Good news for dry-skinned chocolate aficionados! Cocoa butter is one of the best fats you can use to hydrate the body, plus you get a faint, natural scent of cocoa. (But no tasting—it’s got chemicals to preserve it!) This lotion, an emulsion between fat and liquid, is suitable for everyday use. Pump-top bottles are available in beauty supply stores and some pharmacies. For cocoa butter and chocolate extract sources, see Shopping Sources Guide, page 142.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 1/4 cups lotion
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Melt the cocoa butter in the microwave on low heat for 1 minute in an ovenproof measuring cup or other microwavable container. Stir, then use 30-second blasts as needed until the cocoa butter is a smooth yellow liquid. Stir in the grapeseed oil. Transfer to a blender and allow the mixture to cool for several minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine the water and borax in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Run the blender at medium speed for a few seconds, then stop it and add a splash of the boiling water, then run it again for several seconds. This is a gradual way to create the emulsion between fat and water, and the borax helps holds them together. Once all the water is added, continue blending, adding the chocolate extract and the vanilla extract. The mixture should look white and frothy. Transfer the lotion to a pump-top bottle. It thickens up a bit as it cools. Shake it again before using to refresh the emulsion.
