Looking for shea butter body wash recipe

[jessicarenae_21]

Anyone know of any shea butter body wash recipes?

[Crafty1_AJ]

Shea butter is a fat/oil, and body washes are detergents. Detergents' job is to wash away oils. So I'm not so sure this idea could work. I'm no chemist, but these don't seem compatible to my wee brain.

[michelleB]

Yep, I've been confused by this before when I saw it on a store-bought body wash (wally-world I think). Claimed to have shea butter in it, and it very well may have...but it would've had to be such a small percentage to even work...right?? I'm just thinking out loud while I try to wrap my brain around this so bear with me.

I know it's a difficult thing to balance when making scrubs & such because the addition of any fat/butter/oil is going to interfere with your lather. Period. Just like using a really high superfat % for soaps. So to me, it just seems to be about label appeal, and adding a teensy-weensy crumb. I'll go into stand-by mode now though, and watch to see if anyone has a success story on this to share.

[Crafty1_AJ]

That's what I think, Michelle. Must be about .001% shea in there, or it would goof up the lather. ??

Like you, I'm just thinking out loud. I really am not very knowledgeable on this subject. But it just sounds like a label appeal thing. ??? To me, the benefits of the shea would be "washed away" by the detergent?

I would think for shea to be beneficial to your skin, it would have to stay on it, not be rinsed off.

[Crystala25]

You can add shea butter to a body wash, but it turns out to be more of a creamy body wash. Not so much of the bubbles, it is more of a moisturizing product.

[Crafty1_AJ]

Thanks for chiming in. I'm all for learning more about this, because to me, it seems shea and detergents are at cross purposes. LOL

[Crystala25]

This recipe is more of a scrub, but still a body wash using shea butter. Hope it helps as an example.

Sweet Orange Exfoliating Body Wash

This body wash is super easy to make and smells delicious! Not to mention the orange essential oils will help clear away the dirt and sweat that seems to come with summer. Be sure to use caution when venturing into the sun after using this body wash, as orange essential oil can increase photosensitivity.

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Liquid Castille Soap

1/4 Cup Refined Shea Butter

1/8 Cup Ground Pumice

1 teaspoon Lavender (40-42) Essential Oil

1/8 Cup Sweet Orange Essential Oil

1/4 Cup Apricot Kernel Meal

Instructions:Melt the shea butter over low heat on the stove. Once melted pour into a mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the Castille Soap. Stir in the essential oils. Combine the apricot kernel meal and pumice. Mix well. Gently stir into the soap mixture and stir thoroughly. Allow to cool, stirring occassionally. Once thickened pour into an 8 oz. Plastic Container. Scrub will thicken in about two days.

For more of a shower get consistency that can be used in a flip top bottle, omit the shea butter.

[hfab]

I have also been searching for a shea body wash recipe after buying some of the mass-market stuff, but with no success. I found some water-soluble shea at The Herbarie, though and decided to add that to a body wash base and see what happened. It was sort of half a success :undecided The body wash felt great in the shower, very silky and great lather, but it ended up leaving my skin feeling dry in the end. Sigghhh......

[Angel91805]

http://www.essentialwholesale.com/product_p/580.htm

No clue how it is...but I saw this the other day.....I thought about getting some samples to try someday.

Hugs,

Donna

[jessicarenae_21]

thanks angel90815! I'll have to try it!

[BLSoaps]

You could also make a natural liquid soap with Shea Butter. I highly doubt that's what the body wash you bought was, but it can be done. It basically changes its chemical composition, like it does in bar soap. It's often not used because it's high in unsaponifiables, which will "cloud" your soap, not giving you a clear base.