Shea Butter trouble

[Spellkast]

I got a recipe off here for whipped shea butter. It's 1 lb. Shea, 5 oz. oil, 2 tbsps corn starch and FO. Well, I tried it and it was SOOOO greasy...so I tried it with only ONE oz. of oil and it is STILL greasy. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. I got a container of spiced cranberry whipped shea butter from The Body Shop last Christmas and it was so silky smooth and I can't seem to get that feeling from this. I melt down the shea (which is from WSP) then I add the oils and the corn starch and whip it...then put it in the fridge and whip it again..and repeat, repeat, repeat. Please help!!! Thank you!

[Melissa]

shea butter, whether straight or whipped.. with added oils or not, is going to be greasy if you use the same amount as you would a lotion or cream. Even starches that help to deter the oily feeling, its still there a bit. Use a small dab and see if that helps the feeling and sinks in better.

I checked out the Body Shops website and they have the ingredients listed for their butters.. Its actually a cream. :undecided

here are their ingredients:

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Denatonium Benzoate, Citral, Limonene, Caramel, Red 4.

hth!

[maryann]

That looks like the recipe I used it should be 2 tsps of cornstarch. I don't like how greasy mine is either. I sent samples w/ a swap to get people's comments. Hopefully someone can give us an idea of what can be added to make it feel less greasy I think cutting down on the shea and using other butters. Guess that's why its called shea butter, looks just like butter in the jar and on your skin. I have to rub mine in good it doesn't soak in good on its own.

[elle110]

Your whipped shea butter is not going to be like a body butter from most of the commercial lines, theirs are more like heavy creams, which if you look at the above ingredients posted for the body shops, that what it basically is. I purchased some of theirs to try and it is just thick cream or lotion, whereas, the whipped shea butter is an intensive moisturizer that will be greasy at first no matter what you cut it with. My customers love the whipped shea butter, it soaks in quickly and very good on dry skin. I don't call mine body butter as not to give anyone the wrong idea.

HTH

Elle

[Spellkast]

Thanks or your responses. I call mine "Whip it Good" and I've only sold it to my friends and their family members. I never got any bad comments, but I never got any comments, so who knows. I'm not a lotion user, mainly because I really hate the way lotion feels. But the stuff from the body shop was awesome, and they called it whipped body butter...I guess they gave me the wrong idea. So, my next question is this: do people love your greasy shea butter?! I mean, once mine soaks in, it feels awesome, but initially it has that greasy feel, and I don't know if it will sell then. So are cocoa butter and hempseed and mango butter less greasy? Should I try a recipe that uses a mix of different butters? I need help! Thanks!

[sad72]

Unfortunately, I have to agree. Body Butters will be have a greasy feeling. I try to use lighter oils with my butters and mine still have somewhat of a greasy feel. Though they do seem to get a bit better after I've let them set up..but they still have a greasy feeling. I try to tell people who use it not to use too much at once. As stated above.."just a small dab". But even with the "greasy" problem, all my testers (family, friends, and co-workers), seem to like them.:smiley2:

edited to add: Oh and I like the body butters as well...matter fact, I really don't like the store bought "body butters"..at least the ones that claim to be body butter that really are, in a sense, cream...but that's just me...I know alot of people who prefer those over the "pure" body butters. And on another note (sorry to keep rambling), I have a friend who buys straight shea butter from Wally world (it has shea butter and some other oils..can't remember what though) and it's a "pure" butter not a butter with added water) and it also has that greasy feeling.

[annareeb]

I used that recipe first try.. didnt care for it.. I UPPED the oil, and after it sat for about 2 weeks, it felt a lot less greasy the longer it sat.

[elle110]

I put samples in all my ebay and website orders and 9 times of 10, people end up purchasing the whipped shea butter, especially this time of year.

My last show I decided to take some with me just for the heck of it ( I usually don't have room), I took 15 and they all sold the first day but 2 and they sold first thing the next day, I could have sold 30 or more, people were testing it all day and so disappointed we were out.

Mine are 100 % shea butter, no oil etc, whipped and packaged in a 2 oz container, I sell them for $10.00.

HTH

Michelle

[Bunny]

Almost any straight butters and oils you put directly on your skin will be greasy. To achieve a non-greasy body butter, you'd just about have to emulsify it.

