background story…

A few years ago, I started thinking about making the switch from a laundry-list-of-toxic-ingredients that I’d used to clean my home and care for the outside of body. My family had already been enjoying “real food” for a few years at that point.

Now, let me pause here, and go down a bit of a “rabbit trail.”

There’s an idea going around, which I first believed when making the cleaning and bodycare switch, that chemicals are bad. Friend, I would suggest just the opposite. When I talk about making the switch from toxic products to “more natural” products, I’m not talking about banning chemicals from our homes, because that’s impossible! Everything from baking soda to water has a chemical composition, and we certainly know those ingredients aren’t toxic.

When I talk about making the switch, I’m talking about choosing or making products that aren’t made with highly questionable/toxic ingredients. If you’re curious about some of the questionable/toxic ingredients used to make many of the beauty and cleaning products in the US, many of which are banned in Europe due to health concerns, I recommend checking out the Environmental Working Group’s Database. On the EWG site, you can check out overall safety ratings for products and brands, as well as individual ingredients.

Just remember, my natural living goal is to source or make safer products, not eliminate chemicals. Because that would mean having to eliminate my beloved baking soda, water, and vinegar, too.

Okay, back to the lotion story ;)…

My switch to more natural products started with bodycare items, particularly foundation powder and moisturizer.

I had read about coconut oil being a miracle product, so I switched out my store-bought moisturizer for coconut oil. Within a few months, it was clear that my skin didn’t think coconut oil was a miracle product. After much research, I determined that coconut oil just wasn’t something that I could use every day as a moisturizer.

Side note, I still use coconut oil for DIYs, so I’m not saying coconut oil is bad news. Rather, I’m just suggesting that everyone is different, and so the products we love and use will vary, too. My skin tolerates coconut oil in deodorant, and as an occasional post-shave moisturizer.

At that point, I decided to create a homemade lotion that would be shelf-table, and could be used in place of the coconut oil. After lots of trial and error, I developed a homemade lotion, which technically is a body butter, that’s thick and luxurious. My skin loved the change from 100% coconut oil to this new product. And here’s where my backstory meets today’s DIY lotion recipe…

I shared that lotion/body butter recipe two years ago on Live Simply. Since that time, I know many of you have tried that recipe, and love it! I also know, based on comments and emails, that many of you would like a creamier/less thick lotion that has more of a store-bought consistency.

Today, I’m excited to share with you a new lotion recipe that’s soft, creamy, and even “pumpable.” Before I share the recipe, let’s chat about a few things to keep in mind…

1. This recipe is “pumpable.” This means the lotion is smooth and liquid enough to be used in a pump bottle. My ultra-moisturizing lotion/body butter is very thick, which means you have to store it in a jar (it won’t pump). While you can store this lotion in a pump bottle, cleaning the “straw” (what is that little thing at the base of the pump called?) is tricky, because well, you’re dealing with lotion.

If you use a pump bottle, know that you may need to replace the pump and straw if you can’t thoroughly clean them out before making a new batch of lotion. Alternatively, this lotion could also be stored in a bottle or jar, and then poured on your hand, or spooned out. I personally go with the jar (other than for photos here), since I store this in the fridge.

2. This lotion does require a number of ingredients, and is a bit of process to make. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of making one more thing, let me encourage you…

You don’t have to make lotion to use “cleaner” bodycare products. It’s perfectly okay to purchase pre-made lotion.

Yep, that probably sounds contradictory for a homemade lotion chat. Here’s the thing, simple living isn’t about “doing it all.” In fact, if you’re “doing it all” you’re probably not living simply. It’s okay to say, “You know what, I’m going to make a homemade dinner for my family, and purchase a ‘cleaner’ lotion from the store.” I personally don’t make lotion the majority of the time because I have to prioritize other tasks and I know my health food store sells some decent lotion options.

If you’re going to purchase lotion, I highly recommend checking out the EWG. I personally like Every Day Shea brand.

With that being said, today’s recipe is for the folks who want to make a silky smooth lotion at home.

5 More DIY Recipes With Shea Butter

• Shea Butter Lip Balm – Use shea butter and oil to make this natural lip balm recipe.
• Honey Lip Balm – Use honey, shea butter, and beeswax to make an ultra-hydrating lip balm.
• Lotion Bars – Moisturizing lotion in a solid bar, made with shea butter and beeswax.
• Body Butter – This luxurious lotion is made with shea butter and oil and moisturizes the whole body.
• Face Moisturizer – Combine shea butter and oil to make an all-natural face moisturizer.

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Silky Smooth Homemade Lotion

A silky smooth homemade lotion. 

