Sunflower oil has been the beauty life hack of my life! It has transformed my skin and now I’m finding excuses reasons to use it in all my eco-beauty recipes. And this one is no different! If you’re looking for a simple but effective full-body moisturizer, this recipe is for you!
As the winter months approach, I set out to come up with a body lotion to keep my skin healthy even during the driest months of the year. A lot of zero waste recipes out there call for specialty ingredients that can be expensive or hard to come by. I knew I wanted to use sunflower oil ever since I started using it in my skincare routine. By combining the semi-hard coconut oil and hard shea butter, ingredients both rich in vitamins too, I created this amazing all-natural lotion alternative for a fraction of the cost.
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Why I love this DIY
- Suitable for all skin types.
- Super economical to make.
- It’s a snap to whip together.
- You only need three ingredients.
- It feels absolutely heavenly on your skin.
- You can source most of the ingredients zero waste and organic.
- Promotes collagen production by keeping moisture in your skin.
- It has a long shelf life.
- It’s completely natural and safe for your health and the environment.
- A little goes a long way!
About the ingredients
This recipe works so well because of the combinations of both soft and hard oils. This gives it a beautiful consistency and allows it to be whipped into a soft butter that feels smooth on your skin. The consistency is thin enough that you could put the body butter into a container with a pump.
- Coconut oil — This oil contains a lot of fatty acids, including lauric acid, which is great for nourishing the skin. It has anti-bacterial properties and will keep skin smooth.
- Shea butter — It has healing properties and tones and conditions the skin. Using it in this recipe, helps the lotion feel less greasy, acting as a thickener.
- Sunflower oil — Very rich in Vitamin E which helps keep skin young (prevents aging), can eliminate acne, and reduces inflammation. Sunflower oil has a super mild smell which makes it super versatile.
The packaging for these ingredients wasn’t zero waste for me. But the coconut oil is considered a bulk purchase! Instead of 7-8 little plastic jars, this is helping reduce the amount of packaging by using just one big jar. It’s going to last me months and months! I really don’t have bulk options near me, especially for beauty products. But it is a lot less packaging and chemicals than buying individual bottles of lotion.
Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Makes 8 oz or 1 cup. I store my body butter in an 8 oz Ball elite mason jar*.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup shea butter*
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- Essentials oils (optional)
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, shea butter, and sunflower oil.
- In a double boiler or by placing your mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the oils and butter until smooth.
- Place your bowl in the refrigerator or freezer to cool.
- Once cool, use a mixer or whisk to whip the body butter into a smooth texture.
- Place your lotion in an upcycled jar or glass container.
About all-natural moisturizers
The difference between body butter and lotion is the ingredients. Body butter simply refers to the fact that it has butter in the recipe. For a recipe to be classified as lotion, it has to have water in it. Water is what makes our skin moisturized.
For any DIY or natural recipe that contains water, the product must be stored in the refrigerator. Or else mold, ew! Besides being a hassle to store in the fridge, adding water decreases the shelf life. When you buy a lotion that doesn’t have to be refrigerated that means it has chemical preservatives.
Body butter acts as a barrier for your skin, keeping it hydrated by keeping the water in your skin. For ultra moisturized skin, apply the body butter on slightly damp skin (like right after getting out of the shower). This is how I apply sunflower oil to my face! I make my skin damp before applying a layer of oil, creating an on contact lotion of sorts.
I’ve basically been using this lotion nonstop since I created it. I added lavender and lemon essential oils to gives it a relaxing and yummy smell. Have you ever made your own lotion? Let me know in the comments below if you try my recipe!
Happy Making-
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I absolutely love this body butter! Just made a second batch! Thank you for posting this!