Winter can be hard on the skin, especially the complexion. If you think about it, you literally “face” the blustery temperature and winds of winter, only to come inside to be abruptly met with warm, dry heat. This cycle can create quite a bit of turmoil for your skin, and it’s times like these that your largest organ appreciates some extra love and attention. This is what sparked the inspiration to create a DIY protective balm for the face (though I actually use it for the whole body).

Kokum Butter for Skin

Kokum butter is an all-star ingredient for skin care recipes. Extracted from the seeds of the Garcinia tree, kokum butter has long been used in Ayurvedic traditions to help with dry lips and skin. Thanks to its fatty acids (namely stearic and oleic acids) and skin-soothing triglycerides, kokum butter helps lock hydration into the skin and creates a barrier without feeling too greasy or causing clogged pores.

If you’ve never worked with kokum butter before, it may be a bit of a surprise to you at first. Unlike smooth shea and mango butters, its texture is very hard, brittle, and crumbly, even more so than cocoa butter. But don’t let that fool you! Kokum butter works wonders for parched and thirsty skin.

Here are the ingredients that I chose to combine with my kokum butter, and why they work so well with it!

• Shea butter adds a creamy consistency, intense moisturizing qualities, fatty acids, and vitamins A and E.
• Jojoba oil is incredibly lightweight and quickly sinks into the skin, balancing the butters nicely and providing skin with deep nourishment.
• A little beeswax keeps the balm from melting and also helps lock water into the skin, leaving it hydrated, smooth, and soothed.
• Essential oils help to uplift one’s mood and add other skin-loving plant nutrients into the mix.

Kokum Butter Face & Body Balm

Makes 2 ounces.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. kokum butter
• 1/2 Tbsp. organic unrefined shea butter
• 1 tsp. grated beeswax
• 2 Tbsp. organic jojoba oil
• 3 drops organic frankincense essential oil
• 3 drops organic carrot seed essential oil
• 3 drops organic ylang ylang essential oil

Directions

1. Heat 2 to 3 inches inches of water in a saucepan on low. 
2. Combine beeswax and butters in an oven-safe, glass measuring cup or a double boiler. Set vessel in the water until wax and butter melt together.
3. Add jojoba oil, stirring to combine. The cooler jojoba oil may cause some of the mixture to solidify, so continue stirring until the mixture is completely liquefied again.
4. After mixture has fully melted and mixed, remove from heat.
5. Add essential oils and stir to combine.
6. Transfer the melted balm into 2 oz. glass salve jar and allow it to set and cool fully before securing lid.

FOR more recipes and natural inspiration:

Check Our Nadia's Blog: Body Unburdened!

You might also enjoy:

• DIY Rosehip Face Moisturizer
• Herb-Infused Kokum Butter Salve for Dry Skin 
• Ayurvedic-Inspired Skin Care Tips for Graceful Aging