Overall, the quality was very high and quite a bargain when you consider that most products that say they are Shea based contain only a spoon full or two per container in reality. This allows a much higher level of purity for anything you'd like to Shea up. Very pleased with it and I do plan to re-order. I'll be making home made shea butter in custom scents for everyone for Christmas this year!
That said, it can be a bit difficult to use and does leave a smell when you don't doctor it up. So I do. Here is the easiest way to do it for you too.
To Make Shea Butter:
1) Very slowly melt your shea in a double boiler OR by floating a bowl containing the shea in a large pot. Use very low heat since it melts at body temperature. The more heat, the more vitamins you take out of it so less is better.
2) Once mostly melted (you can leave some chunks), you can let it settle some to be sure there are no sediments (also normal for unrefined though mine had none) and then pour the liquid carefully into another bowl for mixing, leaving the sediments behind.
3) Add about 5 ounces of various oils to one pound of Shea. I added 2 ounces of Sweet Almond Oil, 2 ounces of Hazelnut Oil and 1/2 ounce of Wheat Germ Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil each.
4) Mix using a hand mixer (not your kitchen aid) on whip for a long time. To shorten the time, just mix it enough to fully incorporate the oils (maybe 2 minutes) and then put the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes. It will form a white layer on top of cooled shea. Then you take it out and keep mixing. It will take so long that you'll think you're doing it wrong, but you're not. Just keep going. Eventually, you'll start forming something that looks like frosting that smells a lot better than plain Shea.
5) Add your scent oils. I use pure essential oils and I made 2 batches. One Rosemary Mint and one Lavendar Orange. Both lovely. You'll need to decide your own amounts on this but you don't need a whole lot of it. Then mix it in and voila, you're done. Spoon into whatever containers you'd like to use. I used pyrex bowls with the plastic lids.
6) Makes about 5 pints. It will re-stiffen, but not as much as before, and will spread and melt more easily. Also soaks in a tad faster.
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