I love making natural beauty products as gifts, and homemade body butter is one friends and family always love to receive. It’s a gift that is easy to personalize with custom natural scents (and even can help with sleep if you add a little magnesium!).
Put the finished product in a cute glass jar with ribbon and a tag, and you have a thoughtful and beautiful gift that will make them feel pampered for months.
Even if you aren’t typically the type to make your own gifts, this recipe is easy for DIY beginners and fun to make. Give it a try!
Why Body Butter?
Body butter is thicker than lotion and contains less water. This means it takes longer to penetrate the skin (don’t walk on a floor barefoot after applying body butter to your feet!) but it’s very moisturizing and softens even those tougher, very dry spots like the knees, elbows, and feet.
By whipping body butter, you get the best of both worlds since it is soft and easy to apply but still extra moisturizing.
How to Make Body Butter
This new recipe has similar ingredients to these homemade lotion bars, but removes the beeswax and whips the mixture as it cools to create a cloud-like lotion that is extremely nourishing!
This body butter is great for babies or sensitive skin, and scents can be added to make it a custom gift for anyone (or to keep for yourself!).
My current favorite is a peppermint-scented version for the holidays, but I also like a citrus/lavender combination.
DIY Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup shea butter
- ½ cup cocoa butter
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup almond oil (or jojoba, or olive)
- 10-30 drops essential oil (optional, I use lavender)
Instructions
- In a double boiler or glass bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the essential oils.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until all ingredients are melted.
- Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Stir in the essential oils if using.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour or until the mixture is starting to harden around the edges.
- Use a hand mixer to whip for 10 minutes until fluffy.
- Return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set.
- Store in a glass jar with a lid and use as you would regular lotion or body butter. If your home is above 75°F, the body butter may soften and need to be kept in the fridge to maintain the whipped texture.
- Keep for yourself, or give away! Enjoy!
Notes
Body Butter FAQ
This recipe has been around for a while, so here are some of the questions you’ve asked the most:
Will it be greasy?
Body butter is definitely more emollient and has a heavier texture than lotion does, but after a few minutes it will penetrate the skin and lose any greasy feel.
How long will it last?
Stored away from moisture and light this homemade body butter should last 6-8 months. Using a spoon or spatula to dip rather than your fingers will extend the life of the body butter.
Why is mine not white like yours?
Shea butter especially can vary in texture and color depending on the brand. Not to worry, it will still work just as well!
Will this clog my pores?
Nope! This body butter actually did wonders on my cystic acne back in the day.
Other Body Butter Variations
Mastered the recipe? Try mixing up your own combinations! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Magnesium Body Butter – Get the benefits of magnesium with this therapeutic version
- Vanilla Mint Chocolate Massage Butter – Perfect for a couples’ at-home massage!
- Herbal Body Butter – Marshmallow root and calendula flowers make this extra nourishing for skin
- Orange Blossom Body Butter – I’ve been dying to round up the ingredients for this recipe and try it out.
- Three Kings Christmas Body Butter – For an extra-special holiday gift, use the base recipe above and add 10 drops each of frankincense and myrrh essential oils plus 1 teaspoon gold mica powder.
Ever made your own body butter? Want to try this recipe? Share below!
Which type of coconut oil do you buy from the site your recipe links to? I’m not sure which would be best. Thanks!
The Gold Label is definitely the best, but just regular expeller pressed from there will also work well in cosmetic uses.
Hi, I went to Thrive Market to check out the coconut oil you were recommending. I had forgotten that with Thrive, you have to become a member. I don’t want to do that. Can I just use my Trader Joe’s Coconut Oil? If not, can you recommend an appropriate type of coconut oil that you can buy someplace where you don’t HAVE to be a member?
Thanks,
Gigi
I buy from here as well: https://wellnessmama.com/go/tropical-traditions/
I this worked so good with our CBD infused Coconut oil!!! Thanks for a simple yet wonderful recipe!!
