Whipped Shea body butter?

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NatureandNurture

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I'm going to try my hand making some of this. I have the ingredients and an idea for ratios. However, what would be the best method of 'whipping' the mixture? I have a stick blender and a hand blender (the hand blender would likely make it fluffier). Or should I just melt everything and combine with a spoon and let that be it?
 
i use a hand blender and have my melted oils sitting in an ice bath while i mix.
 
Please help me again to remember; it's been close to 2 yrs that I've made whipped shea butter... What's the ratio of the butter and oil???
I can also use plain olive oil or canola oil, right? (Would coconut oil work too?) How much preservative?

Sorry for all the questions, I really forgot a lot!!! :oops:
 
Your ratio can be whatever you prefer. I've seen recipes where it's almost all shea butter with only a small portion of oil, recipes where it's equal parts butter and oil and other recipes where it's 1 1/2 cups of butter to 6 oz of oil.

Here's a link to a recipe which is simple.

http://www.aromaweb.com/recipes/whipped ... recipe.asp

You might have to experiment by whipping up some shea and then adding oil until you get a consistency that you like. Again, I would think you could use any oil that you like.

I've used apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil in whipped butter recipes. Just the other day, I was thinking about trying fractionated coconut oil with shea butter because I'd like to have something very light and easily absorbed.

Happy New Year! :D
 
Thank you for your input, Hazel! :D
I will play around with it then. Since I'm in the country of olive oil, I have wonderful oil bought directly off the farmers (talk about organic & virgin oil!).
I'll let you know how it worked!

Happy New Year to you too! :wink:
 
Oh, I forgot to answer your question on preservative. It's based on the manufacturer's recommendation.

For example, if you're using Optiphen Plus, it's recommended at .5% to 1.5%, Germall Plus is .1% to .5%, and so on. (You also want to make sure you also follow the temperature recommendations.)

So, if your making up 300 grams (10.5 oz) of whipped butter and you're using a preservative at 1%, then you'd add in 3 grams (.1 oz or slightly over 1/2 tsp).

HTH :D

Edit: Wow! You're fast. :lol: Yes, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.
 
Hazel said:
Oh, I forgot to answer your question on preservative. It's based on the manufacturer's recommendation.

For example, if you're using Optiphen Plus, it's recommended at .5% to 1.5%, Germall Plus is .1% to .5%, and so on. (You also want to make sure you also follow the temperature recommendations.)

So, if your making up 300 grams (10.5 oz) of whipped butter and you're using a preservative at 1%, then you'd add in 3 grams (.1 oz or slightly over 1/2 tsp).

HTH :D

Edit: Wow! You're fast. :lol: Yes, I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.

Thanks again, Hazel!
I just whipped some shea! :wink: I only had exactly 4 oz left and wasn't actually sure if it's still good, being 1,5 yrs old :lol: but there was no mold or anything on and it was always stored in a cool place so I think it's good. (I'll use it only for myself anyway right now since I have no preservative yet. The ordered one will be here in a few weeks..)

It turned out good; only the amount of fragrance (I used Watermelon, 1/4 tsp) was maybe not enough as I can hardly smell it... I used 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of cornstarch and it's still fairly greasy.. Which is ok for my dry skin on the legs & feet. I guess it's nothing for the face unless I'd know I'm not leaving the house.. with a greasy shiny face! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks for letting me know on the amount needed of the preservative!
Once I have my new Shea butter etc. in the mail, I'll whip up some more and probably use up to 1 tsp of fragrance? What do you think? I'd love the butter to actually really smell like the fragrance I use and not only a slight trace...
 
As long as water hasn't been introduced into your shea, it should be fine and shouldn't have grown any microbes. I don't remember the shelf life for shea but if it had gone rancid, you'd probably have noticed really quickly when you opened it. :lol:

I should mention that I'm learning, too. :)

What's the maximum use level on your FO? Adding 1/4 t to 4 oz is 4% and some FOs have a MUL of 4% in creams and lotions. Others go higher, for example, I have an FO which states usage up to 7.9%. I've seen one where it was up to 20%. Also, you have to think about sensitivity to fragrance. Some people are very sensitive to scents (sinus headache :( ) and their skin can be irritated by the FO.

Another thought! If you're going to be selling, you'd want to use the minimum amount to get the scent you want in order to optimize your profits. You might want to separate some finished product and in each sample put a different percentage of scent. Perhaps a sample that has 2%, 2.5%, 3%, etc until you find the amount where the scent is to the intensity that you like.

Or just put a 1/4 t into 4 oz, let it sit for awhile, check it later and add another 1/4 t and so on. It does take awhile for a scent to marry into your product. After I've added fragrance or EOs to something, I can't smell anything for awhile. It's like my sense of smell has been overloaded so I go off to do something else. Then I come back a few hours later to check the scent.

