How to Mix Shea Butter with Essential Oils
This article will go through the steps on how to mix shea butter with different essential oils. Shea butter is a great moisturizer that can also help with dry, rough, and cracked skin. It is also beneficial for skin with eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin, etc.
Essential oils can heal the skin, and can help with several skin problems like acne and rosacea.
The following article is an excellent tutorial on how to mix Shea butter with essential oils for different purposes, and it will be helpful to both new and experienced essential oil users.
**DO NOT USE ESSENTIAL OILS IF YOU’RE PREGNANT IN ANY FORM**
The Amazing Benefits of Shea Butter and Essential Oils
In the world of skin care, nothing is more important than having a healthy, radiant complexion. The benefits of essential oils and Shea butter are often overlooked in the quest for a perfect complexion, but it should be noted that the right blend of essential oils and Shea butter can work wonders for your skin.
In addition to being a powerful moisturizer, Shea butter is packed with vitamins and beneficial fatty acids that that are crucial to the health of your skin. Mixing it with essential oils will add extra healing and care to your skin. For example, for those with an oily or acneic complexion, using shea butter and essential oils may be the solution to help relieve skin outbreaks.
Below we’ll discuss how you can mix these two ingredients together as well as what benefits each ingredient provides individually and in tandem.
The Benefits of Shea Butter for Your Skin
Shea butter is derived from the seeds of shea trees, native to Africa. The butter is usually very thick, can be ivory or yellow and has incredible emollient properties helping with moisture retention and also protecting the skin from external elements.
Shea butter has among the highest percentage of beneficial compounds of all known butters as well as vegetable oils which include vitamins, phytosterols and minerals.
- Rich in vitamins A,D and E
- Packed with beneficial fatty acids
- Helps to retain moisture in the skin cells
- It is very thick, making it great for moisturizing
As you can see, Shea butter can be a crucial ingredient in many skincare products.
The Benefits of Essential Oils on the Skin
Essential oils are derived from aromatic compounds found in natural ingredients like herbs, bark, roots, flowers and citrus peels. These natural oils are powerful healing agents that help to relieve pain and fight infections. Included in most essential oil blends are properties that help to soothe inflammation and redness. I personally believe they have a beneficial effect on the body because they are “pure energy.”
Essential oils can be important skin care ingredients because they contain antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that help to give your complexion a healthy glow as well as improving skin tone. Besides working to soothe and calm irritated skin, they can promote wound healing and the growth of new tissue. They also contain powerful antioxidants that can help to reduce the signs of aging and their antibacterial properties can help in preventing breakouts of acne and pimples.
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties
- Helps reduce acne, pimples, and blemishes
- Anti-Fungal Properties
- Calms redness and swelling associated with minor skin irritations
- Promotes the growth of new healthy skin tissue
There are many different oils that can be used for skin care, below I mention the ones that I use regularly.
The Benefits of Shea Butter + Essential Oils
Both Shea butter and essential oils are phenomenal at healing the skin.
When mixed with essential oils, Shea butter offers several benefits for your skin. These can include:
- Further reduce fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and other signs of aging
- Moisturize the skin, keep it supple and leave it feeling soft.
- Nourish the skin so it is healthy, glowing and youthful.
- Reduce itchiness, dry patches and other skin irritations.
- Improve skin texture, which can help even out your tone and texture.
- Reduce scars and blemishes.
- Promote overall skin elasticity, making it smoother and softer.
- Provide UV protection by providing antioxidants that fight free radicals.
- Help reduce acne (in some cases).
- Reduce stretch marks and scars.
In addition to these benefits, when mixed with essential oils, Shea butter is a wonderful healing option for the body. When massaged onto the skin, it helps to increase circulation and promote muscle relaxation.
Below I show you a few recipes that can be used to help with aches and pains as well as other skin problems.
Why You Should Mix Shea Butter with Essential Oils
I can think of a few reasons:
- Reaping the benefits of aroma therapy when adding essential oils to your Shea butter.
- Making your raw, unrefined Shea butter smell great.
- Using your Shea butter as a carrier for your essential oils.
