# "Winter is coming"...question about whipped body butter



## navigator9 (Nov 6, 2015)

While my own handmade soap and any good lotion seem to be enough to make my skin happy during the warmer months, as soon as the air gets cooler and drier, and the heat goes on in the house, my skin needs more moisture, especially my legs and feet. So I thought I'd make myself some whipped body butter to take care of the problem. Never having made it before, I did some reading, and at its simplest, it seems that 75% butter and 25% oil will do the trick. I like the idea of keeping it very simple, and I'm wondering what those of you who make it routinely would think of a recipe of just cocoa butter and avocado oil. They're two that my skin seems to like a lot. Do you think that combo would work well? Do I need to make it more complicated than that? Should I split the oils half avocado and half jojoba? And what's the smallest test batch that would whip up well enough to tell if it's going to be a good combo? Is that too many questions? Ooops...that's another question! :-D


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## shunt2011 (Nov 6, 2015)

I make one with  Shea Butter, Meadowfoam, Coconut, Avocado and IPM as well as a bit of Vit E.  I'm sure Cocoa will work and I too love Avocado and some Jojoba.  You can make a small amount, I think I started with 8 oz. I too get extra dry on my legs, feet and arms during the winter months with the heat on.  I also use a lotion bar for mostly my feet.   I just whip it with my hand mixer not my Kitchen Aid.  You may want to try some arrowroot powder or cornstarch if it's too greasy unless you happen to have some IPM.  I add IPM at about 2%.


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## kumudini (Nov 6, 2015)

I know cocoa butter is awesome in a WBB. Haven't tried avocado oil yet, so no help there. But you got the right idea about the proportions. Just try your recipe and see how you like it. For the smallest quantity you can whip up, find the smallest whisk attachment and see if it fits in your smallest of coffee mugs, if it does, I think you can whip up a 2-4 oz batch. Of course I never did make a tiny batch, my first one was 24 oz, I just shared with my close friends, yep not really knowing how it works. It worked out fine though.
IPM is great, this and corn starch work to make the product less greasy and easier to absorb.

I think I'm the only odd person who loves glycerine for winter skin, but just oils and butters don't bring enough moisture to my skin when everything else is trying to rob it.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 6, 2015)

I would love a good recipe that is nothing but cocoa butter and avocado. If you find one, please post it!

Regarding feet: Do you have dry, cracked heals that develop sore or even bleeding cracks? My mom gets them BAD. A pedicurist told her that when the pedicurist had that problem, she figured out it was a case of athlete's foot. 

Scrub your tub/shower with bleach. You may need to do this regularly if somebody else is re-infecting the area with athlete's foot. 

Treat the whole foot with athlete's foot treatment. There is a great cream in a tube that's .98 at Wal-Mart. 

Moisturize the feet well. For example, slather them with lotion or a salve and put plastic baggies over them at night. 

Exfoliate the feet GENTLY. Get one of those foot files or the cheese-grater type thing, and do a few swipes (less than 5) over the area each time you bathe. Or let a pedicurist use a dremel-like thing on it.

Of course, wash the feet well with soap and water.


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## kumudini (Nov 6, 2015)

Dixie, if it's just those two ingredients, You could mix mini batches of CB/ AO in 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40 proportions and see which one you like better and tweak it from there. What's great for someone may not be as great for you and this is such a simple experiment.


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## lenarenee (Nov 6, 2015)

kumudini said:


> I know cocoa butter is awesome in a WBB. Haven't tried avocado oil yet, so no help there. But you got the right idea about the proportions. Just try your recipe and see how you like it. For the smallest quantity you can whip up, find the smallest whisk attachment and see if it fits in your smallest of coffee mugs, if it does, I think you can whip up a 2-4 oz batch. Of course I never did make a tiny batch, my first one was 24 oz, I just shared with my close friends, yep not really knowing how it works. It worked out fine though.
> IPM is great, this and corn starch work to make the product less greasy and easier to absorb.
> 
> I think I'm the only odd person who loves glycerine for winter skin, but just oils and butters don't bring enough moisture to my skin when everything else is trying to rob it.



No you're not!!!  Glycerin/water spray is my best friend!


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## navigator9 (Nov 6, 2015)

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback. The house is still in a state of upheaval from all the work going on, but as soon as I can locate the cocoa butter, I'm in business. I'll report back on the results. 

Dixie, no cracked heels, just dry, dry, dry. I've been very caught up with all the house stuff, and neglecting my normal hair and skin moisturizing. I can't wait til everything's done, and I can get my house back in order and get back to some sort of routine! Good basic skin care isn't a hit or miss kind of deal, you have to be diligent, and I've been guilty of slacking off. My skin will probably soak up the body butter like a sponge...I can't wait!