It's also a good idea to have some unscented product around just in case someone likes the butter but doesn't want it scented. I have a friend who's like this. She wants the creams and lotions but she can't stand fragrances because they give her migraines.

EOs actually take a couple of days to settle into the final aroma. I was doing an experiment with citronella EO to see if I could use it in a lotion since I've read it's an antiseptic and good for oily skin. I blended it with clary sage and lavender EOs. Oooh! stinky, stinky! However, two days later it smelled great...not for a lotion but it will be a great scent for a candle. :lol:

I convert my measurements into grams and milliliters so I can be more accurate. Here's a link to a conversion site which might help you. I use the weight and volume links. Awhile ago, I made a table of conversions of the sizes that I generally work with so I wouldn't have to stop and figure out percentages, etc. I'll find it and post it later if you're interested.

http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/conversions.html

I don't want to insult you by telling you something you already know, so please don't be offended by my post.
 
Just a thought...have you used Natrasorb to eliminate the greasiness? I haven't used it but I'm interested in learning more about it.

Has anyone used this additive?
 
Hazel said:
As long as water hasn't been introduced into your shea, it should be fine and shouldn't have grown any microbes. I don't remember the shelf life for shea but if it had gone rancid, you'd probably have noticed really quickly when you opened it. :lol:

I should mention that I'm learning, too. :)

What's the maximum use level on your FO? Adding 1/4 t to 4 oz is 4% and some FOs have a MUL of 4% in creams and lotions. Others go higher, for example, I have an FO which states usage up to 7.9%. I've seen one where it was up to 20%. Also, you have to think about sensitivity to fragrance. Some people are very sensitive to scents (sinus headache :( ) and their skin can be irritated by the FO.

Another thought! If you're going to be selling, you'd want to use the minimum amount to get the scent you want in order to optimize your profits. You might want to separate some finished product and in each sample put a different percentage of scent. Perhaps a sample that has 2%, 2.5%, 3%, etc until you find the amount where the scent is to the intensity that you like.

Or just put a 1/4 t into 4 oz, let it sit for awhile, check it later and add another 1/4 t and so on. It does take awhile for a scent to marry into your product. After I've added fragrance or EOs to something, I can't smell anything for awhile. It's like my sense of smell has been overloaded so I go off to do something else. Then I come back a few hours later to check the scent.

It's also a good idea to have some unscented product around just in case someone likes the butter but doesn't want it scented. I have a friend who's like this. She wants the creams and lotions but she can't stand fragrances because they give her migraines.

EOs actually take a couple of days to settle into the final aroma. I was doing an experiment with citronella EO to see if I could use it in a lotion since I've read it's an antiseptic and good for oily skin. I blended it with clary sage and lavender EOs. Oooh! stinky, stinky! However, two days later it smelled great...not for a lotion but it will be a great scent for a candle. :lol:

I convert my measurements into grams and milliliters so I can be more accurate. Here's a link to a conversion site which might help you. I use the weight and volume links. Awhile ago, I made a table of conversions of the sizes that I generally work with so I wouldn't have to stop and figure out percentages, etc. I'll find it and post it later if you're interested.

http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/conversions.html

I don't want to insult you by telling you something you already know, so please don't be offended by my post.

Hazel,
thanks again for all your valuable input! I totally appreciate that!!!
It's hard to believe that I really seemed to have forgotten almost everything from ~2 yrs ago and in our move of course my folder with all my recipes etc. went missing! :cry:
When I opened the Shea butter, it wasn't really smelling or anything, so I assume it was really still good then.. Just very crumbly.., whcih I remember was like that from the day that I got it. (And slightly greenish in color, which turned white once I whipped it.)

As to your question about the max. level of my FO.. No clue! I'd have to check the manufacture's site again.. The whipped Shea body butter turned out super hard now and still hardly smells.. It smells almost a bit 'musty'.. :roll: Not sure if the consistency had anything to do with me whipping it TOO much??? Also I don't have the real whisker-attachments but the regular ones for my hand held mixer... Does that have anything to do with it? (I think I'll look if I can find one with those whisk-thingies...)

You're right, I should remember to keep some butters unscented! I myself am very sensitive to certain smells and can usually smell the slightest trace of something.. which is why I was wondering if I might not have used enough?? (I also forgot how much to use for my MP base.. If I only make 4oz bars single wise, was it 1 tsp?)
Right now I don't have any EOs, so I only use FO's.. Good to know though that sometimes it takes a while for the scent to actually 'develop' in the product!

Thanks for the link, that was very helpful! I already saved it to my favs! :wink:

Oh and please, tell me all the time if you know something I don't!!! I wouldn't take it offensive at all! I feel like a complete newbie again! :lol:
 
Oh, sorry! I didn't realize you had replied. I'm supposed to get an email sent when someone replies to a topic but sometimes I don't get one. It's very frustrating.

