Attempts to mask the smell...

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AKelly75

DIY Nerd
Joined
Jan 21, 2018
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Location
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I made a body butter using Bacuri Butter. The recipe was about 60% Bacuri and the rest Brazil Nut Butter and Tacoma(?) butter. Ended up adding beeswax as the body butter was too soft. I like the end results with how it feels on my skin. However, I just can’t handle the smell. Bacuri butter is touted as having a “pleasant, moderately strong natural scent.” I find it pretty repugnant as it makes me feel a little nauseous. In an effort to mask some of the strong odor, I added some ginger-patchouli from BB, my absolute favorite, at the max usage rate suggested on their site for lotions. Now, I smell a little ginger-patchouli with Bacuri butter. Has anyone else worked with this butter and attempted to mask the scent?
 
I have not worked with Bacuri Butter, but do use neem oil quite often which is another pungent fragrance. What you could do is take a small amount and mix in a lighter scent just to offset the pungent. Lemongrass, Litsea (my preference), Lime, etc. Many time trying to mask a strong scent makes it worse. Go the opposite. Some orange scent might mix nicely
 
I make whipped Bacuri hair butter for my girls and I with Shea, avocado and Babassu. I found trying to cover the smell is futile, just roll with it. I like B.B. black raspberry vanilla the best for fragrancing it.

Are you sure your Bacuri butter is still good? It smells a bit earthy with a slight, very slight sour note with just a tiny hint of sweetness. I quite like it but then am a patchouli, vetiver lover so....
 
I made a body butter using Bacuri Butter. The recipe was about 60% Bacuri and the rest Brazil Nut Butter and Tacoma(?) butter. Ended up adding beeswax as the body butter was too soft. I like the end results with how it feels on my skin. However, I just can’t handle the smell. Bacuri butter is touted as having a “pleasant, moderately strong natural scent.” I find it pretty repugnant as it makes me feel a little nauseous. In an effort to mask some of the strong odor, I added some ginger-patchouli from BB, my absolute favorite, at the max usage rate suggested on their site for lotions. Now, I smell a little ginger-patchouli with Bacuri butter. Has anyone else worked with this butter and attempted to mask the scent?
I, too, have made a body butter with the same ingredients as you - it must be the same recipe! And like you, I find the smell absolutely repugnant. The bacuri butter hasn't gone off - I bought it yesterday. So, I was interested to read your post. I have followed the advice of cmzaha and added about 1% may chang EO and it's fine now. Thank you cmzaha!
 
Thank you for everyone who posted. The bacuri butter was purchased only a week or so before making it. Did not have that rancid smell I can smell with old or bad oils. I can only assume it was still good. Will try melting some down and mixing it with 1% Litsea or another similar EO. I also suspect it was the combination Bacuri and Tacoma that created the yucky smell. Like I said, I do like the end result so I am hoping I can find something to calm my gagging reflexes when using it.
 
...Will try melting some down and mixing it with 1% Litsea or another similar EO. I also suspect it was the combination Bacuri and Tacoma that created the yucky smell. Like I said, I do like the end result so I am hoping I can find something to calm my gagging reflexes when using it.

Just for your information, I did not need to melt the body butter to add the EO. It is quite runny as it is so I just mixed it well. So maybe after all, we are not using the same recipe!
 
Just for your information, I did not need to melt the body butter to add the EO. It is quite runny as it is so I just mixed it well. So maybe after all, we are not using the same recipe!

After making the initial recipe, I ended up adding a bit (quite a bit) of beeswax to thicken it up as it was so runny. I really do think we have the same recipe. :)
 
Just by reading the reviews about bacuri butter, I realize mine has been with me too long. When I bought the butter, two years ago (don't panic I kept it refrigerated), I used it once and truth be told, the smell was a turnoff, but like Jamaican fruit cake (smile) you "gotta" throw things out. I "Now" know to use the butter within a limited amount of time and, thanks to the recommendations given, how to mask it. Thank you.
 
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