For five days I shared a series of simple DIY recipes made with just three ingredients each, all using Rainforest Chica oils and butters.
The idea was to keep things easy, useful and realistic. No complicated formulas, no giant ingredient lists, just a few good ingredients put together in a way that makes sense.
I ended up with recipes for skin, lips, hair, dry spots and feet, plus one bonus recipe because apparently five wasn’t enough.
Here they all are in one place so you can save them, come back to them later, and make whichever one fits what you need most.
Winter Fixer Whipped Butter
This formula brings together three very different Amazonian ingredients for dry, winter-stressed skin. Cupuaçu is known for its strong water-binding capacity, Bacuri is a rich, deeply emollient butter with a distinctive fatty-acid profile, and Brazil Nut Oil brings oleic and linoleic acids plus naturally occurring tocopherols.
1. Melt the Cupuaçu and Bacuri butters in a double boiler.
2. Add the Brazil Nut Oil while still heating.
3. Refrigerate until firm but still soft.
4. Whip until light and fluffy. If it is still too soft, chill again and re-whip.
5. Spoon into a clean, dry jar.
When you first start whipping, the mixture will still look dark and dense. After a few minutes, it becomes much lighter and fluffier.
Why these 3?
Cupuaçu Butter Helps soften skin and has a high water-binding capacity.
Bacuri Butter Rich in palmitic and oleic fatty acids and gives the blend a rich feel.
Brazil Nut Oil Rich in oleic and linoleic acids with naturally occurring tocopherols.
Together they make a rich whipped butter for dry winter skin.
How to use
Best used on slightly damp skin. Massage well. A little goes a long way. If the butter firms up after sitting, it is still perfectly fine to use.
Lip Butter Bar
This one is all about using naturally rich Brazilian ingredients in a very simple format. Cocoa Butter gives the bar its protective, slow-melting base, Cupuaçu brings its water-binding and emollient properties, and Pequi Oil adds a different fatty-acid profile along with its naturally occurring carotenoids and that beautiful golden color.
2. Melt the Cocoa and Cupuaçu butters in a double boiler.
3. Add the Pequi Oil and let everything heat together briefly.
4. Pour into molds.
5. Refrigerate until completely solid.
6. Remove from the fridge, unmold, and let the bars sit at room temperature overnight before using.
A little bar with many jobs
Glide it over your lips, rub it into dry cuticles, or use it on any little dry spots that need some love.
Keep one in a small tin and take it with you.
Just remember: it’s all butter and oil, so don’t leave the little guy baking in a hot car.
Damaged Hair Treatment
This one is for hair that feels dry, rough or overworked and needs something richer than a regular conditioner. Cupuaçu gives the treatment its creamy base, while Pequi and Ojon bring two very different Amazonian oils traditionally used in hair care.
2. Add the Pequi and Ojon oils and heat together briefly.
3. Pour into your container.
4. Refrigerate until set.
5. Let it return to room temperature before using.
This one should set very soft, almost like a thick treatment rather than a solid butter.
Why these 3?
Cupuaçu Butter Rich in oleic and stearic acids, giving this treatment its creamy, conditioning base.
Pequi Oil Rich in oleic and palmitic acids and naturally contains carotenoids. A rich emollient oil for dry hair.
Ojon Oil Traditionally used for hair care and naturally rich in oleic acid, along with linoleic and lauric acids.
How to use
Apply to damp hair, adjusting the amount depending on your hair’s length, thickness and dryness.
Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then shampoo thoroughly. For a deeper treatment, cover your hair and add gentle heat.
For outdoor protection, apply a small amount to damp hair before exposure to wind, salt water or chlorine.
Hair Leave-In Butter
This one is for smoothing, softening and controlling hair without turning it into a heavy oil treatment. Murumuru and Babassu are both naturally rich in lauric acid, while Patauá brings a very different, oleic-rich profile. The finished butter is quite firm, so you naturally end up using very little at a time, which is exactly what you want with a leave-in.
2. Add the Babassu and Patauá oils and heat together briefly.
3. Pour into a clean, dry jar.
4. Refrigerate until completely solid.
5. Let it return to room temperature before using.
Why these 3?
Murumuru Butter Often called a “vegetable silicone” in hair care because of the smooth, silky feel it gives the hair. It is also naturally rich in lauric acid.
Babassu Oil Also rich in lauric acid and melts easily, making it a natural partner for Murumuru.
Patauá Oil Rich in oleic acid and brings a softer, more fluid oil into the formula.
How to use
This is a firm leave-in, so start with a very small amount.