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## traderbren (Nov 6, 2015)

I'm daft and have only made lotions and thick butters with ewax. For this do you just melt the butter and add the oil and whip or do you chill it first (I'm guessing it's Door #2)?


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## navigator9 (Nov 6, 2015)

traderbren said:


> I'm daft and have only made lotions and thick butters with ewax. For this do you just melt the butter and add the oil and whip or do you chill it first (I'm guessing it's Door #2)?



My research led me to this site. It seems pretty thorough, and if you check on youtube, there are some good videos, too. I don't think there's any chilling involved, at least not as far as what I've read. 

http://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/my_weblog/2013/02/how-to-make-whipped-body-butters-1.html


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## kumudini (Nov 6, 2015)

I think if you start whipping the melted oils while still hot, it's going to take a long time until they cool enough to start solidifying. May not be very good for your mixer. A period of cool down whether on the table or fridge is useful in my opinion.
Once I saw Ariane's first video on WBB where she only melts the mango and cocoa butters and adds into the rest of the mix at room temps and starts whipping. I thought that would be so easy but my end result was grainy.
Melting, mixing thoroughly, chilling just a bit and then whipping is my standard procedure now.
I see that Ariane changed her procedure as well in her second video on body butters.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 6, 2015)

I melt my butter then add my liquids. I then place my pan in a ice bath and just let it sit for a bit. I scrape the sides and bottom periodically wit a spatula. Then I start whipping it in the ice bath. Then let it sit a few and whip some more. I scrape the sides and bottom and then whip some more.   I tried the fridge thing but it didn't work as well for me.  I like keeping an eye on it.


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## navigator9 (Nov 7, 2015)

kumudini said:


> I think if you start whipping the melted oils while still hot, it's going to take a long time until they cool enough to start solidifying. May not be very good for your mixer. A period of cool down whether on the table or fridge is useful in my opinion.
> Once I saw Ariane's first video on WBB where she only melts the mango and cocoa butters and adds into the rest of the mix at room temps and starts whipping. I thought that would be so easy but my end result was grainy.
> Melting, mixing thoroughly, chilling just a bit and then whipping is my standard procedure now.
> I see that Ariane changed her procedure as well in her second video on body butters.





shunt2011 said:


> I melt my butter then add my liquids. I then place my pan in a ice bath and just let it sit for a bit. I scrape the sides and bottom periodically wit a spatula. Then I start whipping it in the ice bath. Then let it sit a few and whip some more. I scrape the sides and bottom and then whip some more.   I tried the fridge thing but it didn't work as well for me.  I like keeping an eye on it.



Thanks for the tips on chilling. The site I read didn't mention that.


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## Deedles (Nov 7, 2015)

Has anyone used anhydrous lanolin in butters or lotions?

In my former life as a Pharmacy Tech I used to make a lotion for one of the nursing homes. I can't find the exact recipe but it was glycerin, anhydrous lanolin, aloe juice and a base lotion we used to formulate lotions per Dr.s orders. For fragrance I added a few drops of bath oil. Estee Lauder Youth Dew was a huge hit at the home! It's been years since I made it but I remember it being very moisturizing and absorbed well with no greasy feel.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 7, 2015)

I have some but didn't think to use it. Now you've got me wondering as well.


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## Paintguru (Nov 8, 2015)

kumudini said:


> I think I'm the only odd person who loves glycerine for winter skin, but just oils and butters don't bring enough moisture to my skin when everything else is trying to rob it.



I think this is a key statement that shouldn't be overlooked in the winter.  The problem with anhydrous products is that, as designed, there is no water.  So while it can form a barrier and keep any moisture in, it isn't introducing moisture to your already dry skin.  This is why I'm trying to make lotions for the winter as well as whipped butters.  In my opinion, whipped butters are good to apply after showers or hand washing while lotions are good for times you need to add moisture.  Just my interpretation of things I've read.


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## houseofwool (Nov 8, 2015)

I think 75% cocoa butter is going to make the whipped body butter extremely firm. You may need to drop that down a bit.


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## navigator9 (Nov 8, 2015)

I made the wbb this morning, and I did decrease the amount of cocoa  butter. I used 4oz cocoa butter and 2 oz avocado oil. I put it in the  fridge after melting, and with all that cocoa butter, it didn't take  long to firm up. It whipped beautifully, and again, with the cocoa  butter, it was quite firm after whipping, but melts instantly when it touches my  skin. Even though I added a bit of cornstarch, it still feels kind of  greasy, but at this time of year, I can take a little greasiness. Next  time, I may try jojoba instead of avocado. Thank you all for your input!


