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
UPDATE: If you love this recipe, I’ve put it and everything I know about simple, healthy natural skin care into my BRAND NEW book called:
Along with a few favorites from the blog, there are more than 50 ALL NEW recipes that can’t be found anywhere else. I think you’re really going to like it!
Check it out here: littlegreendot.com/book
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
This homemade whipped body butter is pure gold – and honestly – I think you’re going to love what it does for your skin.
And with just two ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler!
- 3/4 cup cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 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!
Cold climates, adjust recipe to 60% cocoa butter, 40% oil so that it’s not as hard.
Store in a clean glass jar and keep in a cool, dark place.
Your body butter will keep for up to 3 months.
I know you’re going to love making this body butter. When you do, please share a photo with me on Instagram.
UPDATE: If you love this recipe, I’ve put it and everything I know about simple, healthy natural skin care into my BRAND NEW book called:
Along with a few favorites from the blog, there are more than 50 ALL NEW recipes that can’t be found anywhere else. I think you’re really going to like it!
Check it out here: littlegreendot.com/book
341 responses to “Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe”
Oh thank you thank you so much! This is wonderful!
Does it have to be refrigerated post whipping if you’ve made too much?
Hello….. super easy recipe; however, I just made this and I actually find it very waxy on my skin. I normally mix coconut oil in with my lotion so I am totally used to the initial greasy feeling that you had described in your instructions, however, I don’t feel like my skin has totally absorbed the body butter. It isn’t greasy but it is almost like a film. Any ideas as to why and any idea how to remedy this? Thanks!
Hi Maggie! It doesn’t need to, although where I live it’s hot, so after a while, it looses its… oomph. If you put it in the fridge it will harden again… but either way, you could always try re-whipping! I haven’t tried that, because I’m using it up so quickly as it is – but let us know how you get on with yours!
Hi there, i live in singapore too! i’m trying to whip up a batch with shea butter, cocoa butter and solid coconut oil. What do you think my proportions should be so that it won’t melt too quickly in our humid temperature?
Hi Sher! I think we should consider your coconut oil as the liquid – and the shea & cocoa butter as the hard – so it would be:
75% shea & cocoa
25% coconut oil
so that could be:
3/4 cup of mixed cocoa butter & shea butter
1/4 cup of coconut oil
You can divide the cocoa and shea equally, or add more or less, depending on which one you want to be more prominent in your lotion. This is where you can play with proportions. If you don’t want to use up a lot of your oils and butters as you experiment – make smaller batches. Just remember, what ever measurement you are working in, keep it at: 75% hard (butters) 25% liquid (oils)
hope that helps! Let me know how you get on 🙂
Hi Militza!
Thank so much for your advice! I will try making it once my ingredients from iherb arrives and update you on my end product! xoxo 🙂
Awesome, Sher! Looking forward to it 🙂
Great stuff! I want to try this but have never made any beauty recipes in my life and his recipe seems like a tall order. BUT I am a big believer in moisturizing so I gotta try this at least. Thanks so much for sharing this as well as where to buy the ingredients. Cheers!
Hi Niki! Awesome – let me know how you get on! 🙂
What about using essential oils? I want a body butter that is somewhat scented floral.
Hi Myda! The only reason that I don’t mention essential oils is because I don’t know how to use them! They are incredibly potent, actually medicinal – so we have to be sure of side effects and exact measurements. That said, if you do your research, adding essential oils can be a great! For the butter – I would use oils that have a lighter fragrance so that the essential oil can come through – almond oil and jojoba oil are pretty light and Shea Butter might be better than cocoa butter, since cocoa has strong chocolate scent. Let me know how it works out 🙂
How much does this yield? I can obviously add up the ingredients, but I’m guessing that whipping adds a bit of volume. I’m considering making a TON of this for a bridal shower favor- about 25 jars.
Hi Kim! What a great idea – I would say that it doubles in volume. I haven’t measure it out but if you do make it, I’d love to know how it turns out! 🙂
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I made one batch, as a test run, before I make the larger amount. It was too thick actually… and had some chunks in it. The freezing process was tricky- it was solid on the sides, but still liquid in the middle. So I had to let it get closer to room temperature in order to mix it with the kitchen aid.
Hi Kim! Good idea to do a test batch! I’m thinking maybe you can stir the mixture as it freezes so that it will harden more evenly? Try again! 🙂
Love this recipe! But once it hardens it’s very difficult for me to dig it out of the jar because the whole thing became completely solid again. x__x I was going to try remelting it and adding more cocoa butter, but does anyone have any other ideas?
Hi Jessica! Is it cold where you live? I’m thinking it must be the coconut oil which is hardening. Where I live it’s really hot, so the butter stays soft. Maybe for you, it’s best to use a different type of oil, like jojoba, sweet almond or olive oil.
