Homemade Belly Butter
Any woman who has had a baby knows that pregnant bellies are often itchy, dry, and/or decorated with stretch marks. The skin surrounding that little growing bundle gets stretched to the max and is often in need of a little extra TLC. There are all kinds of creams and lotions marketed to expectant moms, and some swear by their effectiveness. However, have you ever read the ingredients? Yikes! What is rubbed into the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream, so I have a hard time slathering my skin in chemicals that I can’t pronounce. I’d rather have the stretch marks.
But wait! There is a better way! A homemade skin cream is super easy to make, it works wonders on dry or irritated skin, it can be used as a lip balm, and is completely edible. Okay, so maybe you won’t want to actually eat it, but it is good to know that if it won’t kill you to eat it, it also won’t kill you to rub into your skin.
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I made my recipe based off of one that I got from Keeper of the Home but modified it based on what I had available. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, the ingredients I use in homemade skin care are from Mountain Rose Herbs (affiliate link) in case you are interested in trying some yourself. The end product is super thick and solid, so just a small amount is needed. It works best if you rub it between your fingers first to soften it, and then rub on the belly, or feet, or hands, or lips, or whatever other spot is needing some soothing.
Belly Butter
- 1/4 c. shea butter and cocoa butter, each
- 1/4 c. olive oil and coconut oil, each (I use the oil from Tropical Traditions)
- 4. T beeswax
- 1 t. vanilla (optional, but it smells nice)
- 10 drops lavender essential oil (also optional, but it adds to the scent and is soothing to the skin)
- Add the butters, oils, and beeswax to a small sauce pan and heat gently over low heat until everything melts together. The beeswax will be the last to melt.
- Once it is all melted, remove from heat and allow to cool, but not harden. Stir in vanilla and lavender oil if using.
- Pour it into small jars or tins and allow to cool and solidify completely before capping and labeling. The recipe makes about 4 ounces.
I would think that using just olive oil and shea butter would result in a softer cream, but perhaps on the oily side since the olive oil is heavier. You could also try using sweet almond oil, which is great for the skin, but on the pricier side. The coconut oil and cocoa butter are what make the butter so firm at room temperature, so substituting those with softer alternatives could change the end product to something softer if you’d prefer that.
With the vanilla and lavender, the cream smells fabulous, but even left plain, it has a really nice natural smell. Good cocoa butter smells just like chocolate, coconut oil has a light coconut fragrance, and the beeswax will leave a smell like honey.
To make measuring easier, beeswax can be purchased in pastille form, which eliminates the need to grate it yourself. The same is true for cocoa butter. I have beeswax in pastille form, but not cocoa butter, and I will assure you that the next time I buy cocoa butter it will be pastille form.
Last, but not least, I’ve found this to be a great lip balm to put on before bed. You can purchase empty lip balm tubes, and use this recipe to fill them!