/How-to/ Natural Body Balm

these were purchased by me.
I may have mentioned this before, but I'd like to say it again because I don't know when or where I said it: I have sensitive, problematic, eczema-prone skin. It spans from my face to my arms to my legs and back--it's everywhere. I didn't even know it was all eczema until a recent visit to my doctor (even though I know I was diagnosed with eczema as a child). As a result, I'm very particular about what sort of products I use on my skin, paying close attention to the ingredients. I like to use natural and/or organic moisturizers as much as I can on my body. I've used many different oils ranging from jojoba to vitamin E to coconut (a favorite of mine), but they never seemed to hydrate my skin enough. One day I had the crazy idea to combine coconut oil with shea butter. This is the what happened.

To make this body balm you'll need


.coconut oil
.shea butter (I used an unscented one)
.measuring spoons (..or cups if you intend to make a lot of balm..)
.a spoon (not pictured, sorry!)
.a microwavable bowl
.a container to hold the finished product (I used an old Egyptian Magic tub)

I like to do a one-to-one ratio of the shea butter and coconut oil. If you prefer a more liquid-y/oily balm then use more of the coconut oil, if you want a more solid balm use more of the shea butter.


I measured four tbs of each of the ingredients.

I warmed the two ingredients together in a microwave (don't keep it in there for too long!) and mixed them together

I let it cool for a bit, until I was able to touch the mixture and then I transferred it to my container.

Since it's still too liquid-y, I put the container in the fridge until it solidifies into a balm.

짜잔!
Now it's ready to use! The balm will have a slightly coconutty scent, but the shea scent might be stronger. Overall, it smells kind of nutty, a little bitter, but it goes away within minutes of applying it to skin. This balm works as a great pre-moisturizer and layers well with lotions. It leaves a slight sheen to the skin, making you look healthy and glowy.

hydration~
You don't need to apply much of the balm to get the full hydrating benefits of it. A little goes along way and covers more skin than you'd imagine. It doesn't irritate my skin at all, it's just super moisturizing. Aside from feeling a little slick (because of the coconut oil), my skin feels comfortable without any dryness. This balm does take a while to get absorbed by the skin so I would recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before putting on clothing like pants or anything expensive that you don't want to accidentally ruin.

I love this new balm I concocted. It does what I need it to do, moisturize my skin, without any unnecessary chemicals/fragrances/irritation. I would suggest anyone to try and make this because it's economical (when I made my first batch, one 2 oz/60 g container lasted me about three months) and good for the skin. Everyone can benefit from it, I think. I know I'm going to keep making this.