Shea butter body butter glides on your skin and holds the moisture in, probably better than anything else I’ve ever tried. If you suffer from dry flaky skin, you’ll definitely want to make some.
Fortunately, body butter is ridiculously easy to prepare.
Body Butter Recipe With Shea Butter
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After seeing lots of body butter recipes on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it. So I went searching for the easiest recipe I could find, using just two ingredients, coconut oil and pure organic shea butter.
That’s all you need. If you want some natural fragrance, you can add some of your favorite essential oils.
I did see some other recipes that called for more ingredients. But I know they’re not necessary, because coconut oil and shea butter work so well together.
I was thrilled to discover a really easy way to make a non-toxic lotion I can use on my arms, legs and even my face.
In my quest for better health, I’ve decided to stop using chemical moisturizers that invariably contain parabens. These compounds are added as preservatives. However, they mimic the female hormone estrogen, fueling concerns they could increase your risk of breast cancer.
So body butter it is. Although this concoction might a little greasy for daytime use, it makes a great wrinkle-fighter night cream. However, if your skin is really dry, you might find it “drinks” this butter up. So perhaps you could use it as a day time moisturizer.
How to Make Body Butter With Shea Butter
All you need to make your own body butter is coconut oil, shea butter, a stove top and a little bit of time.
Some of the online recipes call for microwaving the ingredients to soften them up. I wouldn’t want to do this, because of the potential to destroy some of the natural compounds that work to moisturize and soften your skin. (Also, in my house, our built-in microwave gets no use. It came with the house. Someday, when our kitchen is remodeled, it’s going to go.)
Yesterday, I made some body butter for my dog. (Don’t add essential oils if you’re making it for your fur baby.)
Today, I’m making a new batch, adding a little palmarosa essential oil. This aromatic is found in a number of natural cosmetics. Palmarosa oil comes from a tropical grass. It smells a lot like roses, and it apparently has a reputation for being able to renew the skin. (See body butter recipe below.)
Many of us already have coconut oil the house. Organic shea butter is not so common. You probably won’t find this in the grocery store. So, you may need to order it online. Here is the brand that I use.
Now Solutions Organic Shea Butter
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Body Butter Recipes With Shea Butter
Making body butter with natural shea butter is so easy. I was amazed my first batch came out so well, which you can see in the picture above. I’m not really the DIY type, although I’m learning, out of necessity. I no longer use chemicals on my skin. So I’m starting to make some of my own cosmetics.
Anyway, here’s how to make smooth and creamy shea butter body butter.
- No matter how much you plan to make, use 2 parts of organic coconut oil to 1 part shea butter.
- Heat these two oils on the stove, over low heat, in a small stainless steel pan.
- When the oils turn to liquid, take the pan off the stove and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
- Then pour the liquids into a clean glass bowl.
- Put this bowl in the freezer for just 10 minutes.
- Take it out of the freezer and transfer the partially solid oils to a mixing bowl.
- With an electric mixer, whip until it turns white and creamy, or whatever consistency you desire. I whipped my body butter for 11 or 12 minutes. It will also harden after it’s whipped.
- Just before you finish mixing add the essential oils of your choice. Remember that the body butter is like a carrier oil. You only need a little bit of essential oil. A typical ratio with non-solid oils is 3 drops essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier. Body butter is semi solid and contains more air than a liquid oil. So scale back to about 1 drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of body butter.
- Then transfer the finished product to a clean glass jar. It will keep its consistency. Body butter in a decorative jar makes a great gift. Who wouldn’t love an all-natural moisturizer that works so well?
Body butter is really fun to make. But you’ll want to clean up carefully. I cleaned out all of the excess butter from the dirty pan, bowls and egg beater, before putting it in the sink.
Coconut oil is great for your skin. But, I’ve learned from personal experience that it has the potential to clog your indoor plumbing. I’m assuming shea butter can do just as much damage.
So, I thoroughly clear away all of the leftover body butter with newspaper or any other type of paper before putting anything in the sink.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
For Additional Reading
What Do You Use Shea Butter For?
