Never mind store bought lotions-- there's a super easy way to make body butter that actually repairs dry skin. This all natural whipped body butter recipe is incredibly moisturizing, non greasy, and couldn't be easier to customize.
Jump to:
- What is body butter?
- How to use whipped body butter
- Natural body butter ingredients
- How to make whipped body butter at home
- 📖 Recipe
- Shea butter vs cocoa butter
- How long do whipped body butters last?
- Do you have to refrigerate whipped body butter?
- Do you use body butter in the shower?
- How to make body butter less greasy
- How often should I use body butter?
- 💬 Comments
I've never been a fan of commercial lotions. They always seemed to leave my skin more dry, somehow, after a few days of use than it had been when I'd started moisturizing. For a year or so I relied on pure coconut oil, which worked fantastically well but wasn't convenient-- it had to be melted first, it was messy to apply, and it left a dangerously oily coating in the shower.
But the main downside to using coconut oil was that it just doesn't absorb into your skin very well. Body butter-- natural body butters, at least-- are a big step up. I've tried a few configurations and I've found that the ratios in this recipe make for a nourishing, non-greasy body butter.
What is body butter?
Body butter is a rich, thick moisturizer that's ideal for extremely dry or damaged skin. While lotions are often water-based, body butters rely on oils. They often use cocoa butter, shea butter, or mango butter, all of which contain the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that our bodies need to repair damaged skin. So, while water-based lotions can help to hydrate skin, body butters are where it's at for moisturizing.
How to use whipped body butter
You can apply a homemade whipped body butter just like you would a lotion, ideally after getting out of the shower or bath-- just be aware that it'll go a lot further. Within a few minutes of toweling off, apply about a quarter size dollop of body butter at a time. Because it will start to melt as soon as it touches your skin, applying smaller amounts will help to avoid too much oil accumulating in one spot and creating a greasy feeling.
Natural body butter ingredients
The four main ingredients for this whipped body butter are shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil. Beyond that, you can easily customize it with your favorite essential oils-- or even use homemade infused oils in place of the coconut oil and almond oil I've included.
What makes this body butter less greasy-feeling than other recipes I've tried is the ratio of cocoa butter and shea butter to oils. I've used 1 part shea butter and 1 part cocoa butter to ½ part coconut oil and ½ part sweet almond oil. Here's exactly what you'll need:
- ½ c cocoa butter (40 g)
- ½ c shea butter (50 g)
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil (40 g)
- 2 tablespoon sweet almond oil (20 g)
- 5-10 drops essential oil (peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and cedarwood are some favorites)
- Vitamin E oil (optional)
Read More: How to Make a Whipped Sugar Scrub with Shea Butter
The shea butter and cocoa butter have higher melting points than the coconut oil, so they help the body butter to keep its shape (ie not separate) once it's whipped. While coconut oil is moisturizing on its own, it mostly serves here as a carrier oil for those more nourishing ingredients.
And finally, shea butter, cocoa butter, and sweet almond oil are all rich in vitamin E, which can help build up your skin's oil barrier and retain moisture. I add a touch extra vitamin E oil-- winter is coming-- but that's entirely optional.
Body butter is also an excellent way to treat your skin to the benefits of some homemade infused oils. I like to use calendula oil, which is great for dry skin but can also help with eczema, burns, and other minor skin irritations. Other infused oils that would be great for a healing body butter are rosemary oil, comfrey oil, and yarrow oil.
Read More: How to Make Calendula Oil
How to make whipped body butter at home
To start, you'll need either a double boiler or a nonreactive container and a pot of water. You'll use this is for melting and combining those four main ingredients, so I'd recommend using something that's easy to clean out. I like to use a pyrex measuring cup, but you could also use a stainless steel bowl or a glass bowl.
Measure out the cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil using a scale, if you have one. (I've also listed the cup measurements below.) Toss them into your double boiler/Pyrex measuring cup/bowl and place that over a pot of simmering water.
