Thin body butter

Obsidian · Jun 28, 2015

I made body butter today and it seems too soft/liquid. I don't know if its the recipe or the heat causing the trouble.
When I pull it out of the fridge for whipping, its fairly hard but after 3-4 minutes at room temp, its too soft to hold shape. We are having a heat wave at the moment. Should I just leave it until the temps have lowered some or should I try adding more butter?

4.60 oz shea
4.50 oz coconut
.80 oz avocado (just to use it up)
.50 oz Isopropyl myristate

a little lime EO, maybe 1/2 teaspoon

soapswirl · Jun 28, 2015

If it's warm I would think it's the coconut oil melting making it soft. If you want a firmer butter I would up the shea butter and lower the coconut oil. My favourite body butter recipe is 75% shea butter, 20% macademia oil, 4% ipm and 1% EO. I find it pretty firm but spreads nicely on contact with skin.

Obsidian · Jun 28, 2015

Thank you, I'll melt down some more shea to add to it.

Trix · Jun 28, 2015

It is the coconut oil obsidian. Along with the heat wave. This was some learning expeierence for me a few years ago, when I was in a super hot place and thought my usual high in coconut oil body butter would behave like it always did. So I make it, and the next day it is all liquid, not lotion...just runny liquid.

Why don't you really up the Shea butter to 8.60 then you have only half an ounce of cocont oil, and make whipped Shea butter body lotion instead?

Obsidian · Jun 28, 2015

I have plenty of regular lotion, I need a nice greasy butter

I added 5 more ounces of shea and melted it all together. Its in the fridge cooling now. If its still too soft, I might just wait until the heat wave passes before bothering with it again. I'm sure if the temps were normal, it wouldn't be misbehaving. If nessacery, I can always toss in some hard butters like coco or tucuma.

lsg · Jun 28, 2015

You might try putting it in the freezer for a while, that way it will cool faster. I think including cocoa butter may help to may a more solid body butter.

Obsidian · Jun 28, 2015

It whipped into a nice fluffy butter. It was still wanting to melt though so I'll probably add in harder butters some day. For now, it will stay in the fridge.