It’s possible that in summer, even at room temperature, the coconut oil melts (melting point at around 24 degrees Celsius) and it’s an unstable oil, meaning it changes to solid and liquid very easily. It’s often over 24 degrees in summer where I live and also very humid, often the humidity is 90% RH during spring or summer, so my coconut oil in room temp. is mostly liquid during these months. So it’s possible that the recipe needs adjustment depending on the weather. Just a suggestion, since I’ve been attempting different hand cream and lotion recipes.
Yes, there are some options. One is that you can keep it in the refrigerator. Another option is to add some natural beeswax pellets to the mix. (These can be melted in.) You have to kind of experiment with the amount of beeswax. Too much and your body butter will have the consistency of a salve. When I make an essential oil salve, I add equal amounts of shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax.
My butter is not whipping up and it has been at least 15 minutes??? Answers??
Rose, I can’t imagine why not. You might have to stop whipping it after 15 minutes and wait for it to turn to a more butter like consistency. I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it does work.
Rose, I am new to this, but having read different “recipes” they say that that could happen IF you did not chill it long enough. So it did not get thick enough before whipping. Stick in the refrigerator for a while. The things I have read said if you get it too solid, leave out a bit before whipping. I have not used the freezer, only the refrigerator.
My body butter wouldn’t whip up either and so I stuck in the freezer for 15 mins and then it whipped right up and has stayed that way.
Hi Tod, thanks so much for reading. Yes, the freezer seems to make a huge difference.
How long does this mixture keep before turning bad? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Kathy, you could refrigerate it but I didn’t and it seemed to last for several months at least. Another thing you could do is to add a little Vitamin E as a preservative. Thanks so much for reading my blog and for reaching out.
Why a glass jar. Can I keep it in plastic? I’d love to make this but I’d like to know if I must keep it in a glass jar. thanks
Kathy, I personally wouldn’t keep it in plastic because plastic isn’t a stable material like glass. So the essential oils could corrode the plastic and it could leach into the mixture. Whatever you put on your skin is then absorbed into your bloodstream. So I’d definitely only use glass. Thanks for reading my blog.
If I add essential oils for pain relief how many drops can I add without it changing the consistency of the butter?
Probably about 10 to 15 drops, depending on the amount you use. Maybe make a small batch first and see what happens. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Also, in general go for a 2 percent dilution of essential oils to carrier oils, which would be the pain cream. This is 3 teaspoons of essential oil to one teaspoon of carrier oil (cream base).
I think you meant 3 DROPS essential oil to 1 tspn carrier oil?!
A little less than that because of the air that’s whipped in to the body butter. But I updated this post to reflect that. Thanks for reading.
Your pet comment is interesting, did you alternative the ingredients,? Add any EO? I assume that you use this on toe pads.. thanks for the info.
Hi Brigitte, thanks so much for reading my blog. I just updated the article. No essential oils for doggie body butter, because you can assume it will get licked off. Also, I would use it sparingly too.
Hi! I made this recipe last night and my body butter is completely solid and hard to use. Is this right or did I do something wrong? It’s solid and crumbly to use. Does it require melting before using? Thanks
Tierney, it should be smooth and creamy. I don’t know why this has happened. The only thing I can think of is different atmospheric conditions. Maybe try a tiny batch again and whip it for 7 to 8 minutes, instead of longer. It doesn’t need heating again. My body butter holds its consistency for months and months.
Ok I’ll try again! Can I rescue the batch that didn’t work? Or is it too late ya think?
I would try over with a new very small batch and see what happens. Make sure no moisture (water) gets into the batch.
Can I still using it without blending it, maybe after 2 days of preparation
I would think so. Once you blend it once it stays that way for months.
Instead of coconut oil, can I use sweet almond oil with the shea butter? I don’t react well to coconut oil.
You can try it. But play with the portions. Sweet almond oil is more liquid so you may need less. Make very small batches to see what proportions work best. Thanks for reading my blog.
Hi – the 10 mins in the freezer is NOT enough! Maybe post a picture of how it should look after freezing instead of a time? Excited to get this whipped but back to square one and big delay as have to freeze again.
I’ve made this numerous times and 10 minutes is long enough. It should be just a little solidified around the edges after 10 minutes. But you are free to freeze it longer and see what happens. I live in a northern temperate climate and 10 minutes is what works for me.