Grainy Body Butter

[laurenscandlebakery]

I followed a Soap Queen recipe for whipped body butter, except I used different butters than she did. She used avocado butter and I used almond butter and mango butter. The finished result has a very grainy texture Is it because I used different butters? Any input?

Here is the original recipe:

14 oz Avocado Butter

5 oz Meadowfoam Oil

1 oz Green Tea Extract

6mL Lemongrass Essential Oil

5 teaspoons Tapioca Powder

[ksranch]

I don't think it's the mango... I use mango in mine and it's not grainy at all

[Christine Flapp]

from experience you used too much tapioca powder-- I omit this because I've never had luck with even using a little--product always feels like sand particles

[TallTayl]

Butters high in stearic acid (mango, shea, cocoa butter, kokum, etc.) can all go grainy in solid lotions. Even if initially smooth, they can end up grainy over time (even if the butters are tempered).

You can get around that using things like Caprylic/Capric/Stearic Glycerides (butter-ez) and/or cera bellina (polyglyceryl beeswax).

[Beay]

Hi TallTayl ~ I’ve experimented with tempering (Mango, Shea, Cocoa) butters ad ended up with grainy-ness over time as you mentioned. Have you found that by adding cera belina along with those troublesome butters you never have the grainy problem anymore over time? 

 

[TallTayl]

I used butterez successfully. Now that butterez is discontinued I need to go back to Cera bellina. It works but takes a good bit more. 

[Beay]

Thank you so much!

[Sponiebr]

Ok, zo... I has a question: Would adding a small amount of e-wax sort this issue out? What's in the green tea extract? Is it ETOH based? Beeswax is a naturally occurring  e-wax so it would seem like NF e-wax would do the trick especially if there was any sort of water in the mix.

Thorts? 

Sponiebr
The Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services. 

EDITED: I noticed a comment about giving the tapioca powder a pass and I concur... I mean, y'know unless you want a scrub... 
Also, where's the water content in this? It looks like just about all fat and no way to get it off... (cringe)  

Edited December 17, 2017 by Sponiebr

[kandlekrazy]

I never had luck with the tapioca so ditched it fairly quickly.   I can't find my recipe but if I find it there was another product that helped with the grainy feel, I don't think it was Cera bellina but maybe same  thing under different name?

[Beay]

Thanks! I am going to experiment with Cera Belina and see what happens

 

[sandy511]

I had no idea the Butterez was discontinued. I bought some and never got around to using it. Can someone tell me how much I should use? Or does anyone have a good recipe with it in it?

[Moonstar]

Why was Butterez discontinued 

does anyone know ?

[Candybee]

19 hours ago, sandy511 said:

I had no idea the Butterez was discontinued. I bought some and never got around to using it. Can someone tell me how much I should use? Or does anyone have a good recipe with it in it?

 

If I remember correctly you use 15-25% of your recipe when using the butters like shea, mango, etc. For my lip balm recipe I used 15-20% ButterEZ.

 

Now that is has been discontinued I am so bummed out. It made the creamiest balm. I guess I will try the cera bellina now and hope it works.

[Shari]

I was bummed when it was discontinued.  On another forum one of the gals is trying a product that has a very similar makeup and if it works once she tests it she's going to see if she may be able to do a co-op deal on it.  She's not sure of the cost yet to know if it will be cost effective.  I used it at 10-15% but I know others have gone as high as 25%. 

 

Candybee, let us know if cera bellina works.  I don't have any or I would give it a try.  Might have to order a little.  

[NaughtyNancy]

I've had a good time with cera bellina so far.  I make balms that function as solid perfumes. I only had to add 10% cera bellina to get a noticeable difference. My own results with my balms so far, the cera bellina does not make them creamier, exactly, but more like smoother and glossier without being rock hard from the beeswax. Almost like a mild lip gloss effect?

 

I found this visual guide of just oil and wax ratios, probably a lot more informative than what I could provide using my crappy phone camera and solid perfumes. I checked the forum terms and I think this allowed, sorry if I am wrong, I think it's only hotlinking images that is not allowed? Credit goes to the blogger humblebeeandme. 

 

http://www.humblebeeandme.com/quick-guide-cera-bellina-liquid-oil-ratios/

 

Anyway I like it in my solid perfumes so far, because my goal with them is for the wax to sort of sit on top of the skin with the FO/EO, and for the oils to not just absorb and vanish into the skin. But at the same time, even though I want a firmer balm that is less oily, I also want a glossy/smooth look to them, and for there to be a little bit of "squish" (as opposed to very hard wax that is sweating out oils after a week or so).

 

I also have to admit that I abandoned unrefined shea altogether. I only use refined, and never get grainy issues with it. Have not yet tried doing a body butter with the cera bellina yet, but now I'm curious, might have to give it a go.

[Candybee]

Interesting article.