Kpangnan Body Frappé - How a New Product 'Just Happens'


Getting to know raw ingredients is always a pleasure, and the star butter in this product has been no exception. After liking everything kpangnan butter had to offer in a lotion bar, I decided to do a simple whipped body butter – just to test this butter out in a different type of formula.

The texture turned out so light, creamy, and non-greasy that I have been using this buttery-smooth frappé everywhere from face to feet since the first batch. What started out as an ingredient test grew into a new product.

Suddenly, a scent was being composed, labels were being designed and a few testers were being contacted.

I didn't plan this product. It really just happened.


Here's a peek at how I put together batch 2 (before labels were designed and scent was added):


Apart from kpangnan butter, the rest of the ingredients are

  • Fractionated coconut oil - a neutral, non-greasy oil that stays in the background and lets all the other ingredients shine
  • Evening primrose oil - just for the sheer, skin-loving goodness it brings to this mix
  • Shea - to add another skin loving fabulous butter to the mix
  • Essential oils - in this case, purely for scent



Here is the star ingredient being melted very slowly over low heat.


And here are the beaters after the mixture was whipped to a light and frothy texture. It looks good enough to eat, don't you think?

Initial Test Conclusions

So far this frappé has all the makings of a winner.

I find the light, almost white color of this product quite inviting. The feel is absolutely fabulous, and my skin is loving it.

The texture is also staying rock-steady stable in the jar (despite a summery rise in temps), and the scent – a combination of melissa officinalis (lemon balm) essential oil and pelargonium graveolens (geranium) essential oil – is just the right combination of fresh green and floral.

Do Tell

Have you worked with this butter in anything? What did you make? Were you pleased with the results?

Giveaway

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Comments

Michelle said…
Hey Lisa...awesome blog. I made a body butter with cocoa butter, coconut oil and shea butter and it is awesome. So great, I sent a batch to my sister in Australia. However it arrived in a melted mess, any tips on making the butter more stable in heat?
LisaLise said…
Hey there Michelle - thanks for your kind words! You touch on one of the major issues of working with body butter. It is impossible to make a texture that will work in all climates, and travel is the most difficult challenge of all.

My best suggestion is to tweak the proportions in your recipe until you have a texture that is stable through 'most temps'. Cocoa butter will not melt as fast as she or coconut oil, so try upping the cocoa butter amount and cutting a bit of the coconut oil.

As for sending through the mail: I find that wrapping the finished product in ample bubble wrap and sending in a generous sized box helps guard against the most extreme temps. Best of luck with it.
Michelle said…
Hey Lisa...thank you so so much. Will try and incorporate more butters with higher melting points.

One last question, do you prefer to use a hand mixer to an immersion blender?

Any difference?
LisaLise said…
HI Michelle - I've always used a hand mixer for whipped body butters. :)
Michelle said…
Thank you Lise...I wish all the best in life :D
Rikke said…
Hej Lise. Jeg har bare lyst til at spise det. Jeg kan levende forestille mig konsistensen. Den ser jo næst en luftig ud. Muums. God weekend. Kh Rikke
María said…
Hi Michelle, I would also like to suggest to use a little amount of beeswax, or another hard wax (carnauba, candelilla), this can help harden the mixture and also make rise a little the fusion point of the whole product.
Hope this helps :)
LisaLise said…
Hej Rikke - ja, jeg er helt enig - og duften af citronmelisse gør den endnu mere fristende!

María - that is a great suggestion for Michelle with the addition of a touch of carnuaba or candela wax!