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## CMars (Nov 8, 2015)

I make wbb pretty regularly and I find a ratio of 3 parts butters to 1 part oil to be very good and some added starch can be nice. I don' add any waxes or complicate it any further. yes you have to wait until it cools, otherwise you will whip for nothing. I made a post about it when I was pregnant  https://marsbalms.wordpress.com/tag/body-butter/


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## navigator9 (Nov 8, 2015)

Well, now that the wbb has completely cooled and set up.....it's too hard. I mean, it's still scoopable, but it's not a creamy, whipped butter consistency. If I get a chance tomorrow, I think I'll try to melt it down again, and add some jojoba and see how that works out. My legs did soak up all the butter that I put on them earlier today, and they feel nice and silky!


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## Cactuslily (Nov 8, 2015)

I recently made a batch of WBB. I've alway chilled my oils a bit before whipping. This time, I didn't have arrowroot, and subbed tapioca starch. It came out too firm for my liking. It melts on contact, but I need a small spatula to get any out of the container. Maybe I added too much tapioca starch? Will probably re melt and add a bit more liquid oils to see if it softens a bit. As for putting baggies over your feet at bedtime, I forgot they were on and ended up a$$ over teakettle. Won't be doing that again anytime soon.


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## whitewitchbeauty (Nov 8, 2015)

How do you get shea butter to not get seedy in the body butter? That happened to me last time.


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## Cactuslily (Nov 8, 2015)

I've never had that issue before, but for this batch of WBB, I used unrefined Shea, so I heated other oils, then added Shea to the warmed oils so it melted gently. I had no issues.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 9, 2015)

whitewitchbeauty said:


> How do you get shea butter to not get seedy in the body butter? That happened to me last time.


 
If you mean grainy you just need to temper your butter.  Melt it and then hold it for about 20 minutes then chill it.  I don't find that with whipping it that it gets grainy though.  At least from my experience.


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## cerelife (Nov 13, 2015)

My whipped body butter is two parts refined shea butter (because I despise the scent of raw shea butter) to one part coconut oil, with a touch of Avocado oil and Tapioca starch to tone down the 'greasy' factor.
I melt nothing - I just beat the ever-loving fool out of it with a commercial Kitchen Aid mixer until it's the consistency of a nice fluffy mousse - and it stays that way  I've never tried using cocoa butter, but I'm not sure even the Kitchen Aid could deal with that brick-like hardness, so not much help there.
I live in the Deep South (where we are convinced that we're going to freeze to death if the temps drop below 50 degrees), and I LOVE WBB in the summer since it feels great and provides a nice, subtle sheen on the skin, and I often add a touch of gold mica to mine for added oomph. But in the winter I don't love it as much...so I'm currently working to formulate a lotion recipe that will work better for us in the cold months.


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## JayJay (Nov 13, 2015)

cerelife said:


> My whipped body butter is two parts refined shea butter (because I despise the scent of raw shea butter) to one part coconut oil, with a touch of Avocado oil and Tapioca starch to tone down the 'greasy' factor.
> I melt nothing - I just beat the ever-loving fool out of it with a commercial Kitchen Aid mixer until it's the consistency of a nice fluffy mousse - and it stays that way  I've never tried using cocoa butter, but I'm not sure even the Kitchen Aid could deal with that brick-like hardness, so not much help there.
> I live in the Deep South (where we are convinced that we're going to freeze to death if the temps drop below 50 degrees), and I LOVE WBB in the summer since it feels great and provides a nice, subtle sheen on the skin, and I often add a touch of gold mica to mine for added oomph. But in the winter I don't love it as much...so I'm currently working to formulate a lotion recipe that will work better for us in the cold months.



I have a kitchen aid and I would like to try this. I'm looking to give body butters for gifts. Are you using the mixer attachment or the whip attachment? I be only made body butter once before and I used a hand cake mixer. I was fan of how it turned out.  Oops I just noticed you said that you used commercial kitchen aid. I have a regular one.  I wonder if it would still work.

Side note:  I'm from the Deep South too and I know what you mean about thinking we are going to freeze to death. HAHA! I knew one lady who would keep her kids home from school temps dropped below 40. Well it only happened once a year or less. She wasn't going to send her babies out there to die. LOL When I went away to school farther north, I found out how good we had it with those mild winters. MY poor skin turned into alagator hide when I left the south.


