Homemade Body Butter Recipe
I made my first batch of body butter today. I think my life has changed forever. Delightful, decadent and easy, I have wanted to try making it for a long time. I was convinced that it would be difficult and not work the way I wanted. Boy, was I wrong.
I love creamy body butters. Living in a climate that gets quite cold and dry in the winter, they are a must in my house. But two things have always bothered me. They can be quite expensive and also, full of ingredients that are less than desirable for your skin and health.
We often forget that our skin is the largest organ on our body and absorbs what we put on it. If you are using lotions and body butters with chemicals in them (fragrances, preservatives, color additives, etc.) be aware that your skin absorbs the chemicals, too. Not exactly desirable. I often just use almond oil on my skin after a shower but sometimes I want something a little more decadent. Body butters, made with pure oils and essential oils for fragrance are just the thing.
I called my friend Jen Vertanen, who writes the blog, “The Wholehearted Life”, knowing that she has spent years playing with recipes for home made soaps and lotions and asked her opinion on ingredients. She told me to use 75% solid to 25% liquid oil. Sounded easy enough.
I measured out shea butter (I use this shea butter: organic raw shea butter
I wanted to use rosemary as one of my scents. I didn’t have any rosemary essential oil so I added fresh rosemary as the oils were cooling. I also stirred in the almond oil at this point. Once the oil was cool, I strained out the rosemary, added peppermint (just a few drops, it is strong) and sweet orange essential oils and tried to whip the butter as instructed in other body recipes that I had researched. Nothing happened. I was about to give up and just let the oil harden when I had an idea.
I placed the oil mixture outside (it’s cold…it’s Minnesota) and let it partially set up. At that point, I tried whipping it again in the kitchen aid mixer and, success! A beautiful body butter, so simple to make, smelling delicious and with a texture that was like clouds of silk.
*Because of the popularity of this recipe on pinterest, I am getting many, many questions that are more suited for an expert. This is a raw food site, this was my first attempt at body butter, it worked better than I could have hoped for and if you make this recipe as stated, it will work great for you too!! I am sorry but I can’t answer the technical questions. Cheers!*
IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR BODY BUTTER WHIPPING: you probably rushed this step. It needs to be cooled significantly….like in the picture.
I have to admit, I am pretty excited at how easy it is to make. I used sweet orange, lemon and lavender in my second batch. Heavenly. You can just use the basic recipe and add your favorite essential oils. Just make sure they are skin friendly!
A few people have asked about jars. I use these: Weck Jars
TIPS: PLEASE READ!
- You can use what ever oils you wish, just make sure you keep the ratio 75% solid to 25% liquid. SO IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ANY OF THE ABOVE LISTED OILS, JUST REPLACE THEM WITH AN OIL THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO. Just make sure you replace a solid for a solid and a liquid for a liquid.
- The chilling step is crucial. If you don’t chill it properly, it won’t whip or stay whipped. About 20 minutes in the freezer usually does the trick for this batch. Make sure you scrape down the sides before mixing.
- Since this recipe does not contain any water, it will not mold. You should keep in a cool place but it does not have to be refrigerated.
- I do not know the exact shelf life but I know it will keep at least a few months, plus.
- The body butter melts as it goes on and gets a little oily but absorbs beautifully, quickly and leaves your skin very soft.
- You can order the shea butter here: Raw Shea Butter
You can order the coconut oil here: Coconut Oil
You can order the almond oil here: Almond Oil
You can order the Weck Jars here: Weck Jars
Alternatively, coconut oil and almond oil are quite easy to locate at your local coop, Whole Foods or health food store.
- This recipe has been tested many times. If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the same results.
- Many people ask for exact amounts of essential oils. I start with at least 20 drops of what ever oil I want to use and just increase slowly until I am happy with how it smells. So…be free! Use your own creativity here.
Body Butter
MAKES 2 1/2 to 3 CUPS WHIPPED BUTTER
- 1 cup organic raw shea butter
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (solid)
- 1/2 cup almond oil (liquid)
- Melt shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
- Stir in almond oil and essential oils of your choosing.*
- Place oil mixture in freezer or outside to chill.
- Wait until oils start to partially solidify (see photo) then whip until a butter-like consistency is achieved.
- Place in clean, glass jar and enjoy! A little goes a long way.
*Not all essential oils are skin friendly or child friendly. Please do your research before adding.