What size jar does this recipe fill?
I might be a little late, but I am totally sold on the TJ’s version and it worked perfectly in the recipe!
pro tip: add old eyeshadow for a shimmery effect!
Actually a very amateur tip; old eyeshadow is guaranteed to have lots of bacteria (no make-up should ever be kept or used for more than a few months or so) in it so I wouldn’t recommend adding it to body butter. Adding some fresh, new body shimmer would be much better if someone actually wanted shimmery body butter.
Not sure what shea butter is the best.
it is really a matter of choice. for me part of the fun in making cosmetics and other aromatherapy or the like is to experiment with the different oils,fragrances and other ingredients. No two brands ever seem to blend alike and back thru the years when I sometimes made my own ingredients quality control was so exacting just to have it come out the same. The best thing to do is have fun and enjoy always.
Mine will not solidify. I followed measurements exactly.
Any suggestions on what I can do?
Add more of the shea butter unmelted and blend it in. It will thicken and then become whipped. I had the same problem as well! I also read where you can choose to not boil or melt down the ingredients too
How many oz of finished product does this make?
Can you give proportions for your lavender/citrus blend? It sounds heavenly!
I used 15 drops of each in this recipe.
Here’s a silly question. I am SO excited about this recipe…but I don’t have a hand mixer. Do you think that using my kitchenaid mixer would provide the same results? Thanks!!
It will… I just don’t have one, so I had to use a hand mixer, but a regular one would actually probably work better…
I used a stand mixer and it whipped up great.
I was wondering though if I over-whipped with the stand mixer. The body butter basically melts in my hand. Is that typical?
Add a little tapioca powder or arrowroot powder.
Well-done, please I will like to know the measurements if I want to make it in a large quantities and what if I don’t have fridge can I put it in the corner of my room
If I want to make multiple scents, can you add the essential oils after you whip it up? Its no big deal if I can’t, it would just save time.
How many batches will 1lbs. of cocoa butter make? IE: if I use a half cup per recipe how far will 1lbs. get me?
1 pound is 16 ounces. 1 cup is 8 ounces. 16 ounces will make 4 1/2 cup servings.
Yes Lisa. It’s because the butter was whipped. Totally normal. Just make sure you add the arrow root powder or tapioca starch to make it less greasy. Works wonders for the skin.
Ooh delicious. I assume I can get all of those ingredients at Whole Foods? Never bought shea butter before.
Not sure, but I would think that you could.
How jars did this recipe fill? What was the ounce of the jars you used?
This looks great, I am definitely going to make some soon!
I just made this recipe last night and it turned out beautifully!! I followed the recipe exactly as it is written. I’ll be making this again. Thanks Katie.
Yay! Thanks for reading!
I want to use jasmine essential oil next time, and I was wondering how much to use. It seems a little stronger than the lavender & citrus combo. What do you think?
Hello! For my Whipped Butter Recipe, can I use all three butters(Shea, Mango, and Cocoa) ? If so what are your recommended measurements?
I realize you posted this awhile ago… Wondering if you remember how much this recipe made?
I was wondering the same thing!! Searching comments for the answer…
My body butter will not whip its staying like a lotion maybe even thinner ?? Help
I’m definitely too late to help Wanda, but for others, I have to whip mine WAYYY lounger than 10 minutes to get it fluffy. Not sure why, but don’t give up! Like I whipped for over 20 minutes!! I love this stuff <3
Hi Wellness Mama!
I love your blog and app and have turned so many of my friends and family on to you – they love you too! I’ve made the lotion bars and love them and really want to try the whipped body butter but as I read the recipe I didn’t see when you are to add the essential oils. So at what stage do you add the oils?
Thank you! Keep the wellness coming!
After it is heated but before putting in the fridge to cool…
It would be great if you could edit the recipe to state that. Excited to try this. Thanks for sharing 🙂
How many oz. does this recipe make?
Thanks for asking this question. I just made and saw the recipe does not tell you when to add the essential oils.
