# Help with Body Butter Please :)



## ButterWannaBe (Jul 8, 2012)

I have been experimenting with making a specific type of body butter that mimics afterlife or hustle butter deluxe. I don't know if anyone is familiar with either, but the consistency is the same in both, and both have almost identical ingredients. I suspect one mimics the other. Anyways, I love the stuff, my clients love the stuff, and I wanted to dabble with making some of my own. I am so close to having it right after about 7 rounds of trials, but I'm not quite there yet. The butter has a more solid texture, sort of bricky, but melts as soon as it hits the skin. It's solid white, and smooth. And it has very few ingredients in it. I know there are some things that don't have to be divulged on the ingredients, like emulsifiers and the like, but I think I'm still missing something. I tried beeswax to make it harder, and it works for the most part. I used some of my own concoction the other day and one of my clients complained that it irritated his skin. I am a tattoo artist if you haven't yet guessed. I used essence of coconut and pineapple in my butter, which may be the culprit. I am also using green tea extract, jojoba, argan, tamanu oils, and vitamin e.


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## Hazel (Jul 8, 2012)

Pineapple is very acidic so you might be correct about it irritating the skin. I looked at the ingredients for both butters and there isn't any emulsifiers in them. It's mainly butters and soft oils. Have you tried whipping the butters and then slowly adding in the oils while still whipping it? The whipping will give it a fluffier texture.

Links

Article 
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... -butter-2/

Article and video - watch this one to the end - the bloopers are funny. 

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... -queen-tv/

In the video, Anne-Marie mentions you don't need a preservative since water isn't added. You might want to consider a preservative since you don't know if people will be applying this with clean, dry hands (or better yet, a cosmetic spatula) and how they will be storing the butter. An example is if someone might leave the butter uncovered in a moist bathroom. 

BTW, I think your choice of using jojoba, argan and tamanu oils sounds like it would be wonderful for the skin.

eta: I forgot to mention. You'll want to make sure people keep the whipped butter in a cool place. If it gets too warm, it will melt and loose the fluffy texture. It will return to the harder texture once it cools and solidifies again.

I think you're right about one butter duplicating the other. They are very similar.

Hustle Butter Deluxe Ingredients: Organic Shea, Mango and Aloe Butters, Organic Coconut, Sunflower and Rice Bran Oils, Rosemary Oleoresin, Green Tea and Vitamin E Complex & Mint Arvenis Essential Oil. Essence of Papaya & Coconut.

Afterlife

Ingredients: Organic Shea, Mango and Aloe Butters, Organic Coconut, Sunflower and Rice Bran Oils, Rosemary Oleoresin, Green Tea and Vitamin E Complex. Essence of Coconut and Mango


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## itunu (Jul 8, 2012)

Is your main question what ingredient might have caused irritation?  Is the coconut and pineapple essence skin safe, ie is it a fragrance oil/essential oil which is cosmetic grade for use in bath/body products or is it food grade and meant to be used in food?


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## bransdead (May 26, 2013)

Hi I am a tattoo artist as well and just got to try out Hustle Butter. I really like it as it tops using traditional A&D in every way.
I have dabbled in making hemp soap and now would like to make my own butter similar to Hustle butter as well....just to use on my own clients without having to order and wait for good before and aftercare.
It also makes you feel good knowing you made it.

I cannot get my recipe even close is my problem.
My current ingredients:
Mango and shea butter
Coconut oil
Hemp/jojoba oil infused with rosemary and lavender
vitamin e
tea tree oil
I can work on the consistency but I cannot achieve a good smell.
I have no idea where to get essence of mango/coconut/papaya.
At walmart there is a mango shea butter which says is made with pureed mangos.
Im thinking of trying pureed mango and glycerin as a preservative?
Once again I cannot find and info or recipes for that. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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## adoptapitbull (May 26, 2013)

I find that anything with tea tree is going to smell like tea tree even if you try to cover it. Is that what you think the smell is coming from?

Glycerin won't act like a preservative in small amounts. You don't technically need a preservative since there's no water in your recipe.


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## bransdead (May 26, 2013)

Im treating the tea tree as an essential and only adding a few drops. You are correct....it is a very difficult smell to mask and very strong and not very appealing.

As far as the not needing preservatives due to no water....what about the pureed mango containing water?
Will it be safe being blended into the mixture of butters and oils without spoiling?
I tried a small batch with a decent size piece of mango with no result in smell 

Hustle butter and LPI Afterlife both say.... Essence of Papaya and Coconut and Mango.
I cannot find these anywhere.....are they the same as Essential oils?


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## bodhi (May 26, 2013)

Do not put pureed food of any sort in it, preservative or not. It will not be safe. 

