These mini body butters look good enough to eat! Made with only natural ingredients they contain cocoa/cacao butter which is a natural fat extracted from the cocoa bean, when placed into the palm of your hand it melts from the heat and becomes a nourishing body oil that you can massage into your skin.
Method
40 ml Cocoa Butter melted
5 drops of Peppermint essential oil
5 drops of Lavender essential oil
5 drops of Cedarwood essential oil
Melt in a bain marie the cocoa butter then leave to cool down a little. You can skip adding essential oils if you like otherwise add the essential oils while the cocoa butter is still liquid (but not too hot) for extra therapeutic properties. Stir the oils together when added to the cocoa butter so they are well incorporated. I use 2 drops of essential oil per 5 ml of base oil (in this case cocoa butter), I tend to find that raw cacao butter (as opposed to the processed cocoa butter) has a much stronger chocolate smell so I want the essential oils that I choose to complement the natural aroma of the butter so bear this in mind when choosing which oils to use. It’s useful to think of chocolate flavours when trying to decide which oils will complement the chocolate aroma such as vanilla, orange and peppermint and lavender.
Pour the melted mixture into a silicone mould (or line a firmer mould with cling film so you can remove it after it’s set). Chocolate moulds are perfect for smaller sized bars, each small chocolate shape is roughly one application for the whole body. Leave these to set in the fridge or freezer then remove them from their moulds and store in a jar or container in a cool cupboard. When using the butters place one into the palm of your hand and rub your hands together like using a bar of soap, this will melt the cocoa, place the bar down (be careful where as it will leave an oily residue so I usually place it into the sink) and massage the oil into your skin.
Here are some of the properties of the essential oils that I chose to use:
Peppermint essential oil is a great remedy for colds and respiratory disorders due to its both warming and cooling dual action. I find peppermints greatest qualities are its antispasmodic effects which are a helpful aid in relieving stomach cramps. If you suffer from cramping and bloating after eating then massage peppermint essential oil (always diluted in a base oil) onto the entire stomach area in a clockwise direction (from right to left), it really does make a difference. Peppermint oils cooling action can also help to relieve itching and inflammation of the skin.
Lavender essential oil has pain reliving qualities which make it good for muscular aches and pains, it also benefits the respiratory system and can aid menstrual problems, clears the spleen and stimulates bile secretion. It has valuable properties for the skin through its balancing action and aids in promoting the growth of new skin cells.
Cedarwood essential oil helps to bring the body back into balance through its action on the glandular and nervous system, its expectorant properties help to ease respiratory conditions and also has a tonic effect on the kidneys. It has great astringent and antiseptic properties for the skin and makes a fantastic hair tonic if massage into the scalp, if you suffer from a dry scalp condition then massage your head too and leave the oils on overnight or for a few hours before washing off.
