Featured Product: Illipe Nut Butter

My first thought when I saw Illipe Butter was “It looks like rocks.” Of course, I had to touch it, and to my astonishment, it did not feel rock-like at all! Though Illipe Butter is brittle, it is not difficult to break off a chunk.

Illipe Nut Butter

The biggest surprise was how quickly and smoothly it melted when I rubbed it on my skin. I expected it to be a little grainy based on its appearance, but it is quite smooth. When using Illipe Butter in lotions and creams, I’ve loved how light the end products feel. My skin is very dry, so I am pleased to find a butter that makes my skin feel so moisturized and fabulous. I’ve decided that Illipe Butter feels especially delightful on my feet.

Andee said: “I thought the Illipe Butter had a surprisingly creamy and velvety texture for a brittle butter. While it has a comparable melt point to Cocoa Butter, I think I prefer Cocoa Butter on the lips and Illipe Butter in skin pampering lotions and creams. My combination skin would adore a heavy body cream featuring Illipe Butter. Maybe I need to try a few recipes featuring this excellent butter to be sure.”

Tina said: “When I first rubbed a small piece of the Illipe Butter into my skin, I was impressed by the smooth melting consistency and the velvety texture that didn’t seem very greasy. I’d use Illipe Butter in creams for my feet and elbows, but my oily skin wouldn’t need this luxurious butter everywhere.”

Some interesting things about Illipe Butter:

• It is similar in texture to Cocoa Butter, but it has no scent. That makes it an excellent substitute for Cocoa Butter when the chocolate odor is not desirable. Illipe Butter can meet the needs of people who prefer not to use deodorized cocoa butter, which goes through additional refining to remove the scent. I love chocolate as much as the next girl, but sometimes it’s just doesn’t mesh with other fragrances.
• This butter is made from the fallen nuts of the False Illipe Tree, which is native to the jungles of Southeast Asia. The tree flowers from October through January, then the nuts fall to the ground and are collected for processing.
• Illipe butter contains oleic, palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids. It promotes elasticity in skin and hair and is great for dry skin. Illipe Butter will add moisture retention properties to any formulation.
• Like Cocoa Butter, Illipe Butter can add hardness to bar soaps without contributing scent.
• Usage rate recommendations are very similar for Cocoa Butter and Illipe Butter.
  • Lotions and Creams: try 2 to 20%
  • Body and Lip Balms: try 3 to 100%
  • Bar Soap: try 3 to 6%
• Illipe Nut Butter has a melting point of approximately 90º-105º F.

Join me in the next few days as we make a few products with Illipe Butter! Here’s what I have planned:

• A luscious lip balm with Blackberry Pomegranate flavor.
• A body butter that will delight winter-dry skin.
• Love lotion bars? Be sure to check out the super simple recipe!
• Illipe Butter soap colored with rose hip powder. (I think I’m on a pink kick lately since the latest products are coming out of my lab in different hues of pink!)

I may toss in an overnight foot cream as a bonus blog. What do you think? If you want the foot cream, say YES in the comments. 🙂