Bee Free of dry skin this winter with a DIY vegan body balm!

Your skin will fall in love with this winter body balm recipe!

As far as our skin is concerned, winter is often synonymous with dryness, irritation, and redness. But what if you could “Bee Free” of all that? Our winter balm recipe proves that it’s possible!

To create this body balm recipe, we used ingredients that are known for their protective and nourishing properties. This homemade body balm for cold days will take care of your epidermis by helping it maintain hydration and by softening your skin. Why not spend your winter comfortably and peacefully, without fearing bad weather and sub-zero temperatures?

To make everyone happy, this winter body balm is vegan: none of the ingredients come from animals. By making this winter body balm yourself, you can Bee Free of not only dry, damaged skin, but also animal products—keeping the bees free too!

How to make vegan body balm

Ingredients

• 58 g (28.5 %) kokum butter
• 56 g (27.5 %) mango butter
• 12 g (6 %) candelilla wax
• 26 g (13 %) macadamia oil or argan oil
• 26 g (13 %) green tea maceration
• 20 g (10 %) wheat germ oil
• 2 g (1 %) vitamin E
• 4 g (2 %) ( essential oil(s) of your choosing
• 2 g cocoa powder (optional)

Tools

• Components to make a double boiler
• 1 small stainless steel bowl
• 1 mini silicone spatula
• 1 scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• A few pipettes
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 mini-mixer, with beat/whip attachment (the small whisk)
• A few ramekins and spoons
• 1 wide-mouth canning jar, 240 ml
• 1 stainless steel sieve (if you are using the cocoa powder)

Good to know!

• Would you like to choose an essential oil that meets your specific needs? Read our article to learn which cosmetic ingredients are right for your skin type!
• Careful! Some essential oils are dermocaustic (cinnamon, clove, spike lavender, peppermint, and thyme, among others). As such, they should not exceed 0.5% of the total recipe. These essential oils may irritate, or even burn, your skin.
• Are you tempted to use citrus essential oils in your homemade winter body balm? You absolutely can! Just keep in mind that these essential oils are generally photosensitizing. You should therefore avoid sun exposure after using your product.
• You can replace the essential oil(s) in this vegan body balm recipe with an equivalent quantity of aromatic essence(s).

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
2. Weigh the kokum butter, mango butter, and candelilla wax in a bowl. Melt on the double boiler.
3. Once everything has melted, add the oils (macademia, wheat germ, and green tea maceration). Add cocoa powder with the sieve (optional). Mix well with the mini-mixer (using the whisk attachment) until the mixture is homogeneous.
4. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then, place the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour, until the homemade body balm begins to set partially. It is important that it doesn’t harden completely: this midway state allows the balm to be whipped. If it is too hard, leave it for a few minutes at room temperature until the body balm is softer.  
5. Beat the balm with the electric mixer for two minutes.
6. After a few minutes the balm should become creamy, smooth, and beige in colour. That’s when you’ve reached the perfect texture!
7. Add the vitamin E and the essential oil(s). Mix well with the electric mixer until the balm is homogeneous.
8. Transfer the body balm to the jar using a mini spatula. It’s ready!

Use and conservation

Gently massage body balm over your skin to help penetrate. It is even more moisturizing if applied to damp skin right after a shower. This DIY vegan body balm is formulated for all skin types and is particularly suitable for dry skin.

Made in optimal sanitary conditions, it should keep for 6–12 months.

Store at room temperature in a dry place.