- Giving your essential oils a boost of therapeutic properties so they can be used for even more effects.
- For those who desire a different-smelling product.
- For those who want to experiment with using essential oils on their skin.
- For those who are new to using essential oils.
How to Mix Shea Butter with Essential Oils
Now let’s go through the mixing process. Shea butter is fairly easy to mix, but it is important that you work your butter into a manageable consistency in order to easily mix in the essential oils.
You can do this by either:
1) Mixing the Shea butter with a spoon until soft*
2) Heating the Shea butter until using the Bain Marie method
3) Placing the tub of Shea butter in a bowl of warm water until consistency is maneagable
4) Microwaving the Shea butter for a few seconds (my least favorite method because I’m afraid it’ll kill or greatly reduce the healing properties of the Shea butter)
*You can also use a hand mixer, but I feel using a spoon is easiest.
Once you have a consistency that is easy to work with, grab your essential oils.
The next step is easy: just stir the mixture! Try to be thorough so that it’s evenly spread throughout.
Amount of Essential Oils to Add to the Mix
Please always make sure that your essential oils are safe for topical use. Because an essential oil is a concentrated liquid which contains very strong chemical compounds from plants you need to make sure the oils you use are safe for use on the skin. Also, it is important your essential oils are pure. Below I recommend safe oils for you to use for your mix.
Unsafe essential oils include spices like clove, cinnamon and oregano. Also beware of citrus oils, which can be phototoxic (reacting to UV light and causing burns). I would avoid them altogether just to be safe (do use them in your diffusor if you like or to make DIY home cleaning products).
Safe oils include lavender (anti-inflammatory), frankincense (antiaging), myrrh (fades blemishes), patchouli (cleansing), peppermint (anti-inflammatory), rosemary (antibacterial), roman chamomile (anti-inflammatory), ylang ylang (relaxing), jasmine absolute (aphrodisiac) and rose absolute (skin rejuvenation).
Recommended Essential Oil Usage in the Mix
The most important factor to remember when mixing Shea butter with essential oils is how much you use (proportion of essential oil to Shea butter). Essential oils are very strong and can cause harm if you add too much. So you need to be VERY CAREFUL around this. Many blogs, websites and social media posts suggest an amount that is too high which makes the mix unsafe for topical use. I can’t stress enough the importance of staying safe while making your Shea butter mixture.
Ideally you would weight the essential oils using a precise scale. If not, you can measure the amount of essential oil by the drop (although this is not an accurate method because different essential oils have different density) but I understand that using the scale is not ideal when working with small amounts.
Guidelines that are Safe for Topical Use:
For facial care products, the amount of essential oils should be at 0.4% to Shea butter. If you are going to measure by drops, for every 1 tablespoon of Shea butter, you’ll need about 1 drop of essential oil. Please only use the essential oils from the list mentioned above.
For body care products, I recommend 2% essential oils to Shea butter. If you are going to measure by drops, for every 1 tablespoon of Shea butter, you’ll need about 5-6 drops of essential oil. So 3 tablespoons of Shea butter will require 15-20 drops of essential oils. Please only use the essential oils from the list I mentioned above.
Note: Jasmine absolute and rose absolute should only be used at 0.4% for facial AND for body care products for safety reasons.
Step 1: Choose the Right Shea Butter
Always consider using an unrefined, 100% raw, organic version to get the best benefits from this natural ingredient. Unrefined Shea butter will offer the best benefits, but its scent may be too strong for some people (here’s where the essential oils will help out, by masking the odor as well as adding all the extra aroma therapy benefits).
Step 2: Get Your Essential Oils!
When choosing your essential oils, make sure you purchase 100% pure, high-quality essential oils. These will be most effective.
Shea Butter Recipes with Essential Oils
FACIAL DETOX – Shea Butter, Lavender, Myrrh and Patchouli
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 2 drops lavender, 2 drops myrrh and 2 drops patchouli. Apply this mixture evenly to your face and neck by massaging gently until fully absorbed. Let this mixture work into your face and neck for about 5 minutes. As you massage your face and neck inhale deeply for a few times. As you exhale, ask your spirit guides to detoxify your body and cleanse all toxins from your body. Use this mixture 2-3 times per week until you notice a difference.
