Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe
I confess: I totally used to be the girl with a hundred different drugstore body lotions in my bathroom. Ya know, the ones with “water” listed as the first ingredient followed by a whole bunch of chemicals and preservatives that really have no business being anywhere near your skin.m
But a few years ago I started learning about the importance of using safe, all-natural ingredients on our skin. I was already paying attention to the ingredients I was eating and feeding my family, but I’d never really considered that our bodies absorb what we put on our skin much like they absorb what we put in our mouths.
And so, like everything else if our life (candles, home cleaning products, etc.) I started overhauling our cosmetics and body care products one by one, chucking out the old store-bought stuff and replacing each item with a healthier homemade version.
This homemade whipped body butter was one of the first body care products I learned to make, and I’m proud to say that I have never bought (or used) drugstore body lotion since.
Are store-bought body lotions bad for you?
While not all store-bought lotions are created equally, in general most of them contain some pretty junky ingredients that you should really think twice about slathering on your body or your kids’ bodies.
Some common ingredients found in commercial body lotions include preservatives like parabens (which have been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issues among other things), butylated hydroxyanisole aka. BHA (an endocrine disruptor and known carcinogen) and synthetic fragrances and parfum, which are made up of a whole bunch of chemicals, most notably phthalates (which have been linked to early puberty in girls, reduced sperm count in men and reproductive issues, as well as liver, kidney and lung damage).
Even water, the most seemingly innocent ingredient in commercial body lotion poses a risk.
Pick up almost any store-bought lotion or body butter and take a look at the list of ingredients. More than likely, water (or “aqua”) will be somewhere near the top of the list if not at the very top. Now, on the surface this seems pretty safe and natural. What could be more natural than water, right?
What most consumers don’t know though, is that any product that contains water is susceptible to mold. So in order to combat any mold that might grow on lotions containing water, more preservatives are added to extend the shelf life of the product.
Of course, preservatives like the ones mentioned above are something you probably want to avoid if you’re looking for an all-natural product. And you absolutely should be striving for all-natural products if you are considering slathering them on your skin!
Our skin is the largest organ on our bodies after all, and our pores suck up everything that we put on our skin.
So if you’re concerned about eating organic, all-natural foods, you should definitely be concerned about using all-natural body products as well!
The beauty of this homemade body butter is that, since it only contains healthy oils and no water, it requires no preservatives to keep it from spoiling on the shelf. Plus, the oils are super beneficial for your skin to boot, so you can rest assured that you truly are nourishing your body with this lotion.
How to make homemade body butter
To make your own homemade body butter, all you need to do is add ½ cup of shea butter, ¼ cup of coconut oil and ¼ cup of sweet almond oil to a saucepan and melt over medium heat.
Then add in approximately 30 drops of essential oils (I sometimes like to add a few more drops if I’m going for a little stronger scent) and then mix everything together well.
Here are some of my favourite essential oil combinations for homemade body butter:
Spiced Orange
- 20 drops orange
- 5 drops cinnamon
- 5 drops clove
Soothing Lavender
- 20 drops lavender
- 10 drops frankincense
Warm Gingerbread
- 15 drops ginger
- 5 drops cinnamon
- 5 drops nutmeg
- 5 drops clove
Sweet Creamsicle
- 15 drops orange
- 5 drops ylang ylang
- 10 drops vanilla
You can use whatever essential oils you like if you would prefer a different scent, but be sure to do your research first when choosing which oils to use.
I use Plant Therapy essential oils since they’re high quality, pure essential oils that are also very affordable. But you can use whichever quality brand you like best.
Also, steer clear of cold pressed lemon and lime oils as they are phytotoxic and can cause chemical burns on the skin if exposed to sunlight.
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How to “whip” your homemade body butter
Once you’ve added your essential oils and mixed all ingredients together well, transfer to a mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
* If you don’t have time to leave it in the fridge overnight, you can pop it in the freezer for an hour or two (max) and it should be solid enough to whip up.
After your body butter has chilled and solidified, use a hand beater to whip it into a silky butter.
