Today I did something beautiful.
Often during times of sensitivity, as emotional and mental body navigates the pull of change, I like to do one of a few things that are supportive to a perspective refrain and distinct from the physical practice of Yoga; they are either to cook, blend, concoct or to bake. These are processes that anchor me in Yoga ‘off the mat’, these are processes of my Ayurveda.
There are a few recipes I’ve thus far got up on the blog that have been tended to dozens of times by me, either out of family desire or a personal yearning to use mind, breath and body in a way that I know (from practice) is failsafe creativity.
Cooking, baking, concocting, blending in general, when approached in a loving way, directs the senses and can lull a wandering pilgrim back into the heart. The very craft of pulling raw ingredients together, a handful here, a splash there followed by a drop of this or that, plugs us right into our intuitive parts which are usually the parts existing in the unseen that bought about the change in the first place.
Sometimes when nothing makes sense when projects are on pause, and relationships have gone astray, the best thing to do is go simple and use your tools in any one of your most nourishing ways.
Today I did something beautiful and I’d like to share it right here. Wether you ever try this recipe or find only that the words encourage you to visit your own messy and fun refuges, please enjoy the inspiration and your happy-heart nourishing ways.
Happy Hands Body Butter
Let’s begin with a splash of Sanskrit sweetness (the ancient language of Ayurveda) and I’ll segue into this to say that this recipe is pure oils, no water, which classes as it anhydrous and likely to last without preservative. However I did add a little Vitamin E which certainly helps prevent any oxidation. Read on for more about that, for now, let’s get back to that beautiful promise of Sanskrit and the word for oil which likewise means love - the word in question is Sneha and on this particular day, I opened myself to be in the space of Sneha, utterly.
Now for the recipe - makes approximately 300ml
(please use organic oils where possible)
Note: At the time of writing and publishing this post, it was around 14 degrees celsius. In warmer climates, I might suggest a higher ratio of the solid fats to prevent melting or to keep the butter refrigerated.
1/2 cup shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa)
1/2 cup coconut oil (Cocos nucifera)
2 Tbsp St Johns Wort infused Sunflower oil (Hypericum perforatum infused Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil)
2 Tbsp Calendula infused Sweet Almond oil (Calendula officinalis infused Prunus dulcis oil)
2 ml Vitamin E oil, for its antioxidant properties which are beneficial for both longevity of the butter and health of the skin.
A word about the infused oils; I made these over the summer with the help of my boys. If you do not have access to herbal infused oils then simply use any base suitable for your skins nourishment desire.
The boys prepare St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum) & Calendula (Calendula officinalis) infusions.
Read a little more about different base/carrier oils and their Ayurvedic properties for the skin here.
Method
Add your Shea Butter and Coconut oil into a double boiler to melt the oils slowly. If you’ve a thermomix, add these fats into the jug, blitz to break up and then warm over 37 degrees until liquid.
Next add your additional Tablespoons of liquid fats, plus the Vitamin E and let cool.
If your using Essential Oils, now would be the time to add them into the blend. Below this recipe I’ll share a little about the Essential Oils I chose and why plus how I decided on the appropriate dilution to use.
Once all your oils are combined, transfer this lovely mix into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until solid.
Once solid use a hand mixer to whip.
Add the mix to clean jars, label and enjoy the your self-made Sneha everyday in your own ways, abundantly.
Essential Oil blend for dry, chapped, irritated skin
Essential Oils are the immune intelligence of the plants from where they come, and are extremely powerful. Unlike herbal infused fats which can be used lavishly, one drop of essential oil goes a very long way and therefore it is important to not only always dilute your essential oils, also know what the correct dilution is for what ever is the intent of your blend.
This Body Butter was concocted for dry, chapped and irritated skin. I chose to add the St Johns Wort oil as it’s wonderful for traumatised skin, and the Calendula as it’s so gentle and healing, a true dry skin friend.
Each petal of these plants was hand picked by my sons and I earlier in summer and ripe to use for this recipe on this particular day.
The fats and herbal infused oils in the recipe, stand alone and one may not need to add any essential oils. However I decided on 3 gentle Essential Oil favourites that are both solo and together, alchemically deeply supportive and nourishing for the skin - as ever, diluted in a ratio that is just right.
Based on a 300ml carrier base, the essential oil dilution I chose was a very mild 0.5% which is a good starting point to offer the therapeutic assistance of my chosen EO botanicals and avoid overwhelming already stressed skin. For a healthy adult with otherwise happy skin, try a 2% dilution.
Viscous delight - Patchouli, Chamomile, Lavender
0.5% of 300ml = approx. 25 drops.
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) - 10 drops
Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) - 10 drops
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) - 5 drops
This blend is so aromatically soothing, someplace inside myself I just know the healing properties of this combination will work wonderful magic.
Other effective skin nourishing Essential Oils include; Geranium, Frankincense, Myrrh, Rose, Helichrysum and the doTERRA pre-blend ‘Salubelle’ - specifically crafted to dilute with your favourite carriers to nurture the your most radiant skin.
Naturally doTERRA Essential Oils are my trusted brand and I gift all my members a dilution chart in their welcome package when they begin. If you would like to know more about how to get started with on your doTERRA Essential Oil journey with me as your guide, follow the links here to read a little more about my own journey and reach out with your inquiry. It’s a pathway of pure delight and I’d be honoured to share it with you :)