Course DIY

Cuisine Body

Keyword Lotion

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 ounces

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sweet almond oil 157 grams
• 3 TB refined mango butter 40 grams
• 2 TB cocoa butter 14 grams
• 1 TB beeswax pellets 8 grams, or finely chopped beeswax
• 1 tsp vitamin E oil
• 43 drops lavender essential oil or orange essential oil, can be reduced to 20 for young children
• 1 cup distilled water or a floral hydrosol – rose lavender or calendula all work well – must be room temperature or lotion is more likely to separate, 220 grams, the hydrosol is my preference

Instructions

• Make sure that your blender or immersion blender (you can use either one–I prefer an immersion blender because it’s easier to clean), bowl and all utensils are very clean when you make this. If they’re not fully sanitized, then your lotion can grow bacteria or mold. Clean everything with hot soapy water, then swab with rubbing alcohol or vinegar, and let air dry.
• In a heat safe glass bowl, combine the sweet almond oil, mango butter, cocoa butter, and beeswax.
• Place the glass bowl on top of a saucepan partially filled with water, over medium heat. This creates a type of double boiler. Stir occasionally until everything is melted and combined.
• Allow the oil mixture to cool for a few minutes before pouring it into your blender (if using a table-top blender). Let this mixture cool until it’s room temperature. It should look creamy, thick and opaque, but don’t let it get solid. Optional: You can place the blender in the fridge for about 35 minutes to speed up the process.
• Add the vitamin E oil and essential oil to the cooled oil mixture. If you’re using a table-top blender, blend the mixture with the lid on for a few seconds. If you’re using an immersion blender, place the stick in the bottom of the mixture (in a high-rimmed bowl), and blend for a few seconds, pulsing up and down at the bottom a few times.
• If you’re using a table-top blender, take the lid off of your blender, or just the top part of the lid if you have that option on your blender. With your distilled water or hydrosol in the glass measuring cup, slowly pour it into the oil mixture in a very thin drizzle while the blender is on medium/low. If you’re using an immersion blender, with the blender on and at the bottom of the jar, slowly pour the distilled water or hydrosol into the oil, pulsing the immersion blender up and down at the bottom just a few times.
• If you’re using a table-top blender, slowly increase the blender to medium speed and blend the lotion for 30 seconds more. If you’re using an immersion blender, continue to blend, pulsing the immersion blender up and down, for about 30 seconds more.
• Immediately pour the lotion into a jar and store away from light and heat. 

Notes

Water Note: Using water, without a preservative, shortens the life-span of products significantly, so it’s always best to use water-based products for short-term use. This recipe provided makes a lot of lotion, so I cut the amounts provided here in half. I think the halved recipe is the perfect amount since I’m the only person using on a daily basis. I also store my lotion in the fridge since I don’t add a preservative. The lotion isn’t “pumpable” when it’s stored in the fridge (I keep mine in a jar), but it’s still just as lovely. Click here for my product-making safety tips.  

Preservative: If you’d like to add a preservative, Leucidal Complete is my recommendation (this is very affordable, if you’re going to make lotion on a regular basis). You can read more about how to use it (amount needed) and how it works, here. 

I’ve found that the best way to clean the utensils and jars after making this lotion is to use my Sal Suds dish soap and hot water.

If you’re using cocoa butter wafers, you’ll need 12 butter wafers to equal the 14 grams/2 tablespoons.

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The post Silky Smooth Homemade Lotion appeared first on Live Simply.

Rest assured. The person behind this blog, writing this very post, is not four years-old.

I’m a grown adult, and yes, I still use the word, “boo-boo.” This isn’t healing cream for cuts, scrapes, and burns (well technically it is). This is healing “boo-boo” cream. Maybe the use of the word “boo- boo”  is a reflection of my current season of life. “Mom…Mom…Mom…”

Have you noticed how when you become a parent your entire vocabulary changes? Subconsciously the hours of Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood start invading your dreams, in the very best way, and soon you’re singing, “Grown ups come back…” Then there are the times when you kiss your husband good-night and lovingly whisper, “Ugga Mugga!” And the crazy thing is that he just smiles and replies, “I love you too!” That, my friend, is the ever-changing and vast vocabulary of a parent.

PS: If you’re totally lost in our conversation right now, please YouTube “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”. I promise it will be the best three minutes of your day! A rich vocabulary lesson awaits.

Now, back to boo-boos. After all, that’s the reason we’re here today–boo-boos.

