Interesting! I don't remember that I've ever had that kind of problem with shea, but my problem is that my whipped shea body butter always goes too hard.
I think mine is refined, but I'm not sure. I use about 25% oil and rest is shea butter, when I make whipped body butter. I quess I always whip too long time, the result is harder than plain shea butter itself. One reason can be low temperature, my home is kind of cold in winter times...
That's quite interesting that you can add 25% oil to the shea and still get such a hard result. You mention possibly over whipping - that might be the answer. I have always whipped as little time as possible… now of course, I'll have to try and see if I can recreate 'your texture'by doing the same thing! :)
I definitely gave up with shea just because of that, y really hate it. After time, and also after raiding that actually I don't make that many products, I changed to cocoa butter + oil, or a mix of them with beeswax (sometimes also with coconut oil). And I love it, hard enough to keep and melts lovely in contact with skin. In my opinion, after experimentation each make their own selection of favourite products ;)
Hi MarÃa - I do know what you mean! Have you read Signes comments above? I'm super curious now about exploring working with shea as the exclusive butter in a body butter and whipping it. Even though I know it is practically mission impossible, I would love to crack the shea code once and for all!
Anonymous said…
I' have a product that this happened to. But I also has beeswax and Ewax mixed in my oils. Is it still safe to remelt it and whip again?
Hi Anon - You might find it works to remelt and cool again. If it's a small portion, I'd give it a go but melt slowly over low heat and stir while it's cooling until it starts to tturn viscous - then pour up.
I make a shea butter body butter - the recipe is from several blogs online and research. I use 20% shea to oil ratio. Oils I typically use are grapeseed, olive or almond along with cacao butter. I heat up mix then freeze until there is just a slight frozen film on top, beat with a stand up mixer, re freeze (4-5 mins), beat again, no more than 3 x typically. I get a super light, melt on your skin fluffy loveliness. It will degrade in heat - I shipped some to a dear friend and she ended up with a puddle of grainy shea and oil.
Yesterday I tried adding beeswax to the mix and using same process. I just mailed to another friend - LOL - to see how it goes. I am wondering if you have any suggestions? Maybe I'm doing something wrong from the gate by freezing and perhaps overbearing?? thank you!
Hi Claudia - Thanks for your kind words about my blog. I have written a book about working with shea butter that adresses this kind of problem (and offers several formulas and tutorials for different products with shea). Your problem is due to a combination of things - among others- the condition of the shea when you start. If you check LisaLise.com/shop you can read more about what the book contains. :)
Elizabeth P said…
I started to use a product called acquaseal coconut and incorporating into my butters. graininess is all gone. i used just a small amount.
Hi Elizabeth - thanks for sharing this. Interesting ‘, as it is a fractionated coconut oil extract you are adding to the mix. I’m on my way to check this out in more detail.
I don't have a problem with graininess, but I am getting these spots on top of my balm. It looks almost like small crystals. I don't use Shea butter, but I do use mango butter. Here are my ingredients. This is a beard balm.
Beeswax (white...refined)
Almond Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Mango Butter (raw)
Silica Microspheres
Essential Oils
I use the double boiler method and heat everything up except the silica. After everything melts I stir it for another 15-20 min and take it off the heat and add the silica. I stir it all up until it is smooth and let it set up in the fridge for about 15 min. Then take it out in a dry cool place over night. After about 1 month I noticed these small spots all over my balm. Here are some pictures...
Hey there Gnome Beard - The combo of ingredients in your balm sounds lovely. The spots you are seeing sound like graininess to me and might be avoided if you completely refrain from chilling the mixture. Stir gently after taking off the heat until trace, then pour up and let set at room temp. Mind you, I have seen some essential oils wreak havoc on balms, so you might try doing a batch where you exclude the essential oils, then add them one by one in subsequent batches and see if the mixture continues to behave. Best of luck with it :)
Anonymous said…
Hello. I am trying today new methods I saw to solve the grainy issue but I want to know if cocoa butter does get grainy as well? Thanks in advance
Comments
How cool you've never experienced graininess! Do you work with unrefined or refined shea?
Also, do you mix your shea with oil when you make whipped butter? If you use an 80/20 shea/oil mix, you should have a perfect texture. :)
That's quite interesting that you can add 25% oil to the shea and still get such a hard result. You mention possibly over whipping - that might be the answer. I have always whipped as little time as possible… now of course, I'll have to try and see if I can recreate 'your texture'by doing the same thing! :)
In my opinion, after experimentation each make their own selection of favourite products ;)
Love your website. thank you!
I make a shea butter body butter - the recipe is from several blogs online and research. I use 20% shea to oil ratio. Oils I typically use are grapeseed, olive or almond along with cacao butter. I heat up mix then freeze until there is just a slight frozen film on top, beat with a stand up mixer, re freeze (4-5 mins), beat again, no more than 3 x typically. I get a super light, melt on your skin fluffy loveliness. It will degrade in heat - I shipped some to a dear friend and she ended up with a puddle of grainy shea and oil.
Yesterday I tried adding beeswax to the mix and using same process. I just mailed to another friend - LOL - to see how it goes. I am wondering if you have any suggestions? Maybe I'm doing something wrong from the gate by freezing and perhaps overbearing?? thank you!
graininess is all gone. i used just a small amount.
Beeswax (white...refined)
Almond Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Mango Butter (raw)
Silica Microspheres
Essential Oils
I use the double boiler method and heat everything up except the silica. After everything melts I stir it for another 15-20 min and take it off the heat and add the silica. I stir it all up until it is smooth and let it set up in the fridge for about 15 min. Then take it out in a dry cool place over night. After about 1 month I noticed these small spots all over my balm. Here are some pictures...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u_dLRlVlMw&feature=youtu.be
https://www.lisaliseblog.com/2020/02/achieving-graininess-in-cocoa-butter.html?m=1