Coconut & Almond Shea Body Butter

Shea butter and almond oil make a smooth, creamy body butter when they are whipped together with coconut oil. The shea butter forms the base and the almond oil is mixed in at the end. The recipe has only three ingredients. Baraka Shea Butter is unrefined and made by hand by the women of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana.

Shea butter and almond oil: how they work together

In this recipe the shea butter is melted with coconut oil, cooled and whipped. The almond oil goes in last, which gives the finished butter its smooth, creamy texture.

Shea butter is solid at room temperature and melts on contact with skin. It is traditionally used on dry skin, lips, hands, feet and hair. Shea is the seed of a fruit.

Baraka Shea Butter is unrefined. It is strained and filtered only, with no refining, bleaching or deodorising. Its natural colour ranges from ivory through cream to pale yellow and varies between batches. A mild nutty smell is normal and is not a fault.

Use Baraka Shea Butter for the base of this recipe, because it is unrefined and made by hand at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre.

What is body butter? It is a rich blend of natural oils and butters, formulated to hydrate, protect and nourish your skin.

Coconut almond shea body butter recipe: three ingredients

This recipe needs shea butter, virgin coconut oil and almond oil, plus a few drops of essential oil if you like. You need a heat-safe glass bowl, a saucepan and a clean container.

Virgin coconut oil is pressed from the fresh kernel of the coconut. It is mechanically pressed, with no solvent extraction and no chemical refining, and it keeps its fresh coconut aroma. It is solid below about 75°F (24°C) and a clear liquid above it. It absorbs quickly rather than sitting on the skin.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) Baraka Shea Butter
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) almond oil
• Optional: 5 to 10 drops (about 0.25 to 0.5 g) of your favourite essential oil

Do not use essential oil on newborns. Do not use bergamot or lemon essential oil in a leave-on recipe, because both are phototoxic. Sweet orange can replace them at the same number of drops.

How to make coconut almond shea body butter: step by step

Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together, chill the mixture for 30 minutes, whip it, then mix in the almond oil and any essential oil. Cooling the melted butter quickly matters, because shea butter turns grainy if it cools too slowly.

Directions

1. Put the shea butter and coconut oil into a heat-safe glass bowl and mix them together.
2. Place the glass bowl in a saucepan filled with water.
3. Heat on medium, mixing continuously, until the shea butter and coconut oil are melted and combined.
4. Place the bowl in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes, then whip. If it is not cooled fast enough, the shea butter will turn grainy.
5. Whip until you have a butter-like consistency.
6. Mix in the almond oil and the optional essential oil.
7. Pour the butter into a sterilized container and let it cool. Then enjoy your body butter.

Buy the ingredients now

This recipe uses two Baraka ingredients. One click takes both straight to checkout.

• Baraka Raw Shea Butter, 17.6 oz (500 g): enough for two batches
• Baraka Virgin Coconut Oil, 8.8 oz (250 g): enough for two batches

Buy both now

Almond oil and essential oil (optional) are not Baraka products; use your usual supplier.

Storage

Keep the body butter in a closed, sterilized container, away from heat and direct sun. Coconut oil solidifies and liquefies with the temperature of the room. This is normal and does not affect quality, so your butter may feel firmer in a cool room and softer in a warm one.

Baraka Shea Butter itself keeps 2+ years when stored properly, away from heat and direct sun.

Learn more about the ingredients

Shea butter is the heart of this recipe. It is made by hand by women's producer groups at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana. Wayne Dunn has worked directly with the Centre for over 15 years.

Quick answers

How to make coconut almond shea body butter?

Melt 1 cup of Baraka Shea Butter and 1/2 cup of Baraka Coconut Oil together in a heat-safe glass bowl set over a saucepan of water on medium heat, stirring until smooth. Chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes, because cooling it fast keeps the shea butter from turning grainy, then whip until it looks like butter. Mix in 1/2 cup of almond oil and, if you like, 5-10 drops of essential oil, then pour it into a sterilized container to set. More in HOW TO MAKE THIS VELVETY BODY BUTTER

Coconut almond shea body butter recipe

The recipe uses 1 cup of Baraka Shea Butter, 1/2 cup of Baraka Coconut Oil and 1/2 cup of almond oil, plus 5-10 drops of essential oil if you want a scent. Melt the shea butter and coconut oil, chill for 30 minutes, whip, then mix in the almond oil and pour into a sterilized container. More in HOW TO MAKE THIS VELVETY BODY BUTTER

Shea butter and almond oil

In Baraka's body butter recipe, shea butter and almond oil are blended at 2 parts shea butter to 1 part almond oil (1 cup to 1/2 cup), with 1/2 cup of coconut oil as well. The shea butter is melted with the coconut oil and whipped first, and the almond oil is mixed in at the end, which gives a smooth, creamy butter. More in HOW TO MAKE THIS VELVETY BODY BUTTER