Best Massage and Hand Cream yet!

As a Market Gardener, I've had my share of skin cracks near my fingernails, dryness, roughness, and rough looking hands!  Once I started using certified, therapeutic level essential oils… I was also looking for an all natural massage lotion/creme… since I no longer wanted soy (in many massage lotions) on me, let alone artificial anything on the largest organ of  the body.

In developing a massage cream we love… I inadvertently solved the hand problem too!  I've been meaning to share this recipe for a long time… so here is my Christmas gift to all readers  :-).  This recipe will make a 7.5 oz batch that will go into an 8 oz glass jar (I prefer the fat, wide canning jars).

Over low heat, in a glass or steel container, melt and stir together:

4 Tbsp Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil (we use organic… this is the hard white cooking oil)
2 Tbsp Mango Butter (comes in organic form also)
2 Tbsp Shea Butter (comes in organic form also; or use Mango or Cocoa Butter)
2 Tbsp (or less) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (we use organic)

Once the mix is melted, remove from heat and place in the refrigerator on a hot pad to cool.

The mix should become a solid opaque before it is ready.  Either remove from the frig as soon as it is opaque and process immediately…. or remove 10 minutes or so before you wish to process it, so it can soften a little… to a hard margarine consistency rather than a hard butter.  It will store well in the frig for a couple of days.

Chunk up the now-hard mixture with a knife, into a mixing bowl, or leave it sit at room temperature longer for easier mixing.   Whip on low speed with a mixer.  Then add in right away:

30-32 drops of top quality Frankincense essential oil
10 drops of top quality Myrrh essential oil
3-4 drops of top quality Juniper Berry essential oil
Contents of 1-2 capsules of vitamin E, if desired

Keep mixing until you have an even, smooth consistency.  Whip at high speed if you prefer a cream with more volume.   Try adding Arrowroot powder, just a bit at a time, if you prefer a thicker consistency.  Scrape into your jar, and don't waste what's left in the bowl  ;-).

At normal room temperatures, this cream should stay in it's whipped form yet melt in your hands  :-).  It may get super soft in hot areas, or be extra solid in colder homes.  You may wish to experiment with the ingredients if you live in a hot climate (I'm in Montana, so that's not an issue here, lol).

Makes about a 1% dilution cream…. but you still get great benefits from the oils.

If using other brands of essential oils than doTerra, PLEASE make sure they are recommended for topical use.  You may need to add more drops of the non-doTerra brands to get similar results.

Enjoy!  :-)