Body Balm

A recent broken arm resulted in a titanium plate added to my arm. The surgeon was super and the scar after all the physical therapy is very thin. It is expected the scar will be very faint in years to come. During physical therapy I fell in love with a stiff body butter the staff would rub into the scar to help healing and prevent scar tissue from building up. The butter had a fair amount of drag and it allowed a deep massage of my arm. While trying to come up with a similar product using my favorite Coffee Butter I had a few variations I thought I would share.

First attempt:
35 grams Coffee Butter
15 grams Mango Butter
45 grams White Cocoa Butter
30 grams Lanolin
45 grams Beeswax

Weigh all ingredients then melt together. Pour mixture into wide mouth container. Works well in the lotion bar tubes. Mixture makes about 6 fl oz.

After I found my first attempt to be VERY stiff I tried adding a few more ingredients to the new base I had made.

Variation #1:
17 grams of First Attempt above
2 grams Avocado Oil
4 grams Cyclomethicone

Melt all ingredients together. Makes enough to fill two 1/3 ounce lip balm tins.
I like this mixture and it seems to melt readily. It is not so stiff and it has a slight amount of drag. Very suitable for a lotion bar tubes or stick.

Variation #2:
17 grams of First Attempt above
9 grams Shea Oil

Melt all ingredients together. This mixture is stiffer than Variation #1 and has more drag. It feels like a stiff lip balm. I also liked this mixture.

Variation #3:
17 grams of First Attempt above
6 grams Shea Oil
6 grams Avocado Oil
6 grams Cyclomethicone

This mixture melts the easiest and feels the most greasy as it is applied to the skin. The greasiness quickly goes away and the skin feels soft and has a slight balm coating. Since this mixture melts almost at the touch of the fingers I would only put this in a jar and not a tube or stick.

Variation #4:
17 grams of First Attempt above
6 grams Shea Oil
6 grams Cyclomethicone

This mixture is also softer than 1 or 2 and leaves the skin soft. It is easily rubbed in and does not create much drag. I would also put this one in a jar.

While not all variations are suitable for the same applications I have found the high drag/scar reducing balm I was looking for (#2). I have also found an easy balm for helping to combat dry winter knuckles and elbows (#4). For summer time knees I think #3 is best. For people that want a stick or tube applicator then I know #1 is the route I will go.

Enjoy! Andee