With this little one on the way, I've been busy making and thinking up body care product recipes for both me and Baby! As this belly of mine expands, I figured the first recipe that I should focus my attention on should be a belly butter that will help my skin stay moisturized as it stretches and grows to safely house this baby for another few months. For the past couple months, I've been using a homemade Shea moisturizer and a coconut and neem oil moisturizer off and on. I've had great results with both and my stomach has yet to show signs of being overstretched. While it may be too early to know for sure, I still thought it would be good to make a belly butter just for this occasion. The following recipe has a luxuriously creamy butter texture and the smell is absolutely divine! The added rose water and essential oils not only add a lovely fragrance, but all of them are also good for skin elasticity and overall skill health. Most of the ingredients below can be purchased through Mountain Rose Herbs, or found at your local health foods store or food co-op. The Shea that I used was by Everyday Shea, a fabulous company that does quite a lot of good in Western Africa.
Baby Bump Butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Shea butter
1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 cup rose water (or distilled or boiled water)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
7-8 ounces beeswax
20 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops Vitalize blend essential oil (a citrus blend by Melaleuca, The Wellness Company, you can easily substitute lemon, grapefruit, mandarin, orange, or a blend of these)
10 drops ylang ylang essential oil
Melt the Shea, coconut oil, and beeswax in a double broiler. Once it has melted, add the almond oil. In a separate sauce pan, warm the rose water until hot to touch. Add the essential oils to the rose water and adjust for desired scent. Pour the melted oils and water mixture into a glass jar and use an immersion blender (I have a special one that I use just for making soaps and lotions, but a you should be able to use your kitchen version and just clean it well) to emulsify them until it reaches a lotion-like consistency. Continue to blend it every few minutes until the mixture has cooled. At this point, it will still have more of a lotion-like consistency, but as it cools completely it will turn buttery. Put a lid on the jar or transfer the mixture into another container for storage. This recipe fits nicely into a pint-sized mason jar. To use, apply liberally to belly and breasts (or all over!). Use within six months for best results (both in moisture and freshness).