Rub it well between your palms until it melts, then smooth through damp hair, focusing on the lengths and ends.
Add a little more only if your hair needs it. Do not rinse.
Use a tiny amount on dry hair to smooth flyaways, or adjust the amount for curls, thicker hair or very dry ends.
Dry Skin Rescue Balm
This one is for the areas that always seem to need more help than regular body butter can give them. Tucumã, Andiroba and Beeswax make a rich balm that works especially well on cuticles, knuckles, elbows, heels and other stubborn dry spots.
Recipe
Tucumã Butter - 4 parts Andiroba Oil - 1 part Beeswax - 1 part
How to make it
1. Melt the Beeswax in a double boiler.
2. Add the Tucumã Butter and melt completely.
3. Add the Andiroba Oil and heat briefly.
4. Pour into a clean, dry jar or tin.
5. Refrigerate until completely set, then let it return to room temperature before using.
Why these ingredients?
Tucumã Butter Gives the balm a smooth, more translucent finish and leaves a light protective coating on the skin. It’s sometimes described in cosmetic formulation as a “vegetable silicone” because of its silky feel.
Andiroba Oil A traditional Amazonian skin oil naturally rich in fatty acids and distinctive compounds called limonoids. It has been widely used in Brazil in topical preparations for dry, stressed skin.
Beeswax Gives the balm structure and forms an occlusive layer that helps slow moisture loss.
Overnight Foot Butter
This bonus recipe is for the parts of your feet that really need something substantial. Ucuuba is one of the most unusual butters in the Rainforest Chica lineup, with a fatty-acid profile very different from the better-known body butters, and it makes a great base for a rich overnight treatment. Cupuaçu and Pracaxi bring their own very different skin-care profiles, so this is not just a heavy butter for the sake of being heavy.
Ucuuba Butter A very unusual Amazonian butter, naturally rich in myristic and lauric acids. Its distinctive fatty-acid profile gives it a dense, protective feel that makes it especially suited to rough, very dry areas.
Cupuaçu Butter Known for its exceptional ability to bind water, Cupuaçu helps keep dry skin feeling softer and more comfortable.
Pracaxi Oil Rich in oleic acid and unusually high in behenic acid, Pracaxi has a rich, substantial feel and has a long history of topical use in Amazonia.
How to use
Use a small spatula or spoon to scoop out a little, then massage it between your hands until it softens.
Apply generously to clean, dry feet, focusing on heels, rough areas and cuticles.
Put on socks and leave it on overnight.
If you make one of these, tag us so I can see what you made. I’d love to see which recipe you picked, how it turned out, and what little tweaks you made to make it your own.
Making one? Save 15% when you buy any 3 ingredients from the recipe collection. Use code MAKE3 through 10/7.
I think I sometimes forget that I've been talking about the chemistry of butters and oils on the Rainforest Chica page for years. Many of my followers have also read Susan M Parker 's book, so concepts like melting points and crystallization have become second nature to us.
Then I visit other groups and realize that many people are just starting their journey with natural butters. Questions that seem basic to me are brand new to someone else. That's one of the reasons I enjoy sharing posts like this, hopefully they make the learning curve a little easier.
___ I see quite a few posts here asking whether coconut oil is still usable after melting, so I thought I'd share a post about the melting points of cosmetic butters. Keep in mind that both butters and oils are fats. We generally refer to fats that are solid at room temperature as butters, while those that remain liquid at room temperature are called oils. I also saw a few comments on my popular post about melt and pour butter blends that they will be "grainy", this post will help with that too.
What is a melting point?
A melting point is the temperature at which a fat changes from a solid to a liquid. Below its melting point, the fat is solid. Above it, the fat is liquid.
Melting and solidifying again do not change a butter's chemical composition or its skin-loving properties. As long as it hasn't been overheated to the point of degradation or mixed with water or other contaminants, a melted butter is still the same butter.
Some butters and butter blends can become grainy after melting because they naturally contain different fats that solidify at different temperatures. When they cool slowly, some fats have more time to form larger crystals, creating a grainy texture. If this happens, you can often restore a smooth texture by gently remelting the butter until completely liquid, then "forcing" it to solidify by placing it in the refrigerator. Faster cooling encourages the formation of smaller crystals, resulting in a smoother butter.
A grainy texture is simply a physical change, it does not mean the butter has gone bad or lost its beneficial properties.
It works best for cold weather as it has no wax in it, if you want something more resistant add 1/2 - 1 part of beeswax. Best if made in small molds, I made with parts being oz. and it made 12 bars.
