There is no miracle plant that will shed kilos for us while we sit and laze about eating cakes and watching TV all day. In order to lose weight, we all need to exercise and eat healthy. However, on top of that, regular massage and application of certain essential oils will definitely help tone your skin, improve circulation and reduce the appearance of cellulite. The essential oils used in this recipe will improve your body tissue tone, and many also have a diuretic effect which will help your body eliminate some toxins associated with cellulite. Since the essential oils are the active ‘toning’ ingredients, you can use any natural cream base, even my simple coconut oil lotion. However, the ingredients used in this particular recipe are incredibly nourishing and moisturising, just as you would expect of a body butter.
Skin Toning Body Butter
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (250ml) Organic Coconut Oil
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Raw Unrefined Shea Butter
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Vitamin E Oil
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Bees Wax (Vegan substitute: Soy wax or Carnauba wax)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Vegetable Glycerine
- 50 Drops (3ml) Essential oils with toning & diuretic properties. See my suggestions below.
Instructions
- Makes about 300ml.
- In a double boiler, melt the beeswax with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Be careful not to overheat, you just want the beeswax to melt, not boil.
- Once the beeswax has melted, add the shea butter and remaining coconut oil. Let it melt.
- Once this mixture has melted, add the vitamin E oil and glycerine. Stir well.
- Transfer to your container while the mixture is still warm, and quickly add your essential oils. Mix well.
- Allow to cool. As the mixture cools, it will harden to a cream-like texture.
- Optional: Once cool, you may whip the butter with a whisk or fork to create a “whipped” body butter.
- Store away from direct sunlight and use within 6 months.
Notes
1.) Essential oils for cellulite & improved skin tone:
Grapefruit, Lemon, Rosemary, Basil, Orange, Lavender, Thyme, Lime, Lemongrass.
2.) My personal essential oil blend for this body butter:
15 drops grapefruit, 15 drops rosemary, 10 drops lemon, 5 drops thyme, 5 drops orange.
3.) Substitutes: Bees wax is optional, especially if you live in a colder climate. Since coconut oil melts in warm weather, the bees wax ensures a solid cream texture even through summer.
4.) Caution: Citrus essential oils will make your skin sensitive to UV light, which will cause you to sunburn more easily/ quickly. If you choose to use these in your recipe, I recommend applying this body butter in the evening to avoid sunburn.
5.) How to make your own double boiler: You need a pot and a heat proof bowl, or two pots. Fill a pot about half way with water. Once the water has come to a boil, place your heat-proof bowl on top of the pot of water. Leave the stove on a low heat. Place your ingredients in the suspended bowl, and wait for the ingredients to melt. It’s that simple. It’s the same concept as melting chocolate.
COST & SHELF LIFE
Cost Price: R54.23 per 300ml
Lasted me about: 1 month (using daily).
Estimated shelf life: 6 months (if stored away from direct sunlight).
*Costs accurate at the time of writing, and based on the best retail prices I’ve found.
CHALLENGE
Need to be careful of sun exposure, because citrus essential oils are photo-toxic. In other words, they may cause you to get sunburned quicker/ more easily. I highly recommend applying this body butter in the evening if you choose to use citrus oils.
CHERRY ON TOP
The citrus scent is so fresh and smells divine.
INGREDIENT BENEFITS
- Coconut oil: Anti-ageing, and rich in proteins which repair damaged tissues. (buy here).
- Unrefined raw shea butter: Contains vitamins A and E as well as essential fatty acids, which help maintain skin’s elasticity and suppleness. It also helps rebuild and rejuvenate collagen. (buy here)
- Vitamin E oil: Blocks free radical damage, boosts collagen production and speeds up cell regeneration. (buy here)
- Glycerine: Works as a humectant by attracting water from the air and helps in retaining water in the skin. The protective barrier minimizes water loss due to evaporation, so it keeps the skin well hydrated and nourished. Hence it can cure, prevent and treat dry skin. (buy here)
- Toning essential oils: Grapefruit, Lemon, Rosemary, Basil, Orange, Lavender, Thyme, Lime, Lemongrass. If you can only afford to buy one, I would recommend Grapefruit essential oil. (buy organic essential oils here).
Need help finding these, or other ingredients? My shopping guide may help you. If you are pregnant, nursing or new to essential oils please read how to use them safely.
Have you made this recipe – what do you think? Please share in the comments below.
Great post. I would really love to make this. Where can one get raw unrefined shear butter in South Africa?
Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I buy raw unrefined shea butter here at Faithful to Nature. Currently, it’s R150 for 250g which is a good price. It also has a very long shelf life, so 250g will go a long way. I hope that helps. Let me know how you like the recipe when you get around to making it =) Enjoy!
HI, I am planning on making the toning body butter, but I am not sure how you ‘pop’ the vitamin E oil capsules – I bought the ones suggested, they are very small and hard to handle…?
Hi Gabriella,
Thank you for your question. I just use a sewing needle to pierce the vitamin E capsules, or nip them with scissors. If you have those tiny circular capsules (normally the 300iu), a needle will be better. I use scissors for those longer oval capsules (1000iu), because you can at least hold one end and cut the other end. All the best with the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Is there a need to add preservatives?
No, this is an oil-based recipe, so it will have a shelf life of 6 months if stored out of direct sunlight. You may add a preservative if you would like to extend the shelf life to 1 year. You can use potassium sorbate dissolved in the glycerine of this recipe, or add 0.5% of Geogard Ultra of the total recipe WEIGHT (in grams, not millilitres).
Hi Natural Nerd
I love your blog it is informative.. What can I add in the skin toning body butter to treat very bad stretch marks..
Hello Phumzile, and thank you for your encouraging comment. To answer your question: Essential oils that are good for scarring and stretch marks include: Helichrysum (best), Lavender, Neroli, Patcholi, Carrot Seed, Lemon, Geranium. I would also use more Vitamin E oil instead of the vegetable glycerine, so rather add 5ml more of vitamin E and exclude the glycerine. The more vitamin E oil, the better. Vitamin E is a key ingredient in reducing scars and stretch marks. Rosehip oil and Argan oil are also known to treat stretch marks, so you can bear that in mind for other skincare products. I will publish my natural tissue oil recipe very soon – it will be in my next newsletter. A safety note about Helichrysum essential oil: it may cause sun sensitivity. Don’t use this oil if you’ve recently had surgery, or are at risk for internal hemorrhaging.