OK, so you maybe don't have all this stuff in your kitchen cupboard, but some of you definitely have some of these ingredients. So this is Meghann's kitchen cupboard hand and body cream. You may have to pop out to pick a thing or two up, but I highly recommend you do, because this is so easy to make and so satisfying to slather on. I feel like a professional cosmetics manufacturer! Is there a name for someone who makes hand crafted creams? 

We're going to use shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and some essential oils to create a creamy, light and super softening hand and body cream. Now most of you have olive oil, almost all of you have coconut oil, but some of you may not have shea butter or essential oils within arms reach. Shea butter is easily found at any health food store and is quite affordable, as are essential oils (but be careful, essential oils are highly habit forming - because they are so neat and fun to use). When used on it's own, a little bit of shea butter goes a very long way. It's a great source of Vitamins A and E, oleic acid - which is a monounsaturated fat - and stearic acid - which is a saturated fat. Together, those fats contribute to the physical qualities that are so great about shea butter - it is ultra moisturizing and deeply softening (and a bit waxy which totally works here!). It's great for preventing and treating stretch marks and wrinkles as well as minor skin irritations and blemishes. The addition of essential oils is not necessary, but there are many benefits to including a few drops.

Coconut oil is excellent for the skin, but I tend to shy away from applying it directly because it is just so oily. Coconut oil can penetrate the skin deeper than many other oils so it is also very moisturizing and healing. It's got anti-bacterial qualities that make it excellent for sensitive skin and treating minor irritations. It's often used in natural deodorants to kill the bacteria that cause odour and it works like a charm.

You can't really tell here, but I've got a double boiler happening (a metal bowl atop a simmering pot of water). I'm gently melting my shea & coconut butters together. I've added them in equal parts - 1/4 cup each. As you play around with different oils, you may find you like more of one and less of another, depending on the oiliness of the finished product.

Gently stir in your olive oil. I've added about 1 tbsp here. It's up to you if you want to add more or less. Olive oil is a great anti-oxidant and another good source of vitamin E. It doesn't clog pores and contributes the the incredible softening effect of this cream. In nutrition, we generally recommend not heating olive oil too much, as it can cause the oil to oxidize. That recommendation goes for when used in cosmetics as well. Remove your bowl from the heat before adding the olive oil. Olive oil is also very high in monounsaturated fats, which,as we know, are great for our health when consumed. I like to consider any oil that's good for my inside to be an excellent choice for my outside. Whatever we rub onto our skin is absorbed into our body, so why not choose only the best?

I'm going with anise for my essential oil, as I just love the scent, plus, there are some health benefits to anise oil -here are just a few: It helps to calm the nerves, acts as a pain reliever, protects against infections, enhances libido(!) and removes head-lice (!!). I just love using essential oils -not only are they a great option for natural aroma, there are so many added benefits to using them.

I've added just a couple of drops to my oil mixture.

Now you can absolutely be finished at this step. And in this case, I would tell you to go ahead and pour your oil into an appropriately sized glass container and let cool to room temperature until the oil has solidified to a lovely scoop able texture. That is what I usually do and it's lovely and works just fine. Today, however, I'm experimenting. I'm going to whip it.

Now, I've removed my oil from the heat and it is warm, not quite room temp. I've started beating on high. While this hasn't caused any catastrophes, I would not do it this way again. I would let it chill in the fridge for a few minutes first. However, I've started, so we'll see where this goes...

I've learned from my mistake. It wasn't' really doing much, so I quickly let it cool in the fridge (5 mins) and tried again. I am liking the looks of it so far. This photo was taken after about 8 minutes of whipping slightly chilled oil. You can see that it has begun to emulsify. It looks promising. However, I know that it needs to be chilled further to really whip up nicely, so back in the fridge it goes. Only for about 8-10 minutes. No longer, or it will harden up too much. You want the oil to be firm but soft. Still very malleable. 

This looks perfect. You can see the subtle difference between the two pictures. The oil is now firm but very soft. It isn't pourable anymore. Ready to whip.

I whipped the oil for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit less) and, my goodness, it looks great!

It looks like REAL body cream! I feel so accomplished.

I like to make small batches of my creams and hair stuff as I'm using all perishable ingredients and prefer to keep things fresh. This is just so easy to make, that one batch every week or two is fine with me. Now, we haven't added any emulsifiers, preservatives, thickening agents or any other unpronounceable ingredients. Keep this in mind when, in a day or two, your cream may have become a bit less airy & fluffy in the jar, or succumbed to the temperature of your house - mine, for example, has set, ever so slightly, into a denser texture and hardened a tiny bit with the winter temps. It is still beautifully soft, scoop able and ultra moisturizing. Just set those expectations. When we become "Hand Crafters" we must accept that the environment around us will influence our finished "craft". Life is beautiful, isn't it.

Kitchen Cupboard Hand and Body Lotion 

• 1/4 cup shea Butter
• 1/4 cup unrefined Coconut oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-3 drops essential oil of your choice (optional) 

Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together in a double boiler, remove from heat. Drizzle in olive oil, gently stir. Add a few drops of essential oil(s). Let cool in fridge for 5 minutes. Whip with beaters for about 5-10 minutes until the oils look emulsified. Refrigerate again for about 8-10 minutes until just firm and no longer pourable (don't let it harden!). Whip once more with beaters for about 5 minutes more. Store in a glass jar for up to 3 weeks.