It sayt to add it in Step 3
How do you measure shea butter? Its in a big block. If it smells does it mean its rancid, can it go bad? Do you use essential oils?
was just wondering the same thing. are these measured by weight or by volume?
This would be nice to give as a gift, but I have a family member allergic to coconut. Can I just leave it out and add more of one of the other ingredients? Or does the coconut oil serve another purpose like making it solid?
I was wondering the same as my face can’t tolerate coconut oil.
I think if you played around with more shea/mango and some beeswax it would work. That may affect the butter being whipped, though. If it didn’t work, you could use it as salve….
You could also just melt down your butters, add a small amount of liquid oil (maybe one part liquid oil to 6 or 7 parts butter, just start small) and then whip it as it sets.
Hey All~
Wondering if any of you have made this, or any other whipped Shea butter recipe, and had success with it remaining more solid, than turning to oil? Appreciate any tip and suggestions!
I know it’s been years since you posted, but I’m frustrated by this recipe. I made it because I have skin sensitivities and it didn’t whip! I followed the instructions to the letter. Argh!
I just made this recipe again and it whipped beautifully – I’ve never had an issue with it not whipping. I had to refrigerate mine much longer than directed before it was semi-solid enough to whip. I actually refrigerated it overnight and then allowed it to come to room temperature. I used a stand mixer, but any mixer at high speed should enable it to whip.
I made this yesterday. I left it in the fridge for about 2 1/2 hours. Once it set up, I left it out on the kitchen counter overnight. It was pretty solid this morning, so I cut it into chunks and put it into my Kitchen Aid stand mixer this morning. It whipped up wonderfully! I made a fairly large batch – I am giving this and coconut sugar scrub as holiday gifts to my mom, sisters in law, girlfriends and co-workers. I hope that they will love this as much as I do!
How many jars did you get? I’m wanting to use 16 oz. mason jars and I haven’t seen anywhere yet how many jars (or ounces) this recipe will yield. Thanks in advance 🙂
I made this and there is a gritty texture when I rub it on my skin…. if I keep rubbing it goes away and the lotion is absorbed- but trying to figure out what caused this. Does this mean I didn’t mix it enough? I put it in the fridge, it was too hard for my hand mixer so I let it sit and come to room temp, then blended it.
Also, are the measurements for the ingredients when they are solid?
Thanks!
Your shea butter may have been overheated-I have noticed this in the past if I heated it too much or too long. It gets gritty. Some are grittier than others. I add it last and remove from heat as soon as it is melted. Good luck! I’m moving over to mango butter for some recipes because of this.
Hi Rachel, When I make my shea butter moisturiser, I mash it with a fork at room temperature to soften it, before beating it with my hand held mixer. I read that melting it, or storing in the fridge causes the graininess. After whipping, it should be double in volume, and like whipped cream. At this point I add coconut oil, any liquid oils, and then essential oils.
I haven’t yet tried using cacao butter, but think that you would need to melt this first, then cool before adding. It is a firmer butter, so should help to harden your moisturiser. Worth a try.
Store in a cool place, not the fridge. Good luck ? Eileen
I cannot stand the smell of shea butter. What could I substitute it with? Thank you!
Just use 1/2 cup of mango butter instead and use the cocoa butter for that one. Mango butter is awesome for the skin and doesn’t have a smell at all…
Can you just use all mango butter?
Yep
Actually – I purchased all natural cold pressed shea and it doesn’t smell at all.. that smell is somehow created in the heated process… I love the cold process..
Have you found a good body butter recipe that prepares without heating?