How interesting to hear other’s experiences with the recipe! Thanks for sharing, do try again! 🙂
I have used aloe vera juice/gel to thin too-thick body butter. It has healing properties & other benefits but I’ve found it to be much more cost-effective than jojoba or many other oils. Also apricot kernel oil is useful, beneficial & generally cheaper than many others. What do you think?
I think that sounds great Johnnie! It’s such a good thing to play and experiment with different ingredients. I love Aloe vera – it’s incredible on the skin. I haven’t worked with apricot kernel, but would love to know your experience with it.
Hi militza! I remelted the whole thing and added 1/8th cup of almond oil to it and it seemed to do the trick. I may have to do an extra 1/4 ext time. And I live in the Bay Area of CA so it’s not too hot, but it does get pretty cold in my house. So that was probably it. 😀 Thank you!
I was wondering about how much this recipe makes? Just an estimate is fine, thanks
Hi Rachel! It makes about 2 cups 🙂
Are you using the delicious coconut smelling extra virgin coconut oil or the coconut oil that has no smell whatsoever? I have both and hope to try your awesome body butter recipe tomorrow. Thank you for posting the recipe. Elaine
Excuse my previous question! I found the answer looking at the jar label you have posted above. Elaine
Hi Elaine! Let me know how it works out for you! 🙂 Yeah, for any skincare recipe – I would always use unrefined, cold-pressed oils. You’ll get more nourishment for your skin than the refined stuff 🙂
Have you tried this on stretch marks? I would like to make it as a gift for my recently pregnant sister.
Hiya! A rich butter would be great for keeping the skin hydrated and less prone to stretch marks. Coconut is a healing oil so could be a great choice for your sister. I think this would make a lovely gift!
I made the recipe you posted for the virgin coconut oil & cocoa butter body butter and it is outstanding. I had some Madagascar vanilla beans infusing in the hot South Carolina sun in a luxurious blend of oils so I used that instead of the sweet almond oil. I wanted some scent so I added 15 drops patchouli essential oil, 25 drops ylang ylang essential oil and 10 drops of rose garden fragrance oil. I could hardly make out any of these scents above the cocoa butter scent but don’t get me wrong, the cocoa scent is wonderful. Then I tried a second batch using shea butter rather than cocoa butter because I was very interested in capturing the scent. Same proportions as your recipe but I used weight measurement rather than liquid measurement (makes no difference). I also doubled up on the scent concoction mentioned above. It is truly a lovely body butter with a scent that I find addictive. I make lotions and was very excited to make a body butter because I don’t have to use any preservative. Oh! On the second batch I added 6 grams of Vitamin E to reduce the rate of rancidity for the oils. I consider my two attempts huge successes. Body butters are so much different than lotions because they tend to hang out on the surface of the skin for quite awhile. I am choosy about when I use the body butter. Mostly at night after I’ve changed into my jammies and can relax with my wondrous body butter working it’s magic on my skin. Thank you so much for your recipe and tutorial. Elaine
Hi Elaine! You had me at Madagascar vanilla beans! Sounds beautiful – thanks so much for sharing this lovely tip!:)
Hi Elaine! When you used she’s butter, what else did you use? Or did you use 100% shea butter?
I’m definitely trying this recipe soon! Thank you for the ratio, it’s extremely helpful!
I think it’s important to note that you make this in a bowl that can switch temperatures (glass or metal) and then be able to whip it in that same bowl. That way you don’t have to worry about transferring the mixture back and forth.
I’m thinking I’ll probably use coconut oil as part of both the solid and liquid, but also use some shea or cocoa butter as most of the solid and almond oil as the other part of the liquid – still 75%:25% though. I think that will help with some consistency problems I have when making these sorts of things.
Hi! Great tip! Let me know how your proportions turn out!
Hi Militza, I made a batch of moisturing butter with shea butter, jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, vit E and essential oils of frankincense, sandalwood and geranium. The texture and scent are to die for! It’s now part of my nighttime routine.
Hi Grace! That sounds yummy! It’s amazing how simple it is to get such a lovely texture and rich cream! 🙂
Grace, thank you for the scent blend of frankincense, sandalwood and geranium. Looks like I’ll be making another batch of body butter so I can try out this to-die-for scent blend. Where would you suggest buying essential oils?
Hi. Just wondering how long will this keep?
Hi Hasu,
Since there is no water in this recipe, it keeps for a long time. To be safe, I would say make batches that you can use up within the month.
Hi.. I cant wait to try this when I get home today,, I had a quick question. I love using just cocoa butter and coconut oil for my skin.. im not too keen on other oils could this be possible to make if i skip the almond oil and change the measurements by using just the 2 main ingredients or do you recommend the other oil also? Thanks for the recipe it looks AWESOME!
