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.
Tiffany wrote on June 30, 2012
Hi Susan! Awesome! I just wanted to add that citrus essential oils (i.e. lemon, lime, bergamot, sweet and bitter orange, grapefruit) are phototoxic and can cause serious burns (even second degree)…and can stay on the skin anywhere from 8 hours minimum to 120 hours…they are really for inhalation only or therapeutic use…your recipes are great, but wasn’t sure if you knew this. Happy crafting!
TRACK wrote on June 27, 2012
Ladies please preserve your mixes with Vit E oil 1400 iu’s or more and you mixes will last a long time. Butters and oil will melt in the heat so keep them in a cool place. Neem and tea tree oil will preserve also. A mix will set hard if not enought oils are put in. To spread use EVOO, almond oil or some kind of carrier oil.
Vanessa wrote on June 25, 2012
I just tried this same recipe and took just a little to put on my feet. OMG it was way too much. You definitely only need to use a little of it that’s for sure. I picked out this recipe actually to use in my hair. I have used a little in a small section after misting it and it looks so much better. I am african-american and have read all the stuff about how great these things are for my natural hair. So ladies, it isn’t just for your skin if you have dry hair just apply as a leave in conditioner and voila…success…
Cara wrote on June 25, 2012
I’ve been making my own body butter(just for personal use and a few gifts) since about 2000, so I’m well acquainted, and swear by it! In the beginning, and right up until I got my food processor, I was doing as one of the posters mentioned, melting the shea and coconut, and then alternating with the putting in the freezer and whipping with a whisk, which made it come out more like a balm than a whipped product. Now all I do is be sure the shea butter, coconut oil, and vegetable glycerin(acts as a humectant)are all room temperature before I start. I just add all this stuff to my food processor along with some drops of lavender essential oil and process until it’s well-whipped. Similar to the mixer(which I don’t have)the food processor aerates everything and almost doubles the volume of the shea butter and coconut oil, making it really creamy and easy to spread. In fact, with this, it works great on face too. I use the unrefined shea butter from Shea Butter Hut, if anyone is interested. Excellent quality and customer service too. They often have good deals on bulk shea butter. I keep one of my jars of shea butter cream out to use(a 4oz. once), and keep the rest of the batch in a 16-oz. jar in the fridge.
I use this stuff a lot, or just straight coconut oil for my body – I’m never tempted by commercial lotions or creams any more, and increasingly leaning this way for face too, as so many highly-touted creams don’t work and have questionable stuff in them to boot.
Nichole wrote on June 24, 2012
I love your recipe! I switched out the almond oil which has a 3-6 month shelf life for jojoba oil which has a 9-12 month shelf life, and I added a few drops of primrose essential oil. Also, unrefined shea butter and coconut oil does not spoil. Their healing properties are very powerful within the first year and a half. After that, they are still usable but not as beneficial. There is no need to store them in a freezer or refrigerator. Treat them like you treat your moisturizers and lotions. Keep them in a cool dry place. If you have ever encountered spoiled unrefined shea butter or coconut oil, then it was not unrefined to begin with. One last thing, if using oils with a short shelf life tea tree essential oil acts as a natural preservative, for this recipe a few drops would do.
Michelle wrote on June 22, 2012
I have a helpful tip for your viewers. Because you are blending two solid oils together, plus one liquid oil, you still need a binder to hold all those goodies together. An emulsifier helps everything blend together and stay that way. I just made my 1st all natural homemade lotion/cream a few days ago, using a recipe from (Wikihow.com), and I must say that I am quite impressed. It turned out pretty well, and I started using it on my children. It was pretty rich, creamy, had a pretty pink color from the teas(rosehip & hibiscus flower tea)for the red base + (organic green tea) for it’s antioxidants properties, plus butters and oils. It was much better than that Burt’s bees lotion (Vanilla Flame) that I was using, which left the skin feeling like it had a film over it, and the ankles ashy. You know us ladies cannot have the back of heels out, looking ashy and dry. The shea butter mixed with other good oils will definitely do the trick. You can also order your emulsifier(beads) which are white little beads, from (Mountain Rose Herbs.com). That’s where I ordered mine. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to tweek with the recipes a bit, off of Wikihow.com. Hope this was helpful to you all. Be blessed !
Michelle wrote on June 22, 2012
Emulsifier beads
Susan wrote on June 22, 2012
Coconut oil is a solid oil. So, you have 1 cup shea butter (solid), 1/2 cup coconut oil (solid) and 1/2 cup almond oil (liquid). 75% solid, 25% liquid. And I used coconut oil, not coconut butter. Coconut oil is solid at room temp.
Angrla wrote on June 22, 2012
Hi, like your blog! Can I clarify couple things with the recipe: your friend recommends 75%solid 25%oil(liquid), but your recipe is 50:50…
Also, you used coconut oil didn’t you rather than cocoa butter?
Thanks, 🙂