You know how sometimes you see a recipe and think… oh yeah, that sounds nice… but then never actually make it. Please don’t do that with this one.
This homemade whipped body butter is pure gold – and honestly – I think you’re going to love what it does for your skin!
A body butter is made by combining oils (liquid) with butters (solid). Example:
- oils (liquid): coconut oil, almond oil, safflower oil, avocado oil ( read my top 6 favorite oils)
- butters (solid) : shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter
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I chose to work with coconut oil (as my liquid part) and cocoa butter (as my solid part)
Coconut Oil is a top favorite of mine. Always use a virgin cold-pressed oil, organic is best, to make sure that all the nutrients and beneficial properties are intact.
Coconut oil’s antioxidant properties protect the skin from free radical damage and because it’s so full of essential fatty acids, it also helps to build and strengthen skin-cell structures. This keeps the skin’s connective tissues strong and supple, which helps to prevent sagging and wrinkles. My skin loves it and I love that it’s easily absorbed.
Cocoa Butter comes from the cocoa bean. It has a distinct nutty, chocolate scent – so yes, you will smell… delicious! When I use it on my skin, my 5-year-old notices right away! Cocoa butter is a rich emollient, it leaves your skin buttery soft. It contains fatty acids which help to retain moisture and build elasticity and also has properties which can help ease dermatitis or rashes. And did I mention it smells like chocolate!
Just like your oils, you want to choose a raw, cold-pressed butter – free of chemicals that are used in bleaching and refining.
Let’s start making our Homemade Whipped Body Butter!
Cocoa Butter is solid, so you’ll need to melt it down in a bain-marie, a hot water bath. You want it to melt over steam, rather than direct heat.
Depending on where you live, and if it’s cold, your coconut oil may be hard…. melt them gently together until completely liquid.
Once the butter is melted, you’ll need to harden it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. TIP: make sure to cover the container in the freezer (with a lid or towel) so that no condensation drips into your butter!
Freeze it until it’s semi-solid – not too soft, not too hard. You should be able to press your finger in easily and make a dent. If it’s not whipping up, put it back in the freezer to harden a little more.
Now, I want to tell you something up front so that you’re not weirded out when you use it. This body butter is unusual in that it melts onto your skin the instant you apply it – like butter on a hot pan. Honestly, I found it to be a bit strange. The recipes that I had read don’t tell you this, so when I first used it, I thought it was greasy and that I wouldn’t like it.
But then, something magical happened – my skin soaked it all in – and instead of feeling greasy, it felt velvety soft! My skin is seriously thanking me and has promised to glow, if I use this everyday.
I’ve happily accepted.
Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Instructions
- In a bain-marie, melt down your hard butters and oils until fully liquid
- Set in the freezer to harden, about 20 minutes.
- Once the mixture is solid again, but not too hard, whip it up using an electric whisk, a food processor with a whisk attachment, or your KitchenAid (lucky you!)If you need to, you can use a hand held whisk, and a lot of elbow grease! :)
- Whip about 5 minutes, or until you have created fluffy white clouds. Spoon it into a clean jar or container. It will keep for 3 months.
- Slather it on!
Notes
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It’s amazing, I just love it 😍 🥰❤️
Awesome! So happy to hear it – I have my jar right by desk and love using it on my hands, especially these days with all the handwashing – it definitely keeps your skin from drying out!
Amazing! I will never go back to buying lotion/body butter!
Hi your recipe looks awesome and i cant wait to make it. I have a question about the size, how many oz does this recipe make so I know what container size to get?
Hi! Its about 8 oz, but it does take up more volume as you whip it.. :)
Hi when I tried to make this it came out all liquidly. I don’t know if it is because I grated the cocoa butter or I let set for 25 minutes. I’m very confused and angry so if you could help me understand what I did wrong I would love to try it again.
H Patricia! Oh no, don’t be angry! It honestly takes getting to know the timing and the temperature of your environment. It’s bit like baking, these little details makes a difference. but worst-case scenario: you can remelt the whole thing and try again. I do not believe its because you grated the cocoa butter, I do the same.. if anything it was the way it set, it hadn’t solidified. You can remelt it, add more solid butter (cocoa or even shea butter) and try again, setting it in the freezer to harden to where you can just press your finger in, and it’s no longer a pool of liquid. Then begin to whip. Please let me know how it turns out!
Does this work on hyperpigmentation ? Shall I add rosemary oil to apply on face at night ? Pls suggest ….
I suggest vitamin C for hyperpigmentation – which is best extracted out by water, not oil. So I would suggest making an herbal face mask, made of ground herbs, fruits and clay. Some good options are: rose, licorice root, hibiscus, rosehips, camu camu, strawberry, mango, kiwi. Look out for my virtual workshops from The Herb House, coming soon where I will demonstrate this in more detail!
Could this recipe also work with mango butter or would the proportions have to change?
Hi! Yes, you can use mango butter. It’s great because it’s a “dry” butter in that it soaks into the skin with a dry finish. I also love doing a blend of mango + shea which gives you that buttery skin feeling and is non-greasy because of the mango butter.
How long do you find this lasts in the jar once made…?
It seems to never go off! You could use it for 1 year if used with clean and dry hands.
Nice recipe! If I wanted to add cbd hemp oil into this, at what stage would recommend adding it? Would you suggest any changes? Thanks!
Hi Renee, for hemp oil, I would actually recommend that you use Shea Butter, and whip that using a handheld blender. As you’re whipping the shea, drizzle in the hemp oil. This way, there is no heat applied to the hemp. Slowly drizzle in the oil until it reaches a consistency that you want.
I made it for myself but my husband enjoys it
I made this the other day and added Lavender Essential Oil, and a touch of Lavender color… YUMMY and so soft
Thank you so much.
Hi, I’m growing rosemary and was wondering if you had any recommendations for how I could infuse the scent of rosemary into the body buttet.
Hi! There’s nothing like fresh rosemary from the garden! You can make an oil infusion (I have an article on this in the blog). Another idea, which I have saved on my Instagram Stories – is to make an enfleurage with the rosemary, infusing the scent into solid fat (cocoa butter or shea butter) usually this owuld be done with a refined butter, as the scent of the butter may interfere with the scent of the rosemary.
Holy [email protected]#$ I just made this and i feel so luxurious. I added ingredients which came out to be: 1c cocoa butter, 1/2 c coco oil, 1/4c shea butter and 1.5t vitamin e oil . I froze the liquid until the top was solidified and the layer under that was a thick liquid. whipped up beautifully. I think the vitamin e oil helps keep the consistency right, but its just a hunch. wow i feel so clever, thanks for the recipe!