Hi! Actually, I just made my last batch with only cacao butter and coconut oil and it turned out great. I did 75% cacao butter (3/4 cups) 25% coconut oil (1/4 cup). Let us know how it works out for you! One reader said that she infused vanilla pods into her coconut oil first and I think that sounds pretty amazing too 🙂
Hi! I made a recipe similar to this and I noticed how you said it is a little bit greasy. If you add a couple teaspoons of rice flour, corn starch or tapioca flour(which is what I use) it doesn’t make your body butter greasy! Try it out 🙂
Hi Kristin! Awesome, thanks for the tip! I tried again using 75% cacao butter and 25% coconut oil – and it’s a much better consistency for me – but will def try adding some powder too. Love experimenting! 🙂 Thanks
Hey! This looks amazing, and I have been looking for a natural body butter for a while so it’s great to have found this one! It must be lovely living in the heat on the equator, but up here in Canada it’s like I live in an icebox. Should I add more oil so it keeps soft even in the winter? I’ll definitely be trying this in the near future! Keep up the awesomeness! 🙂
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Please info, is there any expire that for this butter? how long can we use the same batch? thanks
I just received my stuff to try this recipe!!! Am so excited. Hoping it helps prevent stretch marks while my belly expands. My coco butter is in uneven chunks. Are those measurements for after the oils are melted?
Julia, it will help with the itchiness of the skin on your stretching belly and I expect it will help prevent stretch marks. I had a cocoa butter stick from Body Shop that I used during my pregnancies (20 and 14 years ago) that provided exceptional relief and I didn’t get stretch marks. This recipe is rich in cocoa butter and coconut oil is good for skin too. I don’t think you could get a better formula for your belly!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. It is truly indulgent, easy and fun to make and for my dry skin and psoriasis its amazing. Thank you again i will be making a lot more of this in the future.
Hi Audrey! Awesome – thanks for letting us know – I can’t stop making it myself 🙂
Your recipe says to use 1 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup coconut oil. Are those measurements taken when they are solids, or after they are melted? I measured out 1 cup of solid cocoa butter (which was of course in chunks) but when melted, it was actually only 1/2 cup. Please clarify. Thank you
I measured the cacao butter before it was melted. The coconut oil was liquid (I live in Singapore where it’s always hot, so my coconut oil is always liquid)
how did your body butter turn out? Depending on where we live because of weather and humidity, I think that the results can be different – if you needed to readjust the recipe, let us know what you did because others may also be having the same experience. Cheers! 🙂
Oh! I measured my cocoa butter after melting because I couldn’t figure out how to measure all those asymetrical lumps. That might explain why my “butter” was so thick and hard.
I live in the northern UK and made this a couple of weeks back. It’s Autumn/fall here and the weather is cooling rapidly so I kept in mind other’s comments regarding this going hard in cooler temperatures.
The ambient temperature in my house at the time I made it was about 14C. It had a gorgeous consistency when I whipped it but as expected, it was way too hard to use 24 hours later when it had set.
I fiddled with the recipe a bit and decided on using a 75% liquid, 25% solids ratio thinking I could always add more solids to it if I had trouble getting it to whip etc. Result? Impossible to whip with this ratio! 🙁
I then added another 6g of solid oils (2g cocoa butter, 2g shea and 2g coconut oil). Result = better but still not a good consistency and barely whippable.
Next…in went another 6g of cocoa butter. Result = much better but still not right. Whipping well but not holding its form when peaked.
So…in went another 6g of solid oils (2g cocoa butter, 2g shea and 2g coconut oil). Result = much better consistency and whipped really well.
At this point I thought I’d best stop as I knew the mixture would be a little warmer than the ambient temperature it would finally be sitting in and the oils would solidify and might make it set like concrete again. I left it to cool overnight and checked on it before leaving for work the next morning.
Final result- a lovely creamy mousse like texture which some might refer to as a thick cream or lotion as opposed to a traditional butter but I love it and it’s so much more manageable than the cement the original recipe batch turned into. I guess if you live in a warm climate you’ll get away with using the ratio stated for solid and liquid oils but living in the cold and blustery Autumnal UK, it just didn’t work for me!
Anyhow, I hope this helps someone out if they’re longing to make it but just can’t get it’s final consistency right! 🙂
Hi Nickie,
fantastic! Thanks a million for sharing your experience – it’s so true that it can be different for everyone, so it’s great to get all perspectives! Thanks for taking the time to share :))
Hi Nickie. I’m in the Midlands and want to make this recipe. I appreciate all your hard work in trying to find the right consistency but I can’t seem to figure out from your post the ratios I should work with when trying your ‘UK version’. Can you please break it down for me in either ratios or measurements please?