You could also use a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment if you like.
Transfer to a storage jar (I like using half-pint Mason jars for my homemade body butter), then pop the lid on, add a pretty label and you’re done!
* You can get my printable Whipped Body Butter labels from the “Printable Labels” section of my Free Resource Library.
What’s the shelf life of homemade body butter?
I don’t know the exact shelf life of this body butter as it’s never lasted on my shelf for more than about 3 months before I’ve used it all up, but if you keep it in a cool, dark place (like in a cupboard), it should last at least 3 months and probably much longer.
If you want to be extra safe, you can store this lotion in the fridge. Just be careful nobody mistakes it for icing or whipped cream! (It seriously looks good enough to eat, and while technically the ingredients are all-natural and safe for consumption, it doesn’t actually taste as good as it looks! So be forewarned if you’ve got kids or a husband who is likely to dip a finger in and have a taste… Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything ?
Keep in mind that, because it’s made of oil and doesn’t contain any added ingredients, it is susceptible to melting if left out in the heat (just as coconut oil turns from a solid into a liquid when heated). So do try to keep it at room temperature or below if possible.
This body butter also makes a fantastic gift and can be whipped up (pun totally intended) at the last minute if needed.
So the next time you need a quick, easy and inexpensive gift for anyone in your life (yes, I have made this for the men in my life too… I call it “Bro Butter”;), look no further than this recipe for homemade body butter!
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Help! My body butter is greasy!
I’ve had a few comments/messages about this body butter recipe being a bit oily or greasy. Unfortunately a little greasiness is par for the course when using a body butter that is 100% oil based. It’s good for our bodies, but can sometimes be a little too much.
If you’re finding that your body butter is too greasy, try adding one tablespoon of arrowroot powder. I’ve had multiple comments and messages about this working great, and have done research on other recipes and found that many people recommend adding around one tablespoon of arrowroot powder to similar recipes to cut the greasiness.
I’ve never personally tried using arrowroot powder (although I think I might have to give it a try now!) But this is definitely the easiest and most natural way I’ve seen to cut the greasiness of this body butter recipe.
Help! My body butter is melting!
Once again, this is the nature of a 100% oil-based product: If it gets too warm, it will probably melt (or at least soften).
If you live somewhere very warm or it’s the height of summer, you might want to store your whipped body butter in the fridge.
If your body butter is still quite melty or soft even in cooler temps, you may want to try reducing the amount of shea butter by half and instead use 1/4 cup shea butter and 1/4 cup cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is harder than the shea butter, so it will help to keep it more solid.
Don’t Forget Your FREE Printable Labels!
You can grab my free printable whipped body butter labels from the “labels” section of my Free Resource Library!
You’ll also get access to a library of free resources to help you on your handmade, homemade, homestead journey, including eBooks, guides, checklists, cheat sheets, templates and labels to help you live a more homemade, sustainable life!
*** Access my FREE Resource Library right here! ***
Looking for more all-natural body products and homemade gift ideas? Try these:
- Quick & Easy DIY Bath Salts W/Essential Oils
- Peppermint Sugar Scrub Recipe
- DIY Hair Pomade With Rosemary Essential Oil
- All-Natural Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
- DIY Dandelion Healing Salve
- Homemade Soy Candles with Essential Oils
Or check out this video tutorial on 3 easy, all-natural homemade Christmas gifts you can make in your kitchen (including this body butter recipe!):
Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Shea Butter
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Sweet Almond Oil
- 30 drops Essential Oils
Instructions
- Melt the shea butter, coconut oil and sweet almond oil in a saucepan or double boiler over medium heat.
- Add essential oils and stir to mix well.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and place in fridge to let cool. Allow mixture to cool completely until the oils solidify (I usually leave mine in the fridge overnight... You can place it in the freezer to cool quicker, but be sure to set a timer so you don't forget about it and let it freeze!)
- Once mixture is completely cooled, use a hand beater or stand mixer to whip the mixture.
