Dry skin is a problem that plagues many. Not only does dry skin look unsightly, but it can also be painful and irritating. Perhaps you load on the moisturizer only to find that your dry skin persists? The good news is that you can have soft and sexy skin without breaking the bank or exposing yourself to an unhealthy cocktail of chemicals most frequently found in personal care products.
This is one of the simplest recipes of all time. Using just a few, very safe and effective ingredients, these shea butter lotion bars are great to use daily on all parts of your skin. The ingredients feed the skin and seal in moisture to guarantee supple and healthy skin all day long.
What makes these bars so effective?
The simple, all-natural ingredients in these body bars make them the perfect ammunition against dry and cracked skin.
Shea butter: Shea Butter, with its slightly smoky smell and silky feel on the skin, is extracted from the seeds of Vitellaria paradoxa tree native to West Africa. It is a godsend for the people of this region who have been using it for cosmetic, nutritional, and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. They use it to protect their skin and hair from the drying effects of Sub-Saharan climate. There’s evidence that it had played an important part in the beauty regimen of Cleopatra of Egypt in the first century BC. Read more about the benefits of Shea butter for skin and hair here.
Coconut oil: Full of antioxidant vitamin E, coconut oil is a wonderful natural moisturizer that can help to heal damaged skin, reduce signs of aging, strengthen the epidermis against cellulite, fade stretch marks, and eliminate keratosis pilaris. Coconut oil offers natural protection from harmful UV radiation. It can even be used to prevent or heal microbial and fungal skin infections such as those that cause or exacerbate cracked heels and acne. Read more about why coconut oil should be a vital ingredient in your skin care regimen here.
Beeswax: This amazing gift from the bees is a surfactant that contains over 284 valuable ingredients. Beeswax is a natural alternative to mineral oil and also has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that help keep bacterial infections at bay while moisturizing the skin.
Vitamin E: This powerful vitamin is an antioxidant that protects the skin by neutralizing free radicals that can cause damage and premature aging.
The Recipe
These bars are so easy to make that you will want to share them with all of your friends and family. They’d also make great gifts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup shea butter (get it here)
- 1 cup coconut oil (get it here)
- 1 cup beeswax (get it here)
- 4 capsules vitamin E (get it here)
Equipment
- A mold of your choice (There are lots of fun mold templates here)
Instructions
- Measure the shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax.
- Place them in a microwavable safe bowl and add the capsules of vitamin E.
- Heat the oils up for 1 minute. Stir and heat for another minute.
- Repeat the above process until everything is melted.
- Carefully ladle the mix into the form.
Let the bars cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place them in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow them to set up till firm. If they ever get soft, you can just pop them back in the refrigerator to harden them again.
You can spice up your lotion bars with the addition of essential oils to add natural fragrance as well as for their extra health benefits. You can learn about some of the best essential oils for skin in this article.
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