Sun-kissed lips and dehydrated skin will lovethis deep soothing balmmade from a base of mango butter, beeswax and coconut oil and gently fragranced with essential oils of mandarin, lavender and cedarwood — basically, you’ll want to keep a jar of this heavenly moisturizer in every room in the house (and maybe toss one into the glove compartment too!).
Making your own skincare isn’t just fun and satisfying, it also gives you a lot more influence overwhat goes on your skin (and into your body) — as a bonus, it comes at a fraction of the price of commercial products in the long run.
About Mango Butter & Its Benefits
Mango butter is extracted from the seed (aka: the pit) of the mango fruit. Like other plant butters used in skin products, such as shea and coconut, mango butter is prized for its emollient nature which has been shown to replenish moisture and leave skin feeling soft, silky and hydrated. Mango butter has a mid-firmness at room temperature (sometimes referred to as a soft solid) that is easy to work with.
In addition to its soothing effects, mango butter has also been shown to have wound healing and skin protective/repairing properties thanks to its antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, and anti-oxidative activities which help promote cell proliferation, increase collagen synthesis, stimulate dermal reconstruction and repair the skin’s lipid barrier function: reference/pubmedand reference/pubmed.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that retain their essence and are an excellent way to capture the signature fragrance of botanicals. These aromas can support our psychological and physiological wellbeing when harmonized with our particular response system.
You can leave this balm unscented if you like (the beeswax has a very mild, natural fragrance) or choose your own mix of essential oils.For this recipe I’m using:
Red Mandarin(Citrus nobilis): like other citrus oils, red mandarin has uplifting, energizing and cleansing properties which help promote feelings of optimism and wellbeing while being deliciously refreshing.
Lavender (lavandula):the mother of essential oils, lavender is revered for its beautiful, delicate floral bouquet and its calming,mood enhancing properties.
Cedarwood (cedrus deodora):with a woodsy earthen aroma that brings a sense of grounding and warmth, Himalayan cedar oil is both restoring and connecting (I am deeply in love with this oil). InAyurvedic medicine, the Himalayan cedar (wood of the Gods) is prized for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
Is This a Soft or Firm Balm?
Somewhere in between!
The balm is formulated with some firmness – solid to the touch once set – and softens with the warmth of your finger or tip of your nail to get it started. At room temperature, the balm will generally retain a cream consistency going onto the skin. You can play around with the firmness/softness of the balm by adjusting the amount of beeswax used;for a softer balm, just ease up on the beeswax a little and increase the mango butter by the same amount that you reduce the beeswax – similarly, if you prefer a firmer balm, increase the amount of beeswax relative to the mango butter.
*Keep in mind that room temperature is generally defined as somewhere around 70F/21C — if the ambient temperature where you’re storing your balm is warmer or colder, you can expect that to impact the firmness/softness of the balm (a bit like leaving butter out on the counter in the summertime vs. the winter).
What do I need to Make This Balm?
- Mango Butter
- Beeswax (I’m using a yellow beeswax)
- Fractionated Coconut Oil (best alternate: sweet almond oil)
- Essential Oils of red mandarin, lavender & cedarwood — you can leave the balm scent-free if preferred or choose your own mix!
- A candy thermometer
- At least 2 x 1 oz jars to store your balm (I prefer glass to plastic) – the supplies will allow you to make tons
Where to Apply the Balm
I think the correct answer is everywhere (I even tried it on my hair! I don’t recommend it tho; more tweaking is required before I launch version 2.0: hydrating hair mask).
This balm is especially wonderful on lips, dry skin (knuckles/gardeners’ hands), cracked heels/toes (soak your feet, use a pumice stone to exfoliate, apply some of the soothing balm and then cover with a sock to allow it to soak in).
A little goes a long way – start with a pea sized amount and then spread the love from there, enjoy!
5.0 from 3 reviews
Deep Soothing Mango Butter Balm (DIY)
A deeply soothing balm made with hydrating butters and oils, beautifully fragranced with relaxing and restoring essential oils
Author: kelly
Recipe type: DIY Healing Balm
Serves: Makes 2 x 1 oz pots
Ingredients
- *Please Read through Instructions before Making*
- 21g/.75 oz (1.5 Tbsp) Mango Butter
- 7g/.25 oz (.5 Tbsp) Beeswax
- 28g/1 oz (2 Tbsp) Fractionated Coconut Oil
- 1 oz glass jars for storing
- Essential Oil Blend:
- 12 drops red mandarin (best alternate: orange or tangerine; could also try bergamot)
- 12 drops lavender (best alternate: clary sage; could also try sweet marjoram)
- 6 drops Himalayan cedarwood -- (best alternate: vetiver; could also try frankincense)
Instructions
- Melt mango butter and beeswax together in a small sturdy pot on stove over lowest heat, just until barely melted then remove from heat (I use a chopstick to assist the beeswax) - wait 2 minutes then add the fractionated coconut oil, mixing again with chopstick or swirling the pan.
- Allow the mixture to cool to 125F (use a candy thermometer) before adding essential oils. This preserves the integrity of the oils and prevents the fragrance from evaporating (you want to enjoy the fragrance in your balm!).
- Before pouring: make sure you have your jars in a place where they can sit and rest undisturbed for 8 hours or overnight (away from direct sunlight).
- Pour the mixture into the 2 x 1 oz jars dividing equally between them; allow the mixture to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before putting the lid on and then let it rest another 7 hours (ideally overnight) to reconstitute fully into a solid balm before enjoying - - it may look like it's solid on the surface but it's a bit like a thin skating rink on a lake :) it takes time for the layers underneath to solidify and achieve consistency throughout. I don't recommend putting in fridge or over ice to accelerate the process; just let nature take it's course at room temperature for the best result.
- Storage: it's best to store this balm at a room temp, dry place away from direct sunlight. It's lifespan will vary accordingly, in the range of 6-12 months.
- Enjoy your balm!