BODY SENSUAL MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Jasmine Absolute and Rose Absolute
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 2 drops of jasmine absolute and 2 drops of rose absolute. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, slowly ask the essence of the flowers to help soothe your muscles and relax your body. Listen to your favorite music while you massage for better results.
BODY VITALITY MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Patchouli, Frankincense and Peppermint
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops patchouli, 5 drops frankincense and 5 drops peppermint. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, focus on your chakras and ask the essence of the oils to be absorb into your body and restore your energy. Feel the energy infusing through your body as you massage. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week until you notice a difference.
BODY CALMING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Lavender and Ylang Ylang
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops lavender and 5 drops ylang ylang. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am relaxed”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help make all your muscles feel relaxed and free from pain. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or before going to bed.
BODY ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Roman Chamomile and Peppermint
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops Roman chamomile and 5 drops peppermint. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am free from pain”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help relieve any pain in your body. Use this mixture 2-3 times per week or when needed.
BODY BALANCING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Lavender and Ylang Ylang
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops lavender and 5 drops ylang ylang. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am creative”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help balance your hormones and help manage any hormonal imbalances that may be slowing down your body. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or every night.
BODY AGING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Jasmine Absolute and Rose Absolute
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 2 drops jasmine absolute and 2 drops rose absolute. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am young”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help renew your skin and heal any scars that may be limiting your beauty. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or before going to bed.
BODY TONING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Lavender and Roman Chamomile
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops of lavender and 5 drops Roman chamomile. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am strong”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help tone all your muscles and also help soothe any tension or pain in your body. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or before going to bed.
BODY RESTORATIVE MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Frankincense, Eucalyptus and Bergamot
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops frankincense, 5 drops eucalyptus and 5 drops bergamot. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging very gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am healthy”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help renew your body and make it whole again. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or before going to bed.
BODY RENEWING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Lavender, Jasmine Absolute and Rose Absolute
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 2 drops lavender, 2 drop jasmine absolute and 2 drop rose absolute. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am renewed”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help renew your skin and heal any scars that may be limiting your beauty. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or before going to bed.
BODY HEALING MASSAGE – Shea Butter, Sandalwood and Frankincense
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 5 drops sandalwood and 5 drops frankincense. Apply this mixture to your body by massaging gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “I am healed”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help heal any emotional and spiritual trauma that may be slowing down your body. Use this mixture 2-3 times a week or every night.
FOOT MASSAGE – Shea Butter and Lavender
Before you begin massaging your feet, apply a small amount of lightly warmed shea butter to each foot. While massaging your feet, focus on relaxing each foot and ask the essence of the shea butter to help release any tension and pain. Use this mixture as often as needed.
FOOT SOFTENING MASSAGE – Shea Butter and Jasmine Absolute
Mix 3 tablespoons of shea butter with 2 drops jasmine absolute. Apply this mixture to your feet by massaging gently. As you massage, inhale deeply for a few times and as you exhale, repeat a few times “My feet are soft”. As you continue to relax ask your spirit guides to help soften your feet and keep them looking beautiful. Use this mixture as often as needed.
Where to Buy Shea Butter and Essential Oils?
I recommend you purchase 100% pure, raw, unrefined Shea butter. Anthony’s Organic Shea Butter is a great option.
I recommend you purchase 100% pure essential oils from a reputable company. You can also buy from Amazon or Ebay, but be careful to only purchase from stores that have great feedback and have been selling essential oils for a long time. Find below my recommended options.
Conclusion
Mixing Shea Butter with essential oils is a great way to help them correctly work together in your body. I’ve been using these ingredients for a few years now and have seen great results.
By using these combinations of Shea butter and essential oils, the facial recipes will really help you improve your skin tone and overall skin health and the body recipes will help your body manage the stresses of daily life.
I hope you enjoy using the recipes and information above. Thank you for reading my blog and I really hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.
