Shea Oil & Squalane Redo

In March I made a cream I really liked featuring Shea Oil and Squalane Butter. I’ve been thinking of revisiting it, but I’d like to add some Cocoa Butter to the formula. Let’s see how we might make that work.

The original formula contained Liquid Shea Oil, Almond Butter, and Squalane Butter. Its consistency was definitely a cream, but it was not stiff.

Adding Cocoa Butter, which is brittle at room temperature, is likely to stiffen up this cream, which isn’t totally my intent. The reason I want to add Cocoa Butter is because I love how it feels in a formula – Cocoa Butter helps make lotions and creams that absorb quickly and don’t feel greasy. (Marshmallow Body Butter is a great example.)

I think for simplicity’s sake I will first try subbing Cocoa Butter for Almond Butter. I like the idea of just changing one ingredient and seeing how it affects the overall feel of the product. There’s a chance it will stiffen up the cream more than I like, but I’m not certain that will be the outcome. There’s only one way to find out! Join me in the work room.

Instructions

Weigh everything but the preservative and fragrance into the microwave-safe container. Heat in short time bursts until everything is melted.

Blend thoroughly with the immersion blender until the emulsion forms. Check the temperature; cool to less than 120ºF, then add Liquid Germall Plus and Wild Mint & Ivy Fragrance. Stir well.

Scoop finished cream into a plastic bag, seal the bag, and cut off a corner. Pipe the lotion into jars and allow the cream to cool completely before capping.

Ingredients before melting.

Cream in a plastic bag to pipe into jars.

Notes

I got an unexpected texture on this cream. It didn’t stiffen up nearly as much as I’d anticipated, which I like. The Cocoa Butter gives it an occlusive quality that makes the hands feel coated with a layer of moisture. It’s a good thing!

Of course you can choose any fragrance. Wild Mint & Ivy is one of my personal favorites. What are some of your favorite fragrances?