The ingredients should all melt together within about five minutes. Give them a quick stir and move them to the freezer-- or the fridge at first, if you're worried about shocking the glass-- for an hour. The mixture needs to cool until it's firm but not completely solid.
After an hour, you should be able to just press a fingertip into the mixture-- which means it's ready to mix. While I usually enjoy doing my mixing with a wooden spoon, you'll want a hand mixer or stand mixer (ideally with a whisk attachment) for this one.
Whip the ingredients on high speed for about five minutes, or as long as it takes for stiff peaks to form. Don't worry about over whipping it-- it's not being baked, after all. At this point you can add any essential oils (5-10 drops) and vitamin E oil (I use about ¼ teaspoon) and whip once more just to combine.
And that's it! Voila. All-natural, homemade whipped body butter. Decadent. Nourishing. Beautiful. Transfer the body butter to a container with an airtight seal and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
📖 Recipe
Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Creamy, customizable body butter that's ideal for dry to extremely dry skin
Ingredients
- ½ c cocoa butter (40 g)
- ½ c shea butter (50 g)
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil (40 g)
- 2 tablespoon sweet almond oil (20 g)
- 5-10 drops essential oil
Instructions
- Combine shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil in a double boiler or in a nonreactive bowl placed over a pot of water
- Heat the pot on medium to slowly melt ingredients
- Remove from heat and freeze for 1 hour, until the body butter is firm but not completely solidified
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip on high speed until the butter forms stiff peaks
- Add vitamin E oil and essential oils as desired. Whip for one more minute to incorporate the oils
- If the butter is too greasy, add cornstarch or arrowroot powder in ½ tablespoon increments, up to 2 tablespoon total
- Transfer to a container with an airtight seal. Store in the refrigerator between uses.
Notes
- Some essential oils can irritate the skin when used in quantity. I recommend not using clove oil, citrus oils, and tea tree oil for moisturizers. If you opt for peppermint essential oil, avoid the lotion coming into contact with any sensitive areas.
- If you leave the body butter in the freezer for too long before whipping, just leave it out to thaw. When you can easily press your finger into the surface of the oils, it's ready to whip.
- If you don't have cocoa butter, you can directly replace it with shea butter (and vice versa.) Keep in mind that using 1 cup (80 g) of cocoa butter will result in a much stronger chocolate scent.
Shea butter vs cocoa butter
Shea butter and cocoa butter both lend a wonderfully smooth texture to moisturizing products and both melt on contact with your skin. The main difference between them is that shea butter is derived from the nuts of two varieties of African shea tree, while cocoa butter is made from cocoa beans. For personal products like lotions, the only significant difference is that cocoa butter has a mild chocolate scent.
How long do whipped body butters last?
Homemade body butters will typically last up to six months when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. That said, using new ingredients will ensure the longest possible shelf life. If any of your ingredients have any expiration date less than six months out from when you make the body butter, then that's how long the batch can be expected to last.
Do you have to refrigerate whipped body butter?
Refrigeration isn't necessary if you expect to go through the body butter quickly, but the ingredients will spoil if left out for too long. If you're making a larger quantity of body butter or if you plan on gifting it, best practice is to store it in the fridge between uses.
Do you use body butter in the shower?
Applying body butter in the shower will make it harder for the shea butter and cocoa butter to absorb into your skin. Natural body butters are most effective when they're left to absorb into your skin, so don't rinse it off. Instead, use body butter just like you would use a lotion: apply it after drying off and leave it on your skin to enjoy all of those moisturizing, fatty acid benefits.
How to make body butter less greasy
The best way to make body butter feel less greasy is to add cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Try adding up to two tablespoons of cornstarch in half tablespoon increments. This can be done when adding the essential oils and vitamin E, or later, since you can re-whip the body butter at any time.
How often should I use body butter?
You can use body butter daily to repair dry skin, though you may only need to use it a few times a week. If you do want to use it regularly, be sure to avoid adding any essential oils that are known to irritate sensitive skin, such as clove oil, tea tree oil, and citrus oils.
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