And where do you find a hand mixer/what is it supposed to look like if I google it?
if you can afford a Kitchen Aid get one it whips it so smooth . I purchase mine from QVC with easy pay…
I bought a kitchenaid stand mixer at the goodwill. I don’t heat my butters at all unless they dry a bit and you’re left with chunks. then I melt those and add to the bowl.. then whip away until double in size.. then add EO and whip for about 30 seconds.. If you want color, add a bit of mica but I leave it out.. sometimes add cocoa or nutmeg powder for a bronzer affect
I haven’t tried it, but this one commenter named Ella said this works really well;
“Ella says:
December 18, 2015 at 5:23 AM
Hi Lovelies! Katie, I just love you and appreciate your work at WM so much. God bless you, dear Katie!
Ok, now for the reason I’m commenting, which is something I never do: y’all can save a lot of time and effort – and a few nutrients – by just putting all your oils in a blender first. Pulse, then let ‘er rip! No need to melt. Then go right to step 4, adding your EOs as you mix. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, All!”
Hope this helps!
Has anyone tried this like she suggests without melting?
Hi.
I don’t know where to post this question but this one had to do with heat so I’ll ask here. Doesn’t heating cold pressed items make them lose all that’s good? Do I need to use a thermometer to make sure it doesn’t go higher than a certain temp?
You’re not actually ‘heating’ the oils, you’re just finding the temperature they all melt at. If you tried mixing them without warming them, they wouldn’t blend properly.
They’ll be fine but it’s a valid question.
How do you do that? And where did you get it from?
Hi where do you get the cold pressed kind?
100% Cold Pressed Organic Argan Oil 100 ml BY AAA Shea Butter
Just copy and paste that into your search bar and it should bring you to Amazon…
i believe it’s the other way around. the raw, cold-pressed shea butter has a smell but the refined doesn’t just like with coconut oil.
Try using raw ivroy shea butter. I personally love the yellow raw shea butter because of the smell.
Hi Wellness Mama! The whipped body butter sounds good enough to eat! And so nourishing for the skin! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Blessings from Bama!
I use cocoa butter wafers… would the recipe proportions still work if I measure 1/2 cup of wafers? Your measurements are by volume, and lots of times I weigh mine, so I just want to make sure I get it right. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Yep, I”d add 1/2 cup plus about 4 extra wafers to fill the air space and it should work great
Thanks!
I just made a different recipe than yours but would like to try this. The one I made called for one cup of cocoa butter, incidentally I too used wafers and would not recommend adding more to full the air gaps. it called for a 1/2 cup of Shea or another hard butter, I used mango and a 1/2 cup almond or jojoba to be added after the solids were melted. So, I’m wondering about all the same measurements for this recipe. There was an implication that it was a 75% hard to 25% oil ratio. Just wondering how this one compares.
HI, I was wondering if you know what the weight of the ingredients for the body butter recipe? Thank you.
1/2 cup shea butter, 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup light oil or carrier oil. Total = 2 cups = 16 FL oz.
Coco butter 1/2 cup= 49g or 1.73oz
Shea butter 1/2 cup= 112g or 3.95oz
Liquid 1/2 cup = 4 oz @
With a total of 16 fluid oz
Coco butter 1/2 cup= 49g or 1.73oz
Shea butter 1/2 cup= 112g or 3.95oz
Liquid 1/2 cup = 4 oz @
With a total of 16 fluid oz
I have also heard that you should keep all of the butters on the stove and simmer them for 20 minutes so that when they are done they don’t become grainy is true or false
HI, hoping you can answer my question. I think I added too many hard butters? Or left in the fridge too long (over night ?…) because was super hard to wipe and never got light like the first batch I made. considering trying to re wipe but what would you suggest I add to get it lighter? Thanks so much!
My guess is that leaving it in the fridge overnight is what made it too hard to whip. You could try letting it set out and come to room temperature before whipping it again. If that doesn’t work, I’d melt it again and whip it when it becomes a soft solid, before it gets hard.
You’re only supposed to leave it in the fridge until ats slightly hardened. I just melted everything and its in the fridge now!! Cant wait. Lets hope my little sister doesnt beat me on the head with her little toy flower while im whipping it and i mess it up. Goodluck and wish ME luck. Lol
When you refer to wafers, do you mean those used for edible products with cocoa butter?