- Spoon into a clean Mason jar and seal with a lid (you can reuse an old lid for this).
- Add a pretty label and/or tie a piece of twine around the lid to dress it up (You can grab the printable labels I use from my Free Resource Library) and you've got a beautiful homemade gift (for yourself or someone else!)
P.S. Want all the skin nourishing goodness of homemade body butter but don’t have time to make your own? Hard lotion bars from MadeOn skin care are made with beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter, and when I’m out of homemade body butter, these lotion bars are my favourite way to moisturize dry, cracked hands during the harsh winter months or after a long day digging in the garden. Readers of The House & Homestead (that’s you!) get 15% off MadeOn’s signature Bee Silk hard lotion bars, plus you also get 15% off all other MadeOn products too, including their BeeCool Muscle Balm, peppermint Foot Rub Lotion Stick, Simply Soothing rash cream and more! Use code HOUSEHOMESTEAD at checkout to get your discount:)
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
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How many ways can you think of to put a greenhouse to use in the winter?
Sure, greenhouses are a great way to extend your gardening season into fall, or to create an even warmer microclimate for heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers in the summer, but they also provide a warm space to grow food (and ornamental flowers and plants) right through the winter months.
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Every year during the month of January, I challenge myself to eat as much as possible from the food that we’ve stored over the past year.
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As homesteaders, so much of our year is spent planning and preserving food for the winter, and so it seems fitting to plan winter meals around the food we’ve worked hard to store.
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If you haven’t joined the 2022 Homestead Pantry Challenge yet, it’s totally free to join and is VERY customizable, so even if you don’t want to eat down your entire pantry, you can still use it to get organized and put your creativity in the kitchen to the test!
In past years this challenge has been hosted mostly here on Instagram, but this year I’m hosting it via email as well for anyone who isn’t on Instagram. Due to some other personal reasons, the challenge won’t be as Instagram heavy this year, so all of the instructions, assignments, details and resources will be delivered via email when you sign up for the challenge!
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If you’re just looking for some tips to help you eat from your pantry (at any time of year!), save money and plan meals around what you’ve got, I’ve also got a full blog post with 8 tips to help you eat from your pantry (link also in bio).
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I always say that my DIY ability is limited by whatever I can whip up in a mixing bowl.
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A good mixing bowl is often overlooked as being one of the most versatile and important tools in any kitchen. And it’s especially obvious at this time of year!
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Isn’t it funny how it’s often the simplest things that we tend to take for granted, but that are the most meaningful things that we simply couldn’t live without?
And so maybe,at the end of the day I’m not actually limited at all by what I can make in a mixing bowl. Maybe, just maybe that’s exactly where so many of the best things in life are made.
Swipe to check out our full photo shoot and catch a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to work with this little goofball by my side 😜
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🥧 When it comes to Christmas, I love blending old traditions with new ones, and I also love blending other people’s cultural traditions with my own!
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Recipe link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/traditional-tourtiere-recipe/
Have you ever tried Tourtière before?
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P.S. You can grab my recipe for homemade chai tea, (shown here) via the link in my bio:)
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But winter offers us a much-needed reprieve from the busy-ness of the rest of the year;
A time to slow down, rest, reflect and dream;
A time to give ourselves over to the projects, hobbies, crafts and activities that we just don’t seem to have time for the rest of the year;
A time to devour books, soak up knowledge, learn new skills and sharpen old ones.
The winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine showcases just a few of the many unique activities, projects and opportunities that this season affords us the time to immerse ourselves in.
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✨ Inspiration and ideas to help you make the most of winter on the homestead
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🍴Holiday recipes & comfort foods, featuring Honey Taffy, Mulled Wine and Winter Squash
🪵 Winter woodworking tutorials with The Humble Handyman and Anne of All Trades
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To read the full issue AND get instant access to our entire library of past issues (26 value-packed issues and counting!), click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
P.S. When you subscribe during the month of December, you’ll also get a coupon code for a free one-year subscription that you can gift to someone you love!
