Beauty Finds: DIY Cocoa Butter and Avocado Oil Body Butter

I mentioned a few weeks ago in a Weekend Friday Favourites I was trying out a DIY body butter and would share the recipe and results. I’m trying to reduce my plastic consumption and am also looking for a more hydrating body lotion. 

Please scroll down for the recipe if you want to skip skin history and the why’s I tried DIY

While I have oily skin, my body always feels dry unless it’s moisturised. I’m not sure if this is because it’s eczema prone so is maybe drier or it’s so used to daily lotion it knows when it needs more. 

I’ve always gone for cocoa butter based lotions due to cocoa butter hydration properties. It’s good against stretch marks and cellulite. For years I used Palmers Cocoa Butter with no issues. I stopped using it as it contains palm oil I try to avoid as I prefer happy orangutangs in rainforests and petroleum or paraffin which I also avoid. Some of the brands other products use shark oil. Being vegan, that’s a no. I used Alba Botanica Hand and Body Lotion Cocoa Butter (now discontinued) until iherb.com stopped shipping to Spain. When they resumed I didn’t want to spend as much on shipping. It’s hard to find in Spain good cocoa butter based lotion so I’ve been compromising. The Body Shop is too expensive for what I get through. I found a great band The Organic Shop and currently use their Bourbon Vanilla Body Mousse, a shea based lotion (ingredients are listed incorrect). However they’re not the same as cocoa butter lotions and I messed my skin up last year with mineral sunscreens. I also find that sometimes The Organic Shop just sits on my skin no matter how much massaging in and feels dry later on. If it’s humid after a shower, it doesn’t seem to massage in at all. In the winter after showering I change back in PJ bottoms for 15 minutes for the lotion to absorb, not my leggings absorbing any. 

By now you guessed I care for the environment. I wanted a reef friendly sunscreen and most are mineral based of zinc or titanium dioxide. After going through several brands, my skin can’t deal with lots of zinc. It’s hard to wash off and it dries my skin out to the point it cracks and is painful. I thought I found one last year that worked with my skin, Freshly Cosmetics Healthy Protection Sunscreen Body Lotion however after using it since May, it’s started to dry my skin out. I thought I found a way to remove mineral sunscreen effectively as soap, coffee and sugar scrubs, dry brushing don’t, with a pumice stone. It does but you have to be careful using it. Back story over, I needed something that would help my skin back to happy. 

The Recipe From A Beautiful Mess

1 cup or 225 grams of cocoa butter

1/2 cup or 64 grams of avocado oil 

Using a Bain-marie ensure the bottom of the top pot/pan isn’t touching the water, gently simmer until all the oils are mixed. Chill for about an hour in fridge before whisking into a butter. A Beautiful Mess recommend using an electric beater. As I don’t have one, I tried a fork. It worked but it wasn’t smooth. As the photo on A Beautiful Mess used a chopstick I used a chop stick to stir the oils every now and then blending while heating and whisking it into a butter and it works fine. Towards when the hour’s up, I take it out the fridge every few minutes to whisk it so it doesn’t solidify. If it does you can heat it up a little again. As I use a metal bowl, that chills before the oil start to solidify completely and helps with the butter like texture. Although to be honest it doesn’t matter as I still have to take the jar into the shower to warm the ‘butter’ up to apply it easily as it cools to a solid. Depending if you added a little more avocado oiI, the butter take on a greener yellow hue.

I’m on my 3rd batch and find I can only use it at night. I feel like a sensitive fussy basket case. Like I can’t use shea butter its own, neither can I cocoa butter or any oils on their own as if any strands of hair touch it, I have greasy chip fat locks thanks to fine porous hair. I also recommend using it when clothes you’re wearing you aren’t bothered with grease stains. I’m still looking for a day body lotion that’s hydrating. In the winter I should be fine using in the morning. Now I’m showering x2 daily, I save the cocoa butter and avocado oil for the evenings. As previously mentioned I have to take the pot in the shower to warm up making the oils easier to apply. It takes forever if it’s a solid, which is why I wanted a mix of oils as try when pushed for time working solid cocoa butter in. It also gets used up a lot quicker as opposed to mixed with other oils. 

I went for A Beautiful Mess recipe as it was the easiest recipe I could find without the ingredients being sourced from everywhere and that she mentioned avocado oil shouldn’t overpower cocoa butter’s fragrance. Cocoa butter is rich in fatty acids helping hydrate, nourish the skin and improve skin elasticity aka stretch marks! Avocado oil is rich in vitamin E as well as potassium and lecithin. It’s high oleic acid content helps promote collagen production as well helping skin heal. Perfect for sensitive skin and if you been out in the sun all day (not necessarily sunbathing, just out in the summer sun)! As for my zinc reaction, it’s helping nurse my skin back to hydrated.

Cocoa Butter I get from Eco-Verde. All packaging is bio degradable from the cardboard box to biodegradable plastic containing the cocoa butter. It’s also the most cost effective on their site. 1 box €8 240g is about 2 batches with the cocoa butter solids being about 118 grams each. The avocado oil I get from my local supermarket. It’s not cheap approx €10 250ml however I get just under 4 batches from one bottle. The small mason jars were about €1.50-2 each from Casa. I’d like to get brown glass jars in the future as they protect products from sunlight. Each batch produces about a jar and a 1/3, lasting about 2 weeks making it €6.50 per batch. I’m still looking for a lotion that doesn’t give me greasy lanky locks if my hair touches it, that’s clean and cruelty free for the day time. Please comment below if you know one!

Have you tried DIY body butters or any other skincare product? Do you prefer shea butter or cocoa butter? My next DIY beauty product are SPF lipbalms. I’ll keep ya updated!