Making your own body butter at home is a great way to save money on a luxury item, and you can customize the ingredients to suit your skin.
You can also be sure that it’s free of preservatives and chemicals found in many commercial products.
So how do you ensure that homemade body butter lasts as long as possible? Keep reading to find out how!
Whether you need to preserve homemade body butter for a few days or months, the process is the same.
The main enemies of body butter are heat and light, so it’s important to keep your butter in a cool, dark place.
When you’re not using it, keep the lid on and store your body butter in a cupboard or drawer. Don’t leave it sitting out where it’s exposed to the sun.
As you can see, how to preserve homemade body butter is pretty simple! Just follow these tips, and your skin will thank you.
How To Preserve Homemade Body Butter
There are a few ways to preserve your homemade body butter. The most important thing is to keep it in a cool, dark place and to avoid contaminants.
1. Keep It Clean
Make sure your work area and utensils are clean before you start. If you use your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and hot water.
If you use a utensil, clean it with soap and water before every use.
Don’t forget to wash your container thoroughly after making body butter!
A good habit is to keep one set of utensils for the ingredients only, another for mixing them together, and yet another for packaging. That way, there’s less of a chance for contamination.
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2. Use The Right Containers
Glass is generally the best material to store body butter in. It’s also what most people have around their homes, making it an easy choice.
Ceramic or metal containers are another option that works well for storage purposes, but don’t forget that glass has major benefits when it comes to preserving your homemade body butter!
Don’t use plastic bags or other non-durable materials as they can easily break and become contaminated with bacteria during regular use.
You should never put them in direct contact with heat – especially if you’re using a microwave.
This could cause chemicals from the container to leach into your skincare product. The last thing you want is melted plastic being rubbed on delicate skin!
3. You can use Preservatives
If you’re planning on keeping your body butter for several months, you can add a preservative to it. You have two options: either oil-based extract or essential oils with antibacterial properties.
Both will keep the ingredients from going bad and help slow down how fast they melt in hot weather.
Just make sure to add the preservative before putting the container in the fridge.
It will be harder to mix in evenly if you add it afterward. Just be sure not to overdo it, as too much of either can be harmful to your skin.
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4. Store It in A Cool, Dark Place
The best way to preserve homemade body butter is by keeping it in a cool, dark place. This will help keep the ingredients from going bad and melting.
Ideally, it would help if you stored your body butter in the fridge. Not only does this help extend the life of the product, but it can also be soothing for sunburned or irritated skin.
If you’re not able to store it in the fridge, try putting it in a cupboard instead. Just make sure that there’s no light exposure and away from any heat sources like ovens or stoves.
5. Use Antioxidant To Extend Shelf Life
If you’re having a hard time keeping track of how long your body butter has been sitting around, you can add an antioxidant to help extend its shelf life.
This will help slow down the rate at which the ingredients go bad and prevent them from becoming rancid.
Just make sure that the antioxidant is oil-soluble so it can mix in with the other ingredients. You don’t want it floating on top or at the bottom of the container!
There are many different antioxidants available on the market, so do some research to find one that best suits your needs.
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6. Use Alcohol As a Preservative
If you’re not a fan of essential oils or oil-based extracts, you can use alcohol as a preservative. Just make sure that the alcohol you choose is food grade and has no scent.
You also want to make sure it doesn’t contain any water since that will only speed up the process of decomposition.
Alcohol is a great way to preserve homemade body butter because it’s effective against both bacteria and fungi. It also helps keep the ingredients from clumping together.
7. Use distilled Water
If you’re using water in your recipe, distilled water is the best choice. If you live in an area with hard water, distilled water is a must.
The minerals in hard water can cause your body butter to spoil prematurely.
You can use tap water if you filter it first or boil it for a few minutes to kill any bacteria. Remember to let the water cool completely before adding it to your recipe.
If you’re using melted butter, be sure the water is at room temperature before adding it.
Water that’s too hot will kill the live enzymes in the butter and make it spoil more quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Preserving Homemade Body Butter
How Long Does Homemade Body Butter Last?
It depends on how it’s stored. If you keep it in a cool, dark place and use a preservative, it can last up to six months.
How Do I Know If My Body Butter Has Gone Bad?
If the ingredients have separated, or if there’s an off smell, then the body butter has gone bad.
How Do I Store Body Butter In The Fridge?
Just put it in a clean, air-tight container and stick it near the back, so you know how to find it when you need it again! If your product melts, just pop it into the freezer for about 30 minutes before using it again.
Body butter can be a helpful addition to your daily skincare routine. However, it’s essential to know how long you should keep the product before using or throwing it out because preservatives won’t last forever!
To extend its shelf life and prevent contamination from occurring, consider these tips on how to preserve homemade body butter so that you can use it for as long as possible.