Give the gift of self-sufficiency this Christmas —> https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
Winter often gets a bad rap for being the coldest, darkest, dreariest season of the year, when life as we knew it in the summer ceases to exist.
But winter offers us a much-needed reprieve from the busy-ness of the rest of the year;
A time to slow down, rest, reflect and dream;
A time to give ourselves over to the projects, hobbies, crafts and activities that we just don’t seem to have time for the rest of the year;
A time to devour books, soak up knowledge, learn new skills and sharpen old ones.
The winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine showcases just a few of the many unique activities, projects and opportunities that this season affords us the time to immerse ourselves in.
Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:
✨ Inspiration and ideas to help you make the most of winter on the homestead
🌱 The many ways to put a greenhouse to use all year long
🥂Homemaking tips for the holidays (and beyond!) with Homemaker Chic podcast hosts Shaye Elliott & Angela Reed
🍴Holiday recipes & comfort foods, featuring Honey Taffy, Mulled Wine and Winter Squash
🪵 Winter woodworking tutorials with The Humble Handyman and Anne of All Trades
❄️ And more!!!
To read the full issue AND get instant access to our entire library of past issues (26 value-packed issues and counting!), click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
P.S. When you subscribe during the month of December, you’ll also get a coupon code for a free one-year subscription that you can gift to someone you love!
Give the gift of self-sufficiency this Christmas —> https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
We’re all familiar with eggnog, but have you ever wondered what “nog” is anyway, or how this decadent holiday drink came to be?
The general consensus is that eggnog originated in England in the 17th Century and was made with eggs, milk and some sort of alcohol (aka. “nog”).
It may have even been enjoyed earlier than this, as a similar beverage called posset (a hot, milky, ale-based drink) has origins dating back to the 13th century.
As I was researching this topic, I found at least one source that claims eggnog was created by mixing alcohol with eggs and milk earlier in the season when egg and milk production was at a high. The alcohol was used to preserve the dairy products so that they could be consumed during the winter months when egg and milk production was low.
It was originally made with sherry or brandy, but when eggnog reached America it was typically spiked with rum because rum was easier to come by. Eventually some people started substituting American whiskey.
Nowadays we can drink eggnog with or without alcohol, but traditionally eggnog was always an alcoholic drink that wealthy folks (who could afford milk and eggs and alcohol) would use to toast to their prosperity.
Eggnog has remained a favourite beverage around Christmas time; One that most of us are accustomed to buying in a carton from the grocery store. But like most processed foods, store-bought eggnog is often loaded with additives like high fructose corn syrup and thickeners.
This holiday season, why not make your own eggnog instead?
All you need are fresh eggs, milk, cream, sugar and a little nutmeg (and an optional cinnamon stick) to garnish.
If eggnog is on your list of holiday must-haves but you’d rather avoid the processed grocery store stuff and make your own with fresh ingredients, you can grab the full recipe via the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or by visiting https://thehouseandhomestead.com/old-fashioned-homemade-eggnog-recipe/
What’s your position on eggnog? Do you love it or hate it? And if you spike it with alcohol, what alcohol do you prefer?
What benefits does it have for the skin and what skin type is the body butter best for say for instance my skin is hyper sensitive can i use this recipe still?
Hi Zandre,
One of benefits of this body butter is that there are no chemicals or preservatives in it which can cause irritation in some individuals. So, in general, it should be good for sensitive skin unless you are sensitive to any of the ingredients (shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil or arrowroot powder if you choose to use it). So if you feel you are not sensitive to these ingredients, then the next step would be to make some and test it on a small area to be sure you will be fine.
This recipe is a great way to moisturize dry skin without all the harmful chemicals in many of the products available today. And I find that I am much more confident of products I have made myself since I know exactly what ingredients were used. I cannot always tell what store bought products are actually using as they use generalized words like “natural fragrances” often on their labels.
hi! what if we don’t have almond oil? is it possible to use more coconut oil instead or possibly use olive oil as a substitute?