Kay wrote on August 26, 2012
I’m trying this with patchouli and lavender; found everything at a local natural food store and am eagerto try it with more aromatic and floral oils. Amazon carries almost everything as well if you can’t find something locally.
Cedrica wrote on August 25, 2012
Ok 1. Cocoa butter is good yes but it does clog your pores as shea butter doesn’t if you cant handle the smell try adding a few drops of fragrants oil to your mixture it will help anyone you like will do. 2. When you come out the bath don’t dry your skin dry, dry but do remove all water leave your skin alittle damp and add the mixture this will help the mixture to absorb into the skin faster without any oilyness and use sparingly alittle goes a long way and the less oil you add (well for me) its better it wont leave that oilyness your talking about. 3.Coconut oil is a liquid so even at room temperture it will melt alittle so if you have that issue trying using aloe vera gel to thicken it some have used vegetable glisterin or even adding more shea butter but because of the coconut oil you will have to store it in the frigde hope this helps.
Susan wrote on August 25, 2012
I would use essential oils over fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are made from chemicals that may not be good for your skin. For the people that had trouble keeping the oil in a solid form. You probably did not let it get cool enough before you whipped it. Look at the picture and you can see that it is over half solid. If you are in a climate that is hot enough to keep coconut oil at a liquid at room temp, you may have to refrigerate. But that is hot. If your coconut oil stays solid at room temp, so should your body butter. The reason I created this recipe in the first place was to make an easy body butter with very few ingredients, all that are healthy for your skin.
Andrea wrote on August 22, 2012
FYI: I use a company called “New Directions Aromatics” for my oils/butters. They are way cheaper than any other site I’ve found. 🙂
Melanie wrote on August 21, 2012
Hi. I made this yesterday with the exact ingredients and popped it in the freezer because spring has arrived early in SA and it was quite warm yesterday. It hardened nicely and I whipped it and it came out to a lovely consistency.
I’ve never used shea butter before but I have extremely dry skin so I thought this would be perfect for me. I just have one concern: it leaves a very greasy film over my whole body that doesn’t seem to get absorbed. It feels great but the minute I put clothes on they get covered in oil stains! The body butters I buy from health stores use pretty much the same ingredients as this but how do they make them so easy for the skin to absorb? I know butter is greasy by nature. But it’s not practical for clothing. Have I done something wrong or is this how it’s supposed to be?
Thanks!
Susan wrote on August 22, 2012
I put it on and give it a little time to soak into my skin. Just love how it feels. Also, use sparingly!! Cheers!
Jill wrote on August 16, 2012
Interested to know how much this made? Also, do you know if it matters if it’s stored in a plastic type jar?
Susan wrote on August 17, 2012
I think about 3 cups. I don’t have an exact quantity. I would not store it in plastic. Cheers!
Cindy wrote on August 16, 2012
I live in Florida. Even in my air conditioned pantry the Coconut oil I have stays liquid or semi-liquid most of the time. Should I use Cocoa butter instead or something else that stays solid?
aimee wrote on August 15, 2012
looks fantastic! i have five (yes, five) gallons of coconut oil and although i love it and try to use it for everything, i think that i could use a little help. i LOVE tropical traditions moisturizing cream (not the lotion) and i would love to try to emulate that. do you think that i could use all coconut/shea- no almond oil? love suggestions and your site!
thank you!!!
Mom Photographer wrote on August 8, 2012
I made very similar butter but with cocoa butter without the almond oil, though. The thing is that I need to store it in the fridge in order to keep it solid because it melts if I keep it in the shelf in room temperature. And when kept in the fridge it hardens to the consistency of very hard butter. I wish I could keep it in a room temperature.
How do you do that that it doesn’t melts?!
Susan wrote on August 8, 2012
I don’t know about the recipe that you made but this recipe does keep a very nice consistency at room temperature….unless it is a really hot day. Cheers!
Carla wrote on July 29, 2012
I tried to make body butter using shea butter, mango butter and cupouacu butter. Melted it and then added passion fruit oil and aloe but it stayed liquid. I’m sure it will be a lovely oil but am trying to make a whipped body butter. Where did I go wrong? my mango butter is VERY smooth and light – not very solid – and the shea I used was fro Whole Foods (said it was raw but whipped). Is that the problem?
Susan wrote on July 29, 2012
That is exactly your problem. You can not use whipped shea butter, you need to use solid. Cheers!