Dont take this personally, but its a whole different ballgame when you start formulating with preservatives/other additives, etc. Even if you did know about preservatives, do you know if they are safe to put on/in open wounds? Will they react with ink? What is the absorption rate for broken and occluded skin? What levels of absorption are safe? How will you compare absorption rates between a 5 minute tat, a sleeve, a back, etc. 

Remember, whatever you put in this is going into an open wound.


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## adoptapitbull (May 26, 2013)

Bodhi is correct. I didn't notice the mango part. 

And really, no matter how fine the mango puree is, it's not going to absorb into the skin like oils or butters. It'd be like smearing baby food onto your skin....yuck!

And this is going on after a tattoo? Is this after the skin scabs or right after it's done and still open? I'd be SUPER careful selling/giving away anything going into a fresh tattoo. I would imagine that it would sting like all heck....ouch!

I do have to give you kudos for this thread, though. I'm going for my 5th tattoo next weekend and never had any cream to put on after I got my others. Seeing as I have most of the ingredients listed above, I might make a small batch just for myself to use afterwards. Thanks


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## new12soap (May 26, 2013)

_IF_ your product is completely anhydrous and _IF_ it is packaged in a dipenser where it will not be contaminated with moisture or icky fingers then you may not need a preservative. If you are going to be applying it or selling it or distributing it to your clients I would still use one. If you use glycerin in it at all it is no longer anhydrous and you absolutely need a preservative.  To learn about preservatives I would start here http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/

If you still do not wish to use a preservative, I would package it in a squeeze bottle (a malibu or tottle would work, depending on the consistency) and/or only get product with a clean one-time use cosmetic spatula.


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## Hazel (May 26, 2013)

bransdead said:


> Hustle butter and LPI Afterlife both say.... Essence of Papaya and Coconut and Mango.
> I cannot find these anywhere.....are they the same as Essential oils?



They're not essential oils. I think they're basically fragrance oils but it sounds better to list them as "essence of" since it sounds more natural as opposed to "papaya fragrance oil, coconut fragrance oil and mango fragrance oil". However, they could be more along the line of extracts or flavor oils used for food or lip products. I think the flavor oils for lip products would work well in a butter because they are oil soluble. Examples: Mango Papaya and Coconut Cream. (I'm not recommending these oils. I just using them to show you want I mean by flavor oils.)


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## misskat22 (May 27, 2013)

I seem to recall that people with latex allergies/sensitivities would also react to pineapple, so that could be what caused the irritation. As for the rest of, i have no idea. Hope you figure it out though!

ETA: The 'essence' could be something like this http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/raw-materials-fruit-extracts-c-13_61.html


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## Hazel (May 27, 2013)

misskat22 brought up a good point about pineapple. Also, shea has naturally occurring latex so it could possibly produce irritation for some people who are sensitive or allergic to latex.

Interesting about the fruit extracts but they'd have to be incorporated into an anhydrous product. I don't think they'd blend well into butter. However, I think they'd be wonderful in lotions or masks.


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## bodhi (May 27, 2013)

Did you read the MSDS sheets on the coconut and pineapple you used?  I dont know what you used so i cant look them up, but if they are anything like the ones listed by links in this thread, then they are probably what caused the irritation.  I looked up one of the ones linked previously and not only is it carcinogenic, its a known skin irritant.  No idea why its being used as it is, but the MSDS clearly states to avoid skin contact.  

I would stick with the natural butters.  They have thousands of years of absolutely safe use as topicals and edibles.  The only issues you may have with them would be the rare allergy.


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## Hazel (May 27, 2013)

http://www.crafters-choice.com/PDFs/ProductDocs/9419CoconutCreamSweetenedFlavorOilMSDS.pdf

I take it you're referring to this statement about carcinogenicity. Please read carefully.



> Carcinogenicity: This mixture contains ingredients identified as carcinogens, at 0.1% or greater, by the following:
> 
> None [X] ACGIH [ ] IARC [ ] NTP [ ] OSHA [



BTW, most MSDS state to avoid skin contact since the information is based upon 100% undiluted product. Even essential oils shouldn't be used undiluted.


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## bodhi (May 27, 2013)

Thank you Hazel, I looked again and I completely missed the [x] for carcinogenicity.  One is a sensitizer though and the other causes moderate skin irritation so if he used anything like this-with known warnings, i still would blame them over the shea, etc.  Especially on broken skin.  No one has any ideas what is in those products.


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## Hazel (May 27, 2013)

Not a problem. I don't worry too much about MSDS since they're based on concentrated liquids. Plus I used to work for a nursery and was one of the few people who had gotten state training for spraying pesticides and fungicides. You should read those MSDS. They're really scary especially since I was the one handling _*large *_amounts of undiluted liquids. So, I don't get too excited about what I read on cosmetic MSDS, using FOs or accidentally spilling a couple of ounces on me.

eta: I forgot to mention - I have a sensitivity to latex and I have gotten irritated skin from using shea and then wearing latex gloves. I didn't know about it since I had been using vinyl gloves previously and only found out when I opened a new box of latex gloves my boss had given me. It's like it was a latex overload.


