Make Your Own Hippy Chick Hard Butter Hand Cream

Patchouli. It's one of those smell folks seem to either love or hate. Seeing the many different reactions at the farmers market has been very entertaining & enlightening. It is one of the reasons I love being able to interact with others to learn & grow on both sides (the farmer/creator's side & the consumer/user's side). Life is so much more interesting this way, don't you think?

I happen to enjoy patchouli. I prefer it with other essential oils, rather than alone. Not wanting to soften the patchouli scent too much for my patchouli fans, I added a small amount of real vanilla infused organic sesame oil to add a little sweetness to the final product.

Due to the organic all natural ingredients, this cream is solid in cool temperatures. To soften it, you simply leave it in a warm location (slip it into a roomy pocket for example). If it's hard you can use the back of your thumb nail to scrape it out. You then massage it into your hands.  The warmth of your hands will start to melt the butter into your skin giving your skin healing protection that is well worth the effort!

Please note that my hard butter doesn't require any preservatives as it is free from water or any watery types of ingredients. It is nothing but fats and waxes. It naturally preserves itself!

Before you get started:

I want to stress to you that for the most part, these are guidelines. I have provided links for products & supplies I feel you may find useful. After all, it's the stuff I have either used, or am currently using. In the end, use what works for you. I want you to be comfortable with the whole process. This isn't a chore, or a stress, it's a simple relaxing way to make your own hand cream free from synthetics - at a fraction of the cost. 

My personal preference for heating the ingredients is to use a paper bowl & a cast iron grill over the stove top or if it's during the winter, I forgo the grill & use a paper bowl on top of my wood stove. I prefer this method for it's easy clean up & the fact that I can toss the used bowl in the burn pile &/or compost pile. It also make a great fire starter. If you do not feel comfortable with my method/s, you can always opt. for a small crock pot, putting the ingredients directly into the pot. If you have a gas stove you may not feel comfortable with an open flame around your oils. This is perfectly understandable. You too, can use a small crock pot directly or make clean up easier by using a larger oval shaped crock pot and paper bowls. Yet another option is to heat the oils directly in a glass canning jar rather than a paper bowl. 

Clean up is a bit more difficult if you directly heat your oils & waxes in a glass jar or crock pot, but it can be done. Once you have finished, use plenty of straight soap no water. This is the same method I use to clean up after soap making. Water will only make the cleaning process more difficult. Once the vessel is sufficiently cleaned, you can then rinse it with hot water. If after rinsing, it still has residue, clean it again with plenty of straight soap no water. Repeat this process until it's clean.

There are no hard fast rules, except to please use common sense. Remember you are dealing with oils which are highly flammable. If for whatever reason, you do have a kitchen fire, do not use water! You can quickly toss baking soda on the flames, or quickly smother it with towels, or the best option (although very messy), use a fire extinguisher. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a messy kitchen then burn it to the ground!

Ready? Lets begin!

🌼 Hippy Chick Hard Butter 🌼

Ingredients:

• 4 Ounces Organic Cocoa Butter is the ultimate all natural moisturizer. It keeps skin soft & supple. It is one of the most stable, highly concentrated natural fats known. It melts at body temperature so that it is readily absorbed into the skin. It is often recommended for the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema & dermatitis. When applied topically, it creates a barrier between sensitive skin & the environment & also helps retain moisture. Pregnant women have long used to cocoa butter formulations to prevent & treat stretch marks.
• 2 Ounces Organic Shea Butter is made from the nut of the African Shea Tree. Shea Butter provides essential vitamins needed to make skin look & feel smoother, softer & most importantly, healthier. Its therapeutic properties protect the skin from wind, cold, sun & it helps heal wounds faster. Shea Butter helps fight the effects of aging & may repair rough, damaged skin.
  
• 2 Ounces Organic Beeswax is an all natural anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic & antibacterial skin softener that helps lock in the skin's own natural moisture, & creates a protective, long-lasting barrier against the elements.
• 1 Ounce Organic Vanilla Bean Infused Sesame Seed Oil (see recipe below) easily penetrates the skin & lips, is antibacterial & is a potent antioxidant.  It balances mood, reduces stress, & is a calming aphrodisiac.
• 50 Drops Organic Patchouli Essential Oil is an aphrodisiac, has antiseptic & antidepressant properties. It may help reduce marks left by scars, acne, chicken pox, measles & boils. It is also an insect repellent (it can be a people repellent too 🙃).

Supplies:

Scale
Paper Bowls
Stainless Steel Pot or Cast Iron Pan (better)
Glass Jars

Directions:

1. If you are using a large shallow stainless steel pot or large deep stainless steel pan, you will need to fill it half way with hot water. Put it on the stove on the lowest heat setting. If you are using a cast iron grilling pan (my preferred method), put the pan on your stove using the lowest heat setting.
2. Measure out your ingredients using your scale. Put your paper bowl on the scale first.  Then hit the tare button to zero out the scale. Next add 4 ounces of cocoa butter. You can then hit tare again to zero out the scale or add 2 ounces of beeswax next making the scale total 6 ounces.  Again, you can either hit tare a third time to zero it out or add 1 ounce of vanilla been infused sesame seed oil (pour very slowly) making the scale total 7 ounces.
3. Carefully place your paper bowl containing all four ingredients either floating in your pot of hot (not boiling) water or on your cast iron grilling pan (my preferred method).
4. Keeping the stove heat on the lowest setting, allow the beeswax and butter to slowly melt. Do not leave the mix unattended. This is a good time to prep your jars so they are ready to receive the melted product.
5. Once everything is fully melted and incorporated, turn off the stove heat. Add the patchouli essential oil. Carefully lift up the bowl, bend one side of the lip to form a little crease that will act as your pour spout. Pour the hot liquid into your jars of choice.
6. Let the jars sit until fully cooled & hardened. Place the lids on the jars.  Label the jars.
7. Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Infused Sesame Seed Oil Directions:

1. Pour your sesame seed oil (or oil of choice) into a small amber glass jar (8 ounces or larger usually works best).
2. Cut two whole vanilla beans lengthwise down the center with the point of a sharp knife.
3. Stuff the vanilla beans into a amber glass bottle.
4. Store in a cool location out of direct light.
5. Shake daily.
6. Let the beans infuse with the oil for at least a month before using.
7. When you use the infusion for a recipe, add more oil to the beans as needed.
8. Oil infusion should be good for at least a year.

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