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## JayJay (Nov 13, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> If you mean grainy you just need to temper your butter.  Melt it and then hold it for about 20 minutes then chill it.  I don't find that with whipping it that it gets grainy though.  At least from my experience.



I also read that sometimes Shea gets grainy if it has been melted too many times at high heat. The issue is that one never knows how many times the product has been melted down and what temperatures were used before one purchases. 

I would switch vendors if my Shea tuned grainy after a gentle melt.


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## newbie (Nov 14, 2015)

I just made a Dog Paw Balm/wax but I have to admit that I like it better than my body butter, for me. It's heavier but my skin feels heavenly!!! I think it will be much nicer during the drier winter months. I didn't scent it because it's for dogs but I don't even care. 

Made it with approximate proportions (by weight) of:

4 parts Olive Oil
4 parts Coconut oil
2 part shea butter
1 part beeswax
perhaps 1/3 part lanolin
a few drops of vit E oil

It may have been a touch over 1 part of beeswax. I had read a recipe that used volumes but I just used weight. In the middle of melting it down, I came across something that said the volume of grated beeswax was half of what I assumed the weight would be. I fished out the unmelted chunks of wax. I should have used 1 oz but had put in 2 oz and I fished out 0.7 ounces. To try to even up the proportions, I added a little bit of the other ingredients but it was not a precise thing. At any rate, the proportions I listed per weight are very close. Glorious!


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## navigator9 (Nov 14, 2015)

newbie said:


> I just made a Dog Paw Balm/wax but I have to admit that I like it better than my body butter, for me. It's heavier but my skin feels heavenly!!! I think it will be much nicer during the drier winter months. I didn't scent it because it's for dogs but I don't even care.
> 
> Made it with approximate proportions (by weight) of:
> 
> ...



I'm still hoping to get a dog, and I'm copying this so I will have it ready. And of course, I will try it out on myself for quality control! :wink:


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## newbie (Nov 14, 2015)

I've never used a dog paw wax so i don't know if my consistency is right. It's dab-able and almost like vaseline. Melts on my finger tip and is easy to put on the dogs without having to rub their paw pads. It's possible it's supposed to be harder and in fact, it probably is because they mention putting in lip balm tubes but I know my dogs wouldn't tolerate having that type of consistency rubbed over their pads. More beeswax would do the trick but I don't want it too hard. 

And m skin feels great today yet from last night's application!


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## cerelife (Nov 16, 2015)

JayJay said:


> I have a kitchen aid and I would like to try this. I'm looking to give body butters for gifts. Are you using the mixer attachment or the whip attachment? I be only made body butter once before and I used a hand cake mixer. I was fan of how it turned out.  Oops I just noticed you said that you used commercial kitchen aid. I have a regular one.  I wonder if it would still work.
> 
> Side note:  I'm from the Deep South too and I know what you mean about thinking we are going to freeze to death. HAHA! I knew one lady who would keep her kids home from school temps dropped below 40. Well it only happened once a year or less. She wasn't going to send her babies out there to die. LOL When I went away to school farther north, I found out how good we had it with those mild winters. MY poor skin turned into alagator hide when I left the south.



JayJay, I think a regular Kitchen Aid would do just fine! Refined shea butter is a little softer than the raw stuff, so just use a spoon to chunk it and the coconut oil up before you turn the mixer on and you should be good to go. I use the whip attachment and usually start at a medium setting to get everything blended together and looking kind of smooth, then I crank it up to high for 5-7 minutes to get that sweet 'mousse-like' consistency! BTW, add your Tapioca starch to your butters and then drizzle your avocado oil/fragrance on top or you will be like this woman...I once made the unfortunate mistake of adding it last so I feel her pain, LOL!
http://www.memedroid.com/gallery/317548
Yep, my first venture out of the South was also to college (Prescott, AZ) and I had NO clue how dry and COLD it could get there!!!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

I can say, now that I've tried it, that a regular KitchenAid with the whip attachment works fine. Go for it, JayJay!

On the subject of adding starches to make the butter feel less greasy -- what do folks prefer? I've heard of arrowroot and cornstarch. Are there other favorites? 

I tried the butter without any starch and it was just too, too greasy for me. I loved the soft, airy texture in the jar, but I didn't care for the greasiness on my skin.

So I added cornstarch (UK translation -- corn flour? That's the only starch like this that I have in the house). It's not bad, but I feel a wee bit of grittiness when I apply the balm to my skin. I used about 10% ppo, and that firmed the balm up quite a bit after sitting for 24 hours. The texture is like a refrigerated chocolate mousse -- airy, but firm. The firmness keeps me from using too much, so that's not a bad thing. I like how the butter melts instantly on my skin even with the added cornstarch.

