How to make shea butter cream for skin

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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!):

Instructions

1. Melt the shea butter, coconut oil and sweet almond oil in a saucepan or double boiler over medium heat.
2. Add essential oils and stir to mix well.
3. 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!)
4. Once mixture is completely cooled, use a hand beater or stand mixer to whip the mixture.
5. Spoon into a clean Mason jar and seal with a lid (you can reuse an old lid for this).
6. 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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