Cocoa Butter - 6 parts
Cupuacu Butter - 1 part
Buriti Oil - 1 Part
Melt butters in a double boiler, add the buriti, pour into molds and pop in the fridge for a little bit.
A quick recipe for a delicious whipped body butter that will fix most - maybe all - issues that cold, dry weather brings us. It can be used for hair too. You can sub the oil for a different one if you have a favorite. I like andiroba for this as it has many properties I can't mention as I sell it for cosmetic purposes only but in Brazil it is used as medicine for everything.
Cupuacu Butter - 4 parts
Bacuri Butter - 2 part
Andiroba Oil - 1 to 2 parts (use more oil for cooler places)
Melt all ingredients, pop the mix in the fridge until it starts to solidify and start whipping, you do not need a fancy mixer, any mixer will do, look at my old one!
I like melting ingredients using a double boiler but you can even use a microwave if you want to make things as simple as possible. Don't overheat and add the oil after the butters are melted. If the final result gets too hard, you can remelt and add more oil. Whipped butters is not baking, it is more like cooking you are allowed mistakes.
People call it "Lotion Bar"... I give it a much more appropriate name: it is a BUTTER BAR - is a mix of your favorite butters and oils made harder by a wax. The end result is a solid bar that you apply on your skin much like a surfer puts wax on her board.
I like adjusting the recipe for colder or hotter places, for winter time you may want to make it softer - add more oil or butters. I recommend a test: pour a little of the mix into one mold, let it chill and try it out. This recipe is like cooking, you can add, remelt, fix it. Not like baking that is you miss the mark it is gone.
For a mold you can use waxed paper cups, silicone soap molds or for little bars - silicone ice trays. That is what I used for these.
I use "parts" for my recipe to make it easier for you to make it any size you want, just follow the proportions.
How to Make: Use a clean glass jar or a double boiler in a pan with water, never melt straight on heat - melt wax first, after it is all melted add butters and then after the mix is liquid add oil, let it heat for a bit longer.
You can make just one recipe or the other, you can make separate bars, you can do a two color bar - for the two color bar you can do perfect layering or a bit "messy". If you want the separate layers you need to solidify the first layer before pouring the second, if you want messy pour the second right after the first.
JAR WILL BE HOT! Dry the jar well so no water gets in your bar and pour melted contents into your mold. I like popping mine in the fridge for a few minutes to avoid the risk of separation of wax - if the mix solidifies slowly the wax solidifies first which can cause separation.
I went shopping for dog beds at one of those discount stores and ended up with cute flower ice trays instead.
They were ice trays for a total of a week when a picture of a Fire & Ice rose on the internet gave me ideas! and I came up with this butter bar! I really liked the results even though I wish the red part would be darker but I can't add that much oil to the butters unless I had added more wax to only that part, but I was in a hurry to see results. These little bars are really easy to use too, the size and shape are perfect for gifts, or even as an idea for a Winter product as Summer shipping would put them in danger.
Remember that the wax amount can be adjusted for a harder or softer bar depending on your preference and environmental conditions - softer for winter time and cooler homes, harder for warmer months and places.
These bars are about 2 oz. each and very little of it is the red mix, for four 2 oz. bars I just made a little more than 0.5 oz. of the red mix. This recipe is for this specific mold, but you can adjust for different molds or fewer or more bars. This recipe will yield a total of a bit more of 9 oz. you can overpour a bit.
Ingredients:
Murumuru butter: 4 oz.
Cupuacu butter: 3 oz. (our Cupuacu 2 latest batch is lighter).
Babassu oil: 0.5 oz. (you can use any other light oil if you want different properties).
Tucuma oil: just a tiny bit about. (you can also choose Buriti oil).
Beeswax: 1.5 oz (for a vegan bar you can use about 1 oz. of candelilla and add a little more of Cupuacu).
You need two clean, dry glass jars or double boilers, you never melt butters and waxes directly on heat source, always use a pot with water and double boilers or makeshift ones.
Melt the wax first, when the wax is melted, add the butters.
Once the mix is liquid, separate a little bit of it, about 1/2 to 1 oz and put in the other jar (or doubleboiler) add a few drops of the tucuma oil or buriti to it, add enough for the mix to be red but not too much otherwise it will be too soft. If you want to add more oil you can also add a bit more wax for that blend.
Then mix the light oil to the first mix.
So you will have two separate jars with about 8 oz of the light mix and 0.5 - 1 oz of the red mix.
How to pour.