Hi Raia,
It’s best to use a liquid oil in place of the almond oil to maintain the right consistency. If you do opt for more coconut oil, use fractionated coconut oil as it’s in liquid form. Oilive oil will work too, or grapeseed oil or apricot oil… Pretty much any other type of liquid oil.
Hi there, thanks for the recipe and label resources! Do you have weight equivalencies for the measurements of each ingredient? Thanks!
Hi Mikala,
Sorry, we don’t have weight equivalencies for these. Anna used volume measurements for this recipe.
You can google a conversion chart to get metric volume measurements for this if that will help. Unfortunately, this recipe hasn’t been tested using weighted measurements.
Anna – I made a very large batch of the body butter because I needed about 50 gifts. I used 5# of shame butter and adjusted all the other ingredients accordingly. I mixed the batch very well and placed in the frig overnight. I didn’t get to it the next day; I got to it about 48 hours later. When I mixed it, the top part mixed very nicely but the bottom portion of it was solid that it did not mix with the mixer. I’m not sure if this affected the rest of the batch – It might have been a little too thin.
The bottom of the bowl that did not mix, can I heat and cool again and try to mix?
Hi Eileen,
Yes, you can absolutely reheat and then cool and mix again. I have found that sometimes as I try to mix it as I get further down to the bottom of the bowl it seems quite hard/solid, but usually I just persevere with the hand mixer and eventually it does blend up. Let me know how it goes!
Keeping the proportions constant, I made a 2X batch of this body butter. It came out perfect. Thanks for sharing!
That is wonderful, Michele! Enjoy!! 🙂
I have read that cornstarch can be substituted for arrowroot 1:!
That is true, Ann. Cornstarch and arrowroot powder can be swapped at a 1:1 ratio when using in food recipes. Although, I assume that the same properties would apply here for this topical cream.
So, if you only have cornstarch, then I would try that and see how that works for you.
My daughter is allergic to coconut. Is there an alternative oil with a similar consistency you would recommend?
I can’t think of anything else that would really work well in place of coconut oil, so I would probably increase the shea butter by another 1/4 cup and see what the consistency is like. If it’s too thick then add another tablespoon of liquid oil until the consistency is right.
Hello!
How much beeswax should I add in if I use this recipe to make body butter and I decided to include beeswax?
Thank you!
Hi Anaise,
If you add beeswax you will get a lotion bar that you can pour into molds – I don’t think it will whip up well. If that is your goal then just swap either the almond oil or the shea butter for beeswax.
When I make lotion bars, I use equal parts coconut oil, an infused oil and beeswax. Then I melt it down in a double boiler and mix in any essential oils you wish just before pouring into your molds. You can buy silicone molds for small soaps that work really well but the easiest is to use small canning rings (canning lids have 2 pieces, the flat lid and the screw on ring) placed on parchment paper. They solidify quickly and are easy to pop out of the mold. I store extras lotion bars in a canning jar with a piece of wax paper or parchment between each bar.
Hey i did exactly like your recipe and left it over night, and its hard as is it ment to be like that as its hard to mix it with a hand mixer
Yes that’s normal. It takes a minute to get the hand beater going but once it does it will whip it up nicely. Just gently press the hand beater into it and it should start to break up and start whipping. (This is why it’s important to whip it up after and not just leave it as it can end up being too hard and solid otherwise).
Ok i did do that didnt really whip up as nice as i thought it would stil bit clumpy
And kept all getting stuck in the mixer
Hi Alicia,
So sorry to hear you’re having trouble! I’m assuming you followed the recipe instructions as they were written and use all of the same ingredients, amounts, etc. So my guess would be that maybe it’s too cold?? You might want to let it warm up just a bit before whipping. And keep whipping until it does soften up and start to whip. This can sometimes take a minute and it can seem like it’s too hard at first. But otherwise I’m not sure why it would be behaving this way unless there’s a problem with the ingredient you used. Double check the recipe if you haven’t yet and maybe try letting it warm up just a touch before whipping. It might still have a few small clumps but that will melt as soon as you rub it on your skin.