Jake, I believe there is a difference between the wafers you can eat and these used for soaps and lotions. I looked this up online and the ones you can eat say ‘edible’ on them while the kind for health and beauty products do not. That is what “I” concluded from my search; if this is incorrect please someone correct my error.
What would beeswax do to the recipe and how much would I add?
Thanks so much!
Hey Friend!
Can I substitute Cocoa or Shea butter for Coconut Butter (or Coconut Concentrate Cream)?
Hey! Love your Ideas! One question…When do we add the essential oil??
I noticed she didn’t mention when to add the essential oils as well. I’ve made quite a few body products and this is my two cents: Essential oils should be added between the time it’s hot and cold. You don’t want to add them too hot because it effects the quality of the aroma and will lose some of the scent. But if you add it when it’s too cold, it won’t distribute properly. My body butter batch is cooling right now and I’m going to add my essential oils before the refrigeration step. Hope that helps!
When do I add the cocoa butter wafers to the recipe?
Amazon they have all the butters in is there are forms they also have the oils like almond olive walnut and other carrier oils and essential oils as well and they are at a reasonable price
Amazon has all the butters in there raw form, they also have the oils like almond, olive, walnut, and other carrier oils and essential oils as well.
They are reasonabley priced
Hello can i substitute cocoa ir mango butter for one whole cup of shea butter? And can i add one spoon of provitamin b5?
Thanks
Instead of using shea butter can I use one cup of cocoa butter
Yes… those two are interchangeable in recipes like this
Hello,
I was wondering how you made your body butter white in color? The one I made looks like a yellowish color and isn’t too appealing….
What are the name brands of the Shea, Coaco and mango butters do you use?
There are links in the post, but I order from Mountain Rose Herbs whenever they have them in stock.
Hi Lovelies! Katie, I just love you and appreciate your work at WM so much. God bless you, dear Katie!
Ok, now for the reason I’m commenting, which is something I never do: y’all can save a lot of time and effort – and a few nutrients – by just putting all your oils in a blender first. Pulse, then let ‘er rip! No need to melt. Then go right to step 4, adding your EOs as you mix. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, All!
Hi…what if i want to add citric Acid to this mix of yours..how many teaspoons do i add?
Thanks Love what you doing.
I’m not too sure it would be a good idea to add the citric acid to the recipe…Since this is going on your body and since citric acid can burn the skin, it might be best to leave it out.
Hey! When do I add the scented oil, in which step? (Sorry I have never done anything like this)
I add them in the whipping stage as it is not recommended to heat them.
WM, you should edit your recipe above to add that information (when to add the EO’s). Several folks here have had the same question and it would be helpful to have that in the instructions instead of having to search the comments. Some of us have made body butter before and know when to add the EO’s, but newbies won’t.
Thanks so much! Have a blessed day!
Just updated. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
Hi, going to try this., I noticed that the essential oils were noted on stage 3 of the recipe. X
You can find them on Amazon.com
Gurl how much did you pay for it?
Would it be fine if I just used coconut oil and shea butter? Why the need for other stuff?
Re: measuring with cocoa butter wafers:
Since these are fats, I used a liquid measure, using the displacement method for the Shea & Cocoa butters & the coconut oil.
Shea & cocoa: filled my measuring cup to 1/2 cup with super cold water, added wafers (cocoa) or spoonfuls Shea of the butters, ensuring all were submerged, until the water level rose to 1 cup.
I melted these & then added the coconut & apricot kernel oils away from the heat. I used the same method as above to measure the coconut oil, but spooning into the 1/2 cup apricot oil instead of water.
How come my butter is not hardening?
I’m wondering this too. still liquid after an hour in the fridge
and whipping did nothing. now after more time in the fridge
it is hard but not whipped. I’m wondering if it’s just too warm
in here…Dallas, TX in august! !
It might be too warm in your home