Thanks, Nickie, for the info on your modifications for a cold climate. I live in Canada, and my body butter turned out just like you described. It didn’t get fluffy and it didn’t incorporate much air. I figured maybe body butter is supposed to be hard, but I didn’t like having to pick out chunks to apply it. I appreciate you sharing your experiment. Only difficulty is that not knowing how many grams of each you started with, I can’t estimate how much oil to add to my mix.
I also had the problem of the mixture hardening on the sides of the jar in the freezer. Ended up leaving it on the counter to cool for longer. I just couldn’t keep up with the need to stir it while in freezer.
Going to try again with some more liquid oil when I can spring for some almond or grapes oil. Currently, I only have strong smelling olive oil, soy and sunflower oils.
I made a lovely lotion bar by remelting part of my 75% cocoa butter and 25% virgin coconut oil and letting it cool in a mould. I remember well a cocoa butter lotion bar I used on my poor stretched tummy when I was pregnant and thought it would be good to give to pregnant friends and relatives.
Hi Lisa! Thanks for letting us know about your experience – I’m in Bali and it’s sweltering hot, so that does make a difference! I love that you made it into a lotion bar!! That’s really great. I’ve adjusted the recipe, so that it can better suit different climates. Thanks so much for your input!!
hi,
i can’t find the cocoa butter from iherb or brown rice paradise. do you know other shops that sell it?
hi – here’s a link for cocoa butter from iherb: *click here*
but you can also try Real Food
Hi! I came back to report on my results. I ended up just going with the half cup of melted cocoa butter because where I live it’s cold most of the year and extremely dry so I figured this would ensure it stayed soft. It turned out great! It does make about 2 cups and I gave one jar to my Mom, who seriously decided it was also good enough to eat, haha. It is oily feeling when you first apply it, but all those nourishing natural oils absorb very quickly. I will be making more as gifts. Everyone is going to go crazy over it. Smells amazing…very richly of chocolate. Thank you 🙂
Hi Colleen – that’s awesome to hear! Thanks a million for coming back to let us know! 🙂
can you make your own cocoa butter
Hi Victoria – I’ve never tried it as I don’t have access to raw cacao beans… but if you did, you probably could! 🙂
can you use cocoa (or cacao) powder?
Hi Victoria! I wouldn’t use powder – because it would probably stain your skin & anything you touch brown 🙂 Though, that said, if you use a little – it may give a nice bronzing effect… try it on a small batch and let us know how it works out!
Hi love this recipe I used orange essence instead of almond and it came out smelling like chocolate orange! I had to stop my boyfriend eating it! I live in the UK and found it a bit greasy despite it being cold here so I upped the amount of cocoa butter and now it’s lush 🙂 thanks so much!
ha! That’s hilarious! I’m glad you liked it and more importantly, that you made the recipe work for you!
Cheers!
Militza
Hi!
Citrus oils (or some at least) can make your skin more vulnerable to sunburn so be careful when you add certain essential oils to your body cremes. Although I bet it smelled wonderful!
I just recently started making all natural stuff. I love this recipe. I used grape seed oil instead of almond oil and also added a ts of vitamin e oil. It turned out great. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Alisha
Hi Alisha,
Grapeseed oil is fantastic – it soaks into our skin very easily. Glad it worked well for you!
So, I am going to make this soon, I ordered mango butter and cocoa butter from Mountain rose,I was going to order Shea as well but didn’t. I have Nutiva coconut oil which is very high quality. How much mango butter should I use? All of the butters will be solid here in Canada so I will buy almond oil to use as a liquid. I have very good quality essential oils too. I received a home made body butter for Christmas that I am addicted to and have run out of so I went searching and your recipe sounds delightful. Once you use these homemade ones with good quality butters there is no store bought lotion that will ever suffice.
Hi Robin! Mango and cacao butter sounds like a great combination! Maybe try half/half to make up your 75% and 25% almond oil.
Please do let us know how you get on!
Hello,
Your website looks awesome!
Are those wesbites also shipping to Belgium? 🙂
Thanks!
Evy
Hi Evy,
Thanks! You can find all the ingredients on iHerb – they ship worldwide and at great shipping rates.
Let us know how you get on!
I would love to make up an all-natural body butter, but when I tried using coconut oil as a body moisturizer a few months ago, it completely clogged my shower drain, I guess because the oil solidifies at cooler temps. Do you have any ideas for a recipe that doesn’t include coconut oil? Thinking that cocoa butter might also clog the drain as it is solid at room temp here in Colorado. Many thanks!
I would love to make up an all-natural body butter, but when I tried using coconut oil as a body moisturizer a few months ago, it completely clogged my shower drain, I guess because the oil solidifies at cooler temps. Do you have any ideas for a recipe that doesn’t include coconut oil? Thinking that cocoa butter might also clog the drain as it is solid at room temp here in Colorado. Many thanks!
I would love to make up an all-