How much does this make once whipped? I want to make sure I have enough storage for it. 🙂
Hi Nichole,
This recipe makes about one cup (or about one 8oz jar).
Hello,
If I wanted to use Mango butter and Shea Butter together how would i change the amount of ingredients? Also, if I wanted to add Arrowroot powder how much would i use?
Thankyou!
I would keep the ratio of 1/2 cup of the more solid butters (ie. shea and mango butters) so I would probably do 1/4 cup mango butter and 1/4 cup shea butter.
If I didn’t whip this could I use the mixture in a pump like normal lotion?
Hi Jessica,
Unfortunately, if not whipped, this recipe will be clumpy and thick. I doubt it would work in a lotion dispenser. But whipping it up does make it softer and smoother. Otherwise it is quite hard and solid at room temperature or colder.
Could you add food coloring to make it colorful or would it be harmful to your skin?
It wouldn’t be harmful to your skin, but it’s possible it could stain skin depending on how much you use.
What is the shelf life of this cream. Want to make as a favour for a wedding shower in January
Hi Allanna,
It should last at least 3 months if kept in a cool dark place like a cupboard. Anna has never had it last longer than 3 months because she uses it up by then but it should last at least that long.
If you want them for a January event, then I would probably make it a couple weeks ahead of the event or if you want, you can make it a month ahead and store in the fridge (with a label that it is not food- just to be safe). Your main objective would be keeping it cool enough so it won’t melt but I wouldn’t make it too far ahead since it has no preservatives so it won’t last forever.
Where do you get your products from? Especially the Shea Butter?
Great question Lacey,
I have gotten my Shea Butter from two different places. I have gotten it from Amazon, but I also got some from my local store – kind of a less expensive Whole Foods store here in my area (although Whole Foods carries it also). I try to wait until there is a sale in natural remedies and health section and then get what I can at that time. But Amazon is a good alternative if you can’t wait.
Hi Lacey,
This is the Shea butter I use right here.
do you have a printable recipe for the for the whipped body butter
Hi Tawana,
Yes, you can print the recipe card at the end of this post. If you look in the top left corner you should see a little printer icon.
I can’t wait to try this! Was wondering if you think I could sub Avocado oil I’m for the almond oil…? The former is so good for again skin!
I think it would be a worthy substitute for the almond oil as they are of a similar consistency. But, I would recommend that you use a good unrefined, cold pressed avocado oil, for the best results.
I would love to hear how it works for you!
I think it worked out great! Except I couldn’t get past the Shea butter smell – maybe I need a stronger oil for scent. Did and arrowroot for the oiliness, but the recipe was amazing. Thank you!
Beautiful essential oil combinations.
We use a similar recipe ~ we also add cocoa butter as well (we find it holds the body butter quite well as it has a much higher melting point).
This would be such a beautiful mothers day gift!
Thank you for the great post
You are so right! It makes a great Mother’s Day gift!
I may have to try some with cocoa butter to compare. Thanks!
very wonderful blog thanks for this posting.
Hi, must I whip it with an electric mixer, or can I just blend it by hand?
It’s much easier with an electric mixer but you could whip it by hand if that’s your only option.
Should I add the arrowroot powder before or after I put in the fridge?
Hi Keeley,
I would add the arrowroot powder before you put it in the fridge. It will combine better when the product is soft.
Would this work with 1/4 cup shea butter 1/4 cup avocado butter 1/4 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup almond oil?
I’ve never heard of avocado butter… If you meant avocado oil, then I would say no as the final product will be very soft and greasy. But if you’re talking about a more solid butter, then it might work, depending on the consistency of the avocado butter.
Aloha.
I made the body butter yesterday. It came out nice. But when applies it melts very fast and is oily and doesn’t soak in well. Wondering if I did something wrong
I added 1/2 cacao and 1/2 Shea butter and I added a few extra drops of essential oil.
