One of the most decadent and delicious gifts you can give someone is homemade body butter.  Rather than gifting people yet another tray of cookies they have to finish by the end of the holiday season, why not treat them to a festive body butter they can use long after the last ornament has been put away?

I especially love this orange spice body butter because it soothes the skin and, with the help of beeswax, locks in moisture and protects your tender outer shell from the elements.  The cinnamon and orange oils are anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agents.

Making your own body butter is a lot easier than people think; it's also better for your skin that mainstream lotions with bad-for-you ingredients--and less expensive!  In fact, the only really trick to making your own body butter is having patience while the beeswax melts and then waiting for the other oils to liquefy when added to the wax.

Special Tools:

Clean tin can

Old saucepan

Blender

Spatula

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup coconut oil

4 tablespoons beeswax, roughly chopped into small pieces

1 cup distilled water

30 drops orange oil

30 drops cinnamon oil

1. Place the saucepan on low heat and fill halfway with water.  Then place the clean tin can in the center of the saucepan.  Put the beeswax in the tin can and let melt slowly. When beeswax is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (but not to solidify) about 5-10 minutes.

2.  While beeswax is cooling, mix together olive oil and coconut oil in a small bowl.  Heat for two minutes in microwave and let cool about 5 minutes. 

3.  Heat the distilled water (still in a microwave safe measuring cup) for two minutes in the microwave and let cool about five minutes. Pour the last of the melted beeswax into the blender while it mixes ingredients on medium speed.

4.  Blend your ingredients in a blender.  First, add half of the oil mixture and begin to mix it on medium.  Once the oils begin to thicken, add half the water, then half the beeswax.  Blend for another 10-15 seconds or until first half of your ingredient are blended and being to thicken.  Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the blender and then begin blending on medium again.  Add remaining ingredients (oils, water, beeswax) one at a time until fully incorporated together.  Scrape down the sides one last time and blend for another 10-15 seconds.  The mixture should be thick.

5.  Turn off blender and add essential oils, stirring them in manually with your spatula, then blend completely on medium for another 10 seconds.

6.  Pour body butter into containers (I use mason jars) and let cool for at least half an hour before capping.  If you find your water separating from your oils, don't worry, that's normal.  It just means that the water temp and the oil temp weren't the same when you blended them.  I've noticed the more I make this recipe (or variations of it!), the less that happens, so just keep practicing.  Store in a cool, dry place for up to one month or in the fridge for six months--that is the advice the book I adapted the recipe from give.  Personally, I have stored this body butter in my bathroom sink for a couple months and it has been fine sans fridge.

7.  To use, apply after bathing or showering.  Use only a little at a time--a little goes a long way!