I didn't have any personal opinion about how much to use, so I just followed the general guideline in the link Navigator gave (Post 9). That was "...1 teaspoon per 1 - 2 ounces of main ingredient...." which I translated to about 3 grams cornstarch per 30 g of fats. This seems pretty much like the max I'd want to use -- I'm thinking about trying maybe 5% ppo and see how the texture is at that dosage.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 17, 2015)

I  made some in my regular kitchen aid and I just used the regular beaters. I couldn't find the paddle attachment that some recommend. Don't be discouraged if it takes a while to get there - My oils were still too warm when I started and I'd whip and whip and the oils wouldn't be whipped, just still liquid. So I popped it back in the fridge for a few minutes and tried again.


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## kumudini (Nov 17, 2015)

DeeAnna, I learnt to use corn starch/ IPM in WBBs to decrease greasiness and to help easy absorption into skin here, on this forum from Shari specifically. I use both at 1% each and my WBBs are so much better than without them. They spread and absorb way more easily, there's only a brief period of stickiness from the 20% glycerine I use. I think that 1% is plenty, don't see a necessity to increase any further.


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## newbie (Nov 17, 2015)

I use tapioca starch at 1 tsp per 8 ounces of oils and it doesn't make the butter completely grease-free feeling but it takes only a minute or two to work in. I don't feel any grit at all.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

Oh, wow, you guys are using a LOT less than what the article calls for. That's probably the reason why I'm getting a slight gritty feel. Okay, I can see the direction I need to take! 

I don't think I've ever seen arrowroot in my small town grocery stores, but I wonder if I might find tapioca starch in the baking aisle. I just remembered -- I also have a modified corn starch called Clear Jell (used to thicken food for canning and freezing) that I might try.

Thank you for the advice -- much appreciated!


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## Obsidian (Nov 17, 2015)

Deeanna, do you have any grocery stores around that sell grains/flours/etc.. in bulk bins? Thats where I find my arrowroot powder. Health food store might also carry it, I like it a lot more then cornstarch. I have used tapioca flour before in lotion, it was nice too.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 17, 2015)

Yes, we do have a favorite grocery store that sells in bulk - People's Food Co-op in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I'll look for arrowroot powder and tapioca flour there next time I get to the city. Thanks for the tip, Obsidian!


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## doriettefarm (Nov 17, 2015)

I scored some tapioca starch at the asian grocery store . . . lots of goodies to be had there.


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## Dorymae (Nov 17, 2015)

Asian grocer is where I get arrowroot. Good luck.


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## cerelife (Nov 18, 2015)

I've tried all three of the starches mentioned (corn, arrowroot, tapioca) in WBB, and tapioca is my hands-down favorite! 
It's lighter and fluffier (not sure how else to describe it!) than the other two and seems to do more combat the 'greasy' feel of WBB - just MHO. I use 2T per 10oz of oils and it works like a dream!
I get mine from WSP and a pound will last you forever 
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/tapioca-starch-pure.aspx


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## houseofwool (Nov 18, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Yes, we do have a favorite grocery store that sells in bulk - People's Food Co-op in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I'll look for arrowroot powder and tapioca flour there next time I get to the city. Thanks for the tip, Obsidian!




If you come to La Crosse, PLEASE let me know. That's where I live!!!!!


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## kmarvel (Jan 8, 2016)

DeeAnna said:


> Yes, we do have a favorite grocery store that sells in bulk - People's Food Co-op in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I'll look for arrowroot powder and tapioca flour there next time I get to the city. Thanks for the tip, Obsidian!



How much cornstarch or tapioca flour do you use??   My recipe I used was 1/2cup shea butter,  1/4cup coconut oil and 1/4cup avocado oil.   
It wasn't too terrible greasy, but I would like to make it slightly less greasy.
And if the answer is 1%, please give me the exact cooking measurement..  1 tsp? 1/8 tsp?  1 Tbl?
Thank you.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 8, 2016)

You can weigh out your cuppy volumes to get the grams in total and add 1% based on that. 

Even B&B should be weight. When I find recipes in volume I convert it and carry onwards in weight. Makes everything (such as 1% cornflour) much easier


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## shunt2011 (Jan 8, 2016)

I don't make my body butters but measure I do it by weight.  It's the best way to do it for accuracy.   For your purpose I would start with a small amout and test it out to see if you need more.


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