Hi Angelina,
Since the body butter is all oil-based, it does tend to melt fast in the heat. I take it from your greeting that you’re in Hawaii?? Forgive me if my assumption is wrong! In either case, I would store it in the fridge if you live somewhere hot as it will melt faster in high temps. I haven’t had a problem with it soaking in, although I do find that if my skin is quite dry it can take a little longer to fully soak in so I give it a few minutes. (I liken this to watering dry soil… All of the water sort of pools on top until the soil moistens and starts to absorb it).
If you’re finding it too oily, you can add in some arrowroot powder. I haven’t tried this myself, but have had others suggest that as a remedy for the oiliness and have looked it up and found that if you add about one tablespoon of arrowroot powder that should be enough to cut the greasiness.
Hello!
I made mine with African cocoa butter and virgin coconut oil and peppermint oil. Smells delish, but 2 things: 1. I notice it doesn’t stay soft, it gets hard while in the cupboard, although once you put it on your skin it melts immediately. However this makes it difficult to scoop out
2. Also, I noticed it kinda sits ontop of my skin. Its not softening my rough spots.
Should I add a carrier oil?
Hi Margarita,
Yes I would add a liquid carrier oil. Cocoa butter especially an be quite hard (shea butter is naturally a bit softer), plus the coconut oil is also solid at room temperature, so adding in a liquid oil like sweet almond oil or even olive oil will help to soften it up.
I made this twice and it came out perfect. I used grape seed oil as my liquid oil as that is what I had. I wish I could post pictures here to brag on your recipe! So now I want to make labels. I found that page but how do I know which Avery labels to buy and such? Please.
Hi Rhoda!
I use Avery brand 2.5″ labels. I also design my labels with their online software so they are formatted to fit the labels (or you can also design your own!). Here is the link to the labels I use:)
If I wanted to add color to it, what ingredients do you recommend?
Hi Dominique,
There are lots of artificial dyes on the market, but I like to steer clear of artificial products whenever I can. You can add natural colour with flowers and spices (ie. turmeric for yellow/gold, hibiscus flowers for pink, butterfly pea flowers for blue, etc.) I don’t add colour to my body butters so I haven’t personally tried this method, but I found a great instructional video on adding natural colours to homemade body butter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mQHs1Na71Y
I hope this helps!
Can I sub the coconut oil for sunflower? Coconut oil is rated a 4 on the comedogenic scale …
The only issue I see with this is that coconut oil is solid at room temperature whereas sunflower oil is not, so it could affect the consistency of your body butter and make it too soft. You could try to cut down the oil by about half (so only add 1/8 cup) and increase the shea butter by 1/8 cup to balance it out and see how that works.
I’ve been making body butter for sum time and absolutely love it. However, haven’t figured out how to keep it creamy, so that it doesn’t solidify hard… Thank u ?
Ya, it depends where you store it and what the temperature is too. If it’s colder it will solidify and if it’s warmer it will melt a bit. (If it’s hot it could melt completely). Just like coconut oil. But that’s the way when we’re working with more natural ingredients! The whipping does incorporate air so I find it keeps it a little lighter and fluffier:)
Hello, thank you for sharing! I wanted to note that orange essential oil is phototoxic and typically isn’t recommended for leave-on products. It’s wonderful in products like soap, where most of it is rinsed off.
Hope you have a great 2022!
Hi Tiffany!
While some citrus oils like lemon, lime, grapefruit and Bergamot oils are phototoxic, sweet orange and mandarin oils are not and are actually safe for topical use.
You can find more information on which citrus oils are considered phototoxic and which ones are deemed safe here and here
Happy New Year to you too!
Thank you for your feedback, Anna. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of the difference between sweet orange/mandarin and regular orange essential oil. It may be helpful to make that distinction, as you reference orange essential oil, not sweet orange or mandarin. Hope this helps. Thanks again for the great ideas!
What can I use to cut the greasy ness down?
I don’t know that there’s much you can do to cut the initial greasiness down as that’s the nature of the oils/butter used in this recipe. However I find that it’s only really greasy when you first slather it on. Your skin absorbs it very quickly and the greasiness tends to disappear pretty fast.
arrowroot powder works well to eliminate the greasy feeling.