Last year I shared a DIY recipe for my homemade boo-boo cream here at Live Simply (you can find it here, but I’ll provide the full recipe below), a replacement in my home for Neosporin that’s made with simple healing ingredients. I’ve received many questions about the recipe over the past year, inquiring about the technique and ingredients. While the techinique and ingredients are simple (the way we like to keep things around Live Simply), a list of words can often feel a bit complicated.

I’m a visual learner and although I love to read, watching a video or studying pictures helps clarify directions in my mind. So today, I’d like to help you visualize and simplify homemade boo-boo cream. And yes, you must channel your inner four year-old and call it “boo-boo cream.”

Trust me, making your own healing boo-boo cream (AKA: a homemade Neosporin-like alternative) is a very simple process with the final result of a long-lasting cream made for the ouchiest of boo-boos. Hey, no judging. I’m expanding your vocabulary!

Let’s get started…

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DIY Homemade Healing Boo Boo Cream

Last year I shared a DIY recipe for my homemade boo-boo cream here at Live Simply (you can find it here, but I’ll provide the full recipe below), a replacement in my home for Neosporin that’s made with simple healing ingredients.

Course DIY, Homemade

Cuisine Body

Keyword Boo-Boo Cream

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Cooling Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 13 oz

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup dried lavender
• 1/3 cup dried calendula
• 4 TB beeswax pellets
• 1 TB honey
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions

• In a large pot or double broiler (pictured in the video), combine the coconut oil and olive oil. Melt the oils over low heat. Once melted, add the dried lavender and calendula. Over low heat, infuse the herbs for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, use a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth to filter the herbs from the oil.
• Return the infused oil to the pot (be sure to clean out any remaining dried herbs before returning the oil to the pot). Over low heat, add the beeswax and honey. Stir for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the essential oils (tea tree and lavender).
• Pour the mixture into glass jars (I used Weck Jars in the video tutorial). The mixture will begin to solidify. Stir every 1-2 minutes so the honey doesn’t sink to the bottom of the jar. The mixture takes 5-10 minutes to fully set. Once set it’s ready to use and will keep for 1 year.

Video

Notes

I purchase a bulk-size bag of beeswax from Mountain Rose Herb. I’ve also purchased beeswax pellets on Amazon (smaller bags), and enjoyed the product. A local beekeeper in our area just started selling beeswax bars, so if you have connections with a beekeeper in your area, ask about purchasing beeswax.

The “where to buy” links provide links to the actual products I use. As always, I recommend shopping around online and at local stores for the best prices and products you love. Find my favorite DIY ingredients and tools, here.

The post DIY Homemade Healing Boo-Boo Cream: Video Tutorial appeared first on Live Simply.

The week before New Years, I spent my evenings snuggled next to our Christmas tree, sipping the BEST homemade hot chocolate and reflecting on 2014. The coziness of the tree and warm mug brought out my reflective side. I thought about the good, the bad,  and the “What-in-the-world-was-I-thinking?” moments.

With 2014 penned in my teal polka dot notebook, I planned for 2015.

I’m not a huge planner when it comes to a new year. I have learned after many years of disappointment that it’s best to create a small list of doable actions each year versus plan an entire 12 months with lofty, unachievable goals. Actions become habits, and calculated habits (the good kind of habits) create amazing lifestyle changes.

One of my actions for 2015 is to bring you more videos. Hip-hip-hooray!

My desire in making videos this year is to bring you a visual guide for how to make DIYs, recipes, and more. Personally, I learn best when I see something in action, and I believe many of you are the exact same way. So, today, as part of my 2015 action plan, I’m bringing you a new video for one of my favorite DIY recipes here at Live Simply: Homemade Vapor Rub (find the original recipe post here).

Vapor rub is one of the easiest DIYs you can make at home, but the ease of this recipe isn’t always communicated via a written blogpost. It’s easy to read through a list of written instructions and feel completely and utterly overwhelmed. As the video demonstrates, homemade vapor rub is anything but overwhelming. My homemade vapor rub recipe also requires very few ingredients. Each pronounceable ingredient comes together to create an effective homemade remedy for winter sniffles or an afternoon headache (Seriously, give it a try!).

Enough chatting from me, I’ll let the video explain the simplicity of how to make homemade vapor rub…

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How to Make Homemade Vapor Rub

homemade vapor rub is anything but overwhelming. My homemade vapor rub recipe also requires very few ingredients. Each pronounceable ingredient comes together to create an effective homemade remedy for winter sniffles or an afternoon headache (Seriously, give it a try!).