[Jadryga]

Would using jojoba oil help somewhat though? I was contemplating using mac and jojoba oil to cut greasies somewhat.

[HeavenScentU]

Elle110 Do you scent your shea butter?

[CareBear]

I do mine with 60% Shea Butter 20% OO and 20% FCO - it's not terribly greasy but it is oily... The FCO is not greasy - it soaks in better. Jojoba soaks in too - so next time I 'll try replacing the OO with jojoba. (I subtract the FO from the FCO amount)

[eugenia]

I agree with Bunny. After making the emulsified butter, I won't do anything else. It's not greasy and holds up much better.

e

[lindsaycb]

well I've had this AK Shea butter sitting here for awhile...and I whipped it lastnight.

First, I'm trying to decide what the heck to scent it. Its a little smokey, not too bad, but I'd like to enhance it or give it a clean fragrance. Am I wasting my time & shea though if I do that? I figure a light patchouli would be good, but not everyone can go for that. So how about a green tea?

2nd, whats really the best way to get this thick 100% whipped butter out of the bowl? I truly don't want to deal with a ziploc bag...PITA.

[firegirl]

Thanks or your responses. I call mine "Whip it Good" and I've only sold it to my friends and their family members. I never got any bad comments, but I never got any comments, so who knows. I'm not a lotion user, mainly because I really hate the way lotion feels. But the stuff from the body shop was awesome, and they called it whipped body butter...I guess they gave me the wrong idea. So, my next question is this: do people love your greasy shea butter?! I mean, once mine soaks in, it feels awesome, but initially it has that greasy feel, and I don't know if it will sell then. So are cocoa butter and hempseed and mango butter less greasy? Should I try a recipe that uses a mix of different butters? I need help! Thanks!

Here is the recipe you are looking to make.. it is from www.lotioncrafter.com

Body Butter Bliss

If you've been wanting to duplicate the feel of The Body Shop's Body Butter look no further! Our Body Butter Bliss is a luscious and stable emulsified butter which offers a rich emolliency with a quick, greaseless dry down and long lasting hydration for the skin. Made with shea butter and tocopherol-rich rice bran oil, along with glycerin for added humectancy and dimethicone for its skin protectant properties, this body butter will prove to be a real customer pleaser!

Percent Grams

Ounces

Ingredient

Phase A 58.1 581 19.37 Distilled Water

0.2 2 0.07 Xanthan Gum

3.0 30 1.00 Glycerin

0.2 2 0.07 Tetrasodium EDTA

Phase B 3.5 35 1.17 Lotionpro 165

8.0 80 2.67 Rice Bran Oil

4.0 40 1.33 Lotioncrafter FCO

12.0 120 4.00 Shea Butter Refined

2.0 20 0.67 Cetearyl Alcohol

2.0 20 0.67 Behenyl Alcohol

0.7 7 0.23 CoviOx T-50

0.8 8 0.27 Phenonip

2.0 20 0.67 Dimethicone 350

Phase C 3.0 30 1.00 Lotioncrafter LC8515 or LC995

0.5 5 0.17 Fragrance (adjust to suit)

Phase D Q.S. Q.S. Q.S. Citric Acid (20% Solution)

1. Pour Phase A distilled water into a tall mixing vessel. Using an immersion (stick) blender, create a vortex and add the xanthan gum. Once mixed in, add the balance of Phase A ingredients with stirring. Heat Phase A to 176°F and hold while Phase B is heating.

2. Combine and heat Phase B ingredients to 176°F and remove from heat. Gently stir the oils and waxes to combine.

3. Insert an immersion (stick) blender into the Phase B mixing vessel, keeping it near the bottom. Pour Phase A (water phase) into Phase B (oil phase) while mixing and blend thoroughly.

4. Stop blending briefly. Place mixing vessel into a cold water bath (in sink or another pot). Immediately resume blending. If your stick blender has a variable speed, it can be turned down to "medium". Mix until temperature is approximately 129°F. or less. This should only take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from water and place mixing vessel on counter.

5. While blending with stick blender, slowly add Phase C ingredients into your emulsion mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix with stick blender until mixture is uniform.