Take the mixes out of the heat source. Get the mold out the freezer and start pouring the red mix, pour one flower at time, pour a little bit of the mix and move the mold around so the mix will solidify on all the edges, like in the video below, do it for each four, one at time to make sure all the edges are filled then put the mold in the freezer, after 2-3 minutes take it out and put the mold on a flat surface that can be moved (a cutting board for example) since once the mold is full it is soft and you won't be able to move it, fill the flowers with the light mix and pop the mold into the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Then all you have to do is unmold and enjoy!
I was so in love with the Lip Lil' Butter Barthat I used them on my cuticles, elbows, chest area, knees and more, truly addictive, so I decided to broaden our horizons! LOL!
Since a wax-less bar works perfectly for Winter time, I followed exactly the same recipe just changing the oils for more properties and fun! I decided to go for Acai Oil for its antioxidant properties and Tucuma Oil for all that great beta-carotene.
Here is the description for the original bar:
"Growing up in Brazil, even in the big city, we did not have fancy ChapSticks, we had lipstick shaped cocoa butter - manteiga de cacau - and it worked great, so the other day, it was kinda dry in Florida and my lips were in need of some serious loving, I thought about our old cocoa butter ways and decided to add scrubbing to it.
I will leave modesty aside and say it was a genius idea and these bars work wonders! If you want to play it a little rough use scrubbing side, if you just want loving use the all butter side.
I did two layers of scrub so all the powder doesn't concentrate on one end which I think would become too crumbly, you can make smaller bars with just one scrubbing end.
Since it was a spur of the moment thing I used what I had around - an ice tray with a silicone bottom. Any small mold with a flat bottom will work, I think the tiny squares would look adorable, no flowers or shapes."
How to: Melt butters and oil, for two layers of scrub, fill little molds up to half and add a little powder, the quartz being heavy will drop to the bottom, put in freezer until solid then add rest of butter/oil mix, then more powder. For just one layer of scrub fill the mold almost up to the top then add the quartz just once. Remember not to make a too thick layer of quartz.
You can mix a few drops of a good EO and sweeteners if you want to go fancy. For full summer heat it may need a little wax.
This scrub butter will prepare your skin for that perfect tan, it can also be used after tanning - GENTLY and as long as you haven't fried your skin.
I suggest this butter be whipped but it can be just mixed or layered.
If you are whipping: Add the scrub to the oil and reserve.
Melt the butters, put them in the fridge until they start solidifying, then start whipping, if the butter is still too soft put back in the fridge, repeat until the butter is firm enough. Once the butter is whipping well add the oil/scrub mix slowly.
Murumuru Butter - 2 Parts
Cupuaçu Butter - 2 Parts
Bacuri Butter - 1 Part
Tucuma OR Buriti Oil - 1 Part
Murumuru Bio-Scrub - 1 Part - you may need to sieve it, you can also grind it again in a small coffee grinder, I bought a small one off eBay for 8 bucks.
I use this scrub on clean damp skin, after scrubbing I gently remove the powder using a wet towel or rinse with warm water, no soap is needed, Bacuri, Tucuma and Buriti will stain fabric, so the perfect time to do this scrub is if you can put a sarong around your body and let the butters do its magic, if you cant, then wash well.
I hope you enjoy, please tag us if you make this recipe!
@RainforestChica
If you need further help text or WhatsApp us at 9542742032
This scrub butter may help blemish prone skin with murumuru and its high levels of lauric acid, guava oil known for its astringent properties and andiroba known for antimicrobial properties.
Super easy to make, melt all ingredients, minus the scrub,in a double boiler, pop in the fridge for a little bit, when the butter is starting to solidify add the the scrub and start folding into the butter, if the butter gets too soft put it back in the fridge for a little bit longer and mix/fold again.
*Other ways to mix the scrub into the butter are: whipping the butter or if you want to just make a melt and pour butter you can layer the scrub, pour some butter/oil blend, pop into the fridge until solid, add a second layer and some scrub, the scrub will settle on top of the first, solid now, layer. Keep repeating until your butter and scrub are done.
Ingredients:
Murumuru Butter - 5 Parts
Andiroba Oil + Guava Oil - 1 Part (1/2 parts of each, you can use equal parts, or use more of the oil you like better).
Andiroba Bio-Scrub - 1/2 Part - you may need to sieve it, you can also grind it again in a small coffee grinder, I bought a small one off eBay for 8 bucks.
I use this scrub on clean damp skin, after scrubbing I gently remove the powder using a wet towel and rinse with warm water, no soap is needed, pat dry with a clean towel. Proceed with your habitual skin care routine, I also like scrubbing BEFORE my clay masks.
I hope you enjoy, please tag us if you make this recipe!
@RainforestChica
If you need further help text or WhatsApp us at 9542742032