Course DIY

Cuisine Body

Keyword Vapor Rub

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 oz

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 5 TB coconut oil
• 2 TB cocoa butter
• 1 1/2 TB beeswax pellets
• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil for children use Eucaylptus Radiata or Eucaplytus Citriodora
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions

• In a saucepan*, over low heat, add the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Melt.
• Once melted, add the beeswax. Melt.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, add the eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree oils to the coconut oil mixture. Combine with a spoon.
• Pour the mixture into a glass jar. I use a mason jar. This recipe will make one 4 oz. jar of vapor rub. As the mixture cools the liquid will solidify, making it a creamy, spreadable rub.

Notes

*I used a double-broiler in the video. You can learn more about a double-broiler and my DIY essentials, here. Homemade vapor rub will keep at room temperature for 12 months.

I purchase a bulk-size bag of beeswax from Mountain Rose Herb. I’ve also purchased beeswax pellets on Amazon (smaller bags), and enjoyed the product. A local beekeeper in our area just started selling beeswax bars, so if you have connections with a beekeeper in your area, ask about purchasing beeswax.

As always, please do your own research when it comes to using essential oils, particularly on young children. Using eucalyptus on young children may slow respiration in some children. Also, peppermint and rosemary essential oil aren’t recommended for young children. Here’s a handy post (as mentioned above) about kid ages and essential oil use.

The post How to Make Homemade Vapor Rub: Video Tutorial appeared first on Live Simply.

Last year, on a quiet afternoon, alone in my bathroom, I mixed a few ingredients in a simple glass bowl: cocoa powder, arrowroot, clay, and a dash of spice. The creation of my very first DIY, homemade foundation powder. Hesitantly, I dipped my finger in the powder and applied it to my face. I studied the mirror, inspecting my creation. Homemade make-up worked. It was a glorious moment. An addictive moment. An epiphany.

Since that quiet afternoon, I’ve been on a DIY kick. A mission to oust the chemicals and replace them with simple homemade products that actually work.

Body wash? I got that.

Boo-boo cream for ouchies? Homemade salve to the rescue.

Laundry Soap? Absolutely. Move aside Tide.

And the list could go on.

Last week, Piper started to get the sniffles. Sniffles led to congestion and no sleep. A couple of nights later, congestion struck again, this time it was my turn. Immediately, knowing a very rare cold was coming for our family, I made a batch of homemade elderberry syrup. While the elderberry syrup, broth, and probiotics went to work cold-busting, congestion relief and a good night’s sleep were needed.

Time for a new DIY?

I think so.

Colds always evoke memories of my mom with a little blue bottle. The smell that radiated from that bottle was like no other.  The sweet relief it brought to my congested nose and chest was always welcome. My mom would gently rub the moist balm under my congested nose, back, and chest.  Anytime I feel congestion coming on, my mind always goes to that blue bottle and my mom’s TLC.

With the memory of my mom’s healing touch and a love for DIY, this recipe was born in our time of need. A combination of simple, natural ingredients coming together to provide a relief for chest and head congestion. The warm touch and scent of this homemade rub is not only calming, but also contains antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. A vapor rub that’s natural and effective.

DIY accomplished.

Cold busted.

Congestion gone.

Note: I didn’t use this rub on our kids, just the adults, since rosemary, eucalyptus, and peppermint aren’t considered “kid-safe” essential oils for young children. Here’s a handy post about kid ages and essential oil use. Personally, as my son has gotten older (elementary school), we’ve used a small amount on the bottom of his feet with socks, when congestion strikes. 

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Homemade Vapor Rub

A combination of simple, natural ingredients coming together to provide a relief for chest and head congestion. The warm touch and scent of this homemade rub is not only calming, but also contains antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. A vapor rub that’s natural and effective.

Course DIY, Homemade

Cuisine American, Beauty

Keyword Vapor Rub

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 oz

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 5 TB coconut oil
• 2 TB cocoa butter
• 1 1/2 TB beeswax pellets
• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions

• Place a glass bowl on top of a saucepan partially filled with water over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Melt
• Once melted, add the beeswax. Melt.
• Carefully remove the bowl from the heat. Allow the mixture to sit in the saucepan for 5 minutes. This will allow the mixture to cool so the oils aren't damaged.
• After 5 minutes, add the eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree oils to the coconut oil mixture. Combine with a spoon.
• Pour the mixture into a glass jar. This recipe will make one 4 oz. jar of vapor rub. As the mixture cools the liquid will solidify, making it a creamy, spreadable rub.

Video

Notes

Homemade vapor rub will keep at room temperature for 12 months.

As always, please do your own research when it comes to using essential oils, particularly on young children. Using eucalyptus on young children may slow respiration in some children. Also, peppermint and rosemary essential oil aren't recommended for young children. Here's a handy post (as mentioned above) about kid ages and essential oil use.

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