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## bodhi (May 28, 2013)

Hazel said:


> Not a problem. I don't worry too much about MSDS since they're based on concentrated liquids. Plus I used to work for a nursery and was one of the few people who had gotten state training for spraying pesticides and fungicides. You should read those MSDS. They're really scary especially since I was the one handling _*large *_amounts of undiluted liquids. So, I don't get too excited about what I read on cosmetic MSDS, using FOs or accidentally spilling a couple of ounces on me.
> 
> eta: I forgot to mention - I have a sensitivity to latex and I have gotten irritated skin from using shea and then wearing latex gloves. I didn't know about it since I had been using vinyl gloves previously and only found out when I opened a new box of latex gloves my boss had given me. It's like it was a latex overload.



I probably have read them, lol.  After exposure such as that to large amounts of fungicides and pesticides you should be overly conscious of what is written in the msds sheets of the products you work with.  MCS is nothing fun.

Sounds like your reaction was to the latex gloves.  Have you tried Nitrile?  I have used them for about 20 years, theyre pretty good.

I still think the OP;s customer reacted to one of the additives.  It would only make sense.  Someone cant expect to inject known skin sensitizers and irritants and formaldehyde and whatever other non disclosed substance is in those things into someones skin and then wonder where the irritation came from.  

I had a funny thought while typing this.  Its kinda like the old curmudgeon shooting trespassers with buckshot cartridges loaded with salt and then calling the trespasser a 'insert derogatory name here' because they were screaming in pain.  Its just salt, you 'derogatory name'.... It may be just salt but it doesnt do nice things in some situations.  Thats why new MSDS sheets are required for any products made with the FO's and such.  

Jealous of the greenhouse work btw...


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## Hazel (May 28, 2013)

My reaction was from an overload. I was fine if I used the shea and wore vinyl gloves. I was fine if I didn’t use shea and wore latex gloves. But if I wasn’t thinking, applied shea and put on latex gloves, my hands would become very irritated, raw looking and I had a burning, itchy sensation. It was very unpleasant. I had to use what ever type of glove my boss supplied so I just made sure I double checked before I put gloves on. I do use Nitrile gloves at home. 

  Perhaps the customer did react to an additive but there is always going to be someone who’s sensitive or allergic to something in a product. Also, I understand people who want to make their own tattoo butter, cream or balm. I think they’re really expensive but this is just my opinion. Other people may not consider $20 for 5 oz of butter as unreasonable.



bodhi said:


> Jealous of the greenhouse work btw...


 
  My attitude is after 3+ years of spraying and being exposed to these chemicals, I don't expect to live to a ripe old age so not much worries me about being exposed to anything. But I can understand other people's concern and desire to eliminate as much chemicals as they can. 


  People would be surprised by how fast paced work was at the nursery. It could also be extremely stressful and was physically demanding. It didn’t pay well but at least I was fortunate to be kept on year round. Personally, I would have loved to have been able to afford to be one of the seasonal people and work from March into early November. Then I would have hibernated for the winter.   However, it was nice that I could wear a Walkman on the days I was the only person in the greenhouses. That was fun to bop along to music while I working.


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## victoria78 (Dec 15, 2022)

ButterWannaBe said:


> I have been experimenting with making a specific type of body butter that mimics afterlife or hustle butter deluxe. I don't know if anyone is familiar with either, but the consistency is the same in both, and both have almost identical ingredients. I suspect one mimics the other. Anyways, I love the stuff, my clients love the stuff, and I wanted to dabble with making some of my own. I am so close to having it right after about 7 rounds of trials, but I'm not quite there yet. The butter has a more solid texture, sort of bricky, but melts as soon as it hits the skin. It's solid white, and smooth. And it has very few ingredients in it. I know there are some things that don't have to be divulged on the ingredients, like emulsifiers and the like, but I think I'm still missing something. I tried beeswax to make it harder, and it works for the most part. I used some of my own concoction the other day and one of my clients complained that it irritated his skin. I am a tattoo artist if you haven't yet guessed. I used essence of coconut and pineapple in my butter, which may be the culprit. I am also using green tea extract, jojoba, argan, tamanu oils, and vitamin e.


I too want to make this. I am also a tattoo artist. Unfortunately I read through the thread and still no answers on how to achieve the wonderful sent.


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## Relle (Dec 16, 2022)

victoria78 said:


> I too want to make this. I am also a tattoo artist. Unfortunately I read through the thread and still no answers on how to achieve the wonderful sent.


This thread is 10years old and the above people all no longer here. If you start a new thread you might get some answers.


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