One of the best ways to feel rich is to feel pampered, as though you really look after yourself. But, you know what? You don’t need to spend a Queen’s ransom to do so!

About a year ago, I discovered that coconut butter is actually a fabulous moisturiser – and it’s very reasonably priced, when you compare it with branded body moisturisers (about $13 for a 500ml jar – bargain!). I learned this from Sarma Melngailis, in her book Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow (co-authored with Matthew Kenney) – Sarma uses it in place of body lotion, face cream and bath oil.

Our skin is our body’s largest organ, and when you place any substance on it, that substance absorbs into your bloodstream – so, if you can eat coconut butter, it should be more than safe to put on your skin!

I buy raw, organic coconut butter from Loving Earth in Australia, but you can also purchase it from Sacred Foods in the US, or from The Fresh Network in the UK.

To keep it fresh, it’s best to store it in the fridge (although there’s no need for this in winter) – but how do you scrape the coconut butter out of the jar, especially when the quantity left inside is difficult to reach with your fingers? Well, I went to a kitchen store and bought a nifty little gadget (pictured above), which the lady at the store assured me is a cocktail mixing stick – or something like that. I believe her. But I’ve created a new use for it – coconut-butter-scraper-outerer! It actually feels very posh to scrape the butter out and onto your hand, with the butter warming and liquefying somewhat into oil before being spread onto your body. A nice little ritual.

You’ll need to leave the oil to absorb into your skin before getting dressed, and in very dry weather you may need to apply more than once a day. It leaves your skin feeling so soft and supple, and utterly luxurious!

I’d highly recommend trying coconut butter as a body moisturiser – I love that it’s actually good for me, costs very little, and feels wonderful. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!