Good call. I’ve heard of people using arrowroot but I haven’t tried it yet myself. Thanks for the tip!
Does this leave your skin greasy? Seems like it would :/
Actually, surprisingly no. It’s a bit greasy immediately after you put it on, but your skin really absorbs the it well.
Arrowroot works wonders to cut down on the greasy feel but you are correct. Your skin does absorb the butter well. Plus its overall a better option for your skin.
I haven’t tried using the arrowroot for this but that is a great tip and worth a try! Thanks!
Is there an alternative to using a hand beater or stand mixer please? I’m in isolation at the moment and have neither of those 🙁
You can just say try to mix by hand with whatever you’ve got. You might not get quite the same “whipped” effect, but it will still blend.
Hey, how long does the product last, expiration date wise?
Hi Margeux,
I’ve had body butter last for a good couple years at least. It really doesn’t ever go “bad” as there’s no water in this product, just oils. The water is what can make moisturizer go bad. But it can start to sort of congeal after a long time. It can also melt if left in a warm place, which doesn’t affect the shelf life, but it could cause ingredients to separate a bit when it solidifies again. If you’re worried about it you could always keep your body butter in the fridge and it will last pretty much indefinitely.
Anna
Can we add arrow root powder to cut grease feel ,to body butter?
Andrea Rose
You can certainly give it a try! I’ve never used arrowroot powder in my body products so I’d be interested to know how it works!
What the 3 essential oils used for the body butter ? I couldn’t hear in the video
I don’t want to seem like an oaf but what IS body butter? Do you use it like hand lotion? a moisturizer for your face?
Ah yes! I guess that would have been a good point to cover!
Body butter is like lotion, but unlike lotion, there’s no water in it. It’s all oil/butter based. So no water, which means no preservatives and an extra rich, moisturizing end product that incredibly nourishing for the skin. But since there’s no water or tucks ingredients to stretch it out, real body butter bought from the store can be very expensive, which is all the more reason to make your own:)
How much does this recipe make?
Hi Molly!
This recipe will make roughly one cup, or an 8oz jar. I like to use the short, wide, half-pint Mason jars, although a tall, slim, jam jar would work too.
can i substitute the almond oil for avacado oil? the almond oil is more expensive and hard to find in a large quantity since i’m doubling the recipe and making 4 16 oz jars as gifts.
Yes, you can substitute any liquid oil for any other liquid oil. Some are better or worse for your skin, but avocado oil actually has lots of benefits for skin so it’s a great substitute for the sweet almond oil!
Hi… can’t wait to make this. Just wondering though do I have to add anything extra or can I stop at the Almond Oil?
Hi Sandi,
If you mean do you need to add essential oils, then no, you absolutely can just add your coconut oil, shea butter and almond oil and omit the essential oils. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi do you have advice for making bath melts with colour and nice fresh scent please?
Hi Rose,
I haven’t actually made bath melts before. I don’t usually use any dyes or colouring in my products, but when I have for bath items I’ve just used food colouring. I’m not sure if this would work for bath melts.
For scent I recommend using essential oils. I use Plant Therapy essential oils as I find them to be of very high quality and all-natural while still being very affordable. Here’s a link to check them out: https://bit.ly/2WldQl1 (affiliate link).
I do have recipes for homemade bath salts with essential oils: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/diy-bath-salts-with-essential-oils/
As well as homemade sugar scrub with essential oils: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/peppermint-sugar-scrub/
I hope this helps!
Anna
What’s the formula needed to fill a 10 oz jar?
This recipe makes roughly an 8oz jar, so I would just stick to the recipe and it will fit in a 10 oz jar. You could add a little bit more of each ingredient or of just the shea butter if you want to bulk it up just a bit.
Hi,
Should the coconut oil be liquid or solid coconut oil?
Thanks
Hi Brianna,
The coconut oil should be solid. Liquid would probably make the body butter too liquid/soft.