Anyway, Natrasorb is modified wheat starch. It's supposed to absorb extra oil so your lotion (or whatever) doesn't leave a greasy feel.

It's another additive that I wonder about but I feel I can't justify the expense of purchasing. :D There's other similar additives like Dry Flo but it's made from corn starch. I've been avoiding corn starch ever since I heard it can cause yeast infections.

There's also Isopropyl Myristate which is a liquid which I've also wondered about trying sometime.

Too many products, too little money! :lol:
 
Hazel said:
Oh, sorry! I didn't realize you had replied. I'm supposed to get an email sent when someone replies to a topic but sometimes I don't get one. It's very frustrating.

Anyway, Natrasorb is modified wheat starch. It's supposed to absorb extra oil so your lotion (or whatever) doesn't leave a greasy feel.

It's another additive that I wonder about but I feel I can't justify the expense of purchasing. :D There's other similar additives like Dry Flo but it's made from corn starch. I've been avoiding corn starch ever since I heard it can cause yeast infections.

There's also Isopropyl Myristate which is a liquid which I've also wondered about trying sometime.

Too many products, too little money! :lol:

Thanks for letting me know what it is!
Hey, I have a big bag of Dry Flo here from when I tried making body powders, cool! I'll have to try using that the next batch of my whipped Shea! (which after re-doing it again is still a bit too hard... :? Any ideas what the culprit is? Whipped for too long???)
 
I don't think whipping too long would make it hard. The whipping should make it lighter.

This would be a good time for someone with more experience to join this conversation. :lol:

Did you add some oil to the shea? If you didn't, you could slowly start adding in a little oil at a time to help soften it. Keep in mind that once it gets to the consistency you like, you need to let it sit until the next day to see if it thickens a little. ( :shock: I've really learned to remember to do this 'cuz some creams thicken a lot!) If it does, then you'd have to add a little more oil.

You mentioned earlier about 1 tsp in 4 oz of MP soap. That's correct for a 1% addition. But it's been well over a year since I've done any MP soaps and I don't remember what was recommended for fragrance levels.

I did find a little chart that I had made for myself. It's a bit repetitive but I originally found it helpful for me to get used to working with EOs and FOs. You might find this helpful.

Dilution amounts per 1 oz = 30 ml = 2 T = 28.4 grams

1% = 6 drops
1.5% = 9 drops
2% = 12 drops
2.5% = 15 drops
5% = 30 drops
7.5% = 45 drops

25 drops = 1/4 t
100 drops = 1 t
300 drops = 1 T
600 drops = 2 T

I had to be careful when working with ml. Depending on what type of dropper I used, I’d get varying amount of drops. When I used a pipette, I’d get more drops per ml than when I used an “eye dropper”. So, bear that in mind with the following measurement.

1 ml = approx. 20-30 drops

I generally always start with a 1% level of scent to make sure I'm not putting too much fragrance into it. So, for a 1% dilution into 8 oz, I'd just multiply 6 drops by 8 and add in 48 drops. Since 1% isn't a strong dilution, I'd go for 50+ drops and just add in 1/2 teaspoon or 1.5 ml.

This helped me get used to the strength of some of the oils I've been using in creams and scrubs. Some of the scents I could get away with using a lot less than 1% and others I had to use more.

Please let me know if adding oil to your shea helps. Now I have to go clean the kitchen. :(
 
Thanks again for your help, Hazel! :D (It seems no one else bothers joining in this conversation, huh? :lol: )

I printed out the chart you posted and will experiment today a little bit.
I just received my soap base order and am eager to create! :wink:

Have a nice weekend!
 
I've never used Germaben. Does it tell you the recommended percentage on the bottle?

Well, I've done two "experiments" and both have bombed. :(

The one I did today might turn out okay if it thickens up. I'll just have to leave it set and see what happens. The lotion I did yesterday I tried reheating and it still separated. Grrr...I hate it when I waste ingredients. Oh well, it happens.

I think I made 2 mistakes. One, I didn't have the water phase hot enough and 2, I didn't add enough e-wax. I'm going to try again today if I get a chance.

Enjoy your sugar scrubs! :D
 
Hazel said:
I've never used Germaben. Does it tell you the recommended percentage on the bottle?
Well, I've done two "experiments" and both have bombed. :(


The one I did today might turn out okay if it thickens up. I'll just have to leave it set and see what happens. The lotion I did yesterday I tried reheating and it still separated. Grrr...I hate it when I waste ingredients. Oh well, it happens.

I think I made 2 mistakes. One, I didn't have the water phase hot enough and 2, I didn't add enough e-wax. I'm going to try again today if I get a chance.

Enjoy your sugar scrubs! :D

I'll have to look at the bottle, I didn't even check! :oops: :lol:
Sorry that your 2 'experiments' didn't work out! I too hate when things like that happen!.. :?

Hey, are we the only active people here? :wink:
 

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