6. Test the pH of your emulsion. Adjust with citric acid as necessary to a final pH of 7.0.

7. Check the weight of your batch to make sure you still have 1000 grams (33.33 ounces), add more distilled water if needed to replace what may have evaporated.

8. Continue mixing until emulsion has cooled to 120°F or less. Pour into containers.

Makes approximately 1000 grams or 33.33 ounces of lotion.

Notes:

Q.S. is an abbreviation for the Latin quantum sufficiat, quantum sufficit, or quantum satis, phrases which all mean "as much as suffices" or "quantity required."

Formulation has passed five cycles of freeze-thaw stability testing.

It is easier to adjust the pH of an emulsion using citric acid if a citric acid solution rather than granules are used. You can make a 20% stock solution of citric acid by combining 20 grams of citric acid with 80 grams of distilled water. Pour into a bottle, cap and shake to mix. Label this "20% Citric Acid Solution". Using a pipette, add a few drops at a time to your emulsion, mix thoroughly and check the pH. Add more, a few drops at a time, until the desired pH of the final product is obtained.

[sherry]

hello

i am new at this and would like some helpful hints, i have tried to make the shea butter and it turned out very thick and oily, how do i get it to become more of a smoother whipped texture.... is there anyway i can remelt everything and whip it again.

help!

new member:cool2:

[ChandlerJane]

None of those ingredients, for the most part, match up with what the Body Shop lists.

[CBE]

I experimented with my whipped shea the other day... I added an ounce of cyclo to it. Then I continued whipping it. It stayed the consistency of a whipped souffle and yes... it's greasy when you put it on at first, but within a few minutes... you're soft... not greasy. When I did it without the cyclo... it hardened up. And it just felt tooooooo thick putting it on. I think the cyclo helped with the texture and the feeling.

[arkangel]

Try using a lighter oil like FCO and adding cyclomethicone

[CareBear]

None of those ingredients, for the most part, match up with what the Body Shop lists.

Is that bad? There are many ways to get to the same place - the recipe doesn't need to be the same.

[kidsngarden]

I experimented with my whipped shea the other day... I added an ounce of cyclo to it. Then I continued whipping it. It stayed the consistency of a whipped souffle and yes... it's greasy when you put it on at first, but within a few minutes... you're soft... not greasy. When I did it without the cyclo... it hardened up. And it just felt tooooooo thick putting it on. I think the cyclo helped with the texture and the feeling.

Are you just whipping straight shea with no other oils? Adding one ounce of cyclo to how much oils?

Do you all sell this in summer months? I am thinking of making it, but am hesitant to do it in the hot weather (I have a booth at the farmer's market) because it may melt all over the place!

TIA

Bethany

[seabreeze]

hi elle110 ,do you use just shea butter and nothing else?

[EmpressC]

Here is the recipe you are looking to make.. it is from www.lotioncrafter.com

Body Butter Bliss

If you've been wanting to duplicate the feel of The Body Shop's Body Butter look no further! Our Body Butter Bliss is a luscious and stable emulsified butter which offers a rich emolliency with a quick, greaseless dry down and long lasting hydration for the skin. Made with shea butter and tocopherol-rich rice bran oil, along with glycerin for added humectancy and dimethicone for its skin protectant properties, this body butter will prove to be a real customer pleaser!

Percent Grams

Ounces

Ingredient

Phase A 58.1 581 19.37 Distilled Water

0.2 2 0.07 Xanthan Gum

3.0 30 1.00 Glycerin

0.2 2 0.07 Tetrasodium EDTA

Phase B 3.5 35 1.17 Lotionpro 165

8.0 80 2.67 Rice Bran Oil

4.0 40 1.33 Lotioncrafter FCO

12.0 120 4.00 Shea Butter Refined

2.0 20 0.67 Cetearyl Alcohol

2.0 20 0.67 Behenyl Alcohol

0.7 7 0.23 CoviOx T-50

0.8 8 0.27 Phenonip

2.0 20 0.67 Dimethicone 350

Phase C 3.0 30 1.00 Lotioncrafter LC8515 or LC995

0.5 5 0.17 Fragrance (adjust to suit)

Phase D Q.S. Q.S. Q.S. Citric Acid (20% Solution)

...

Just wondering if anyone has made this recipe? If so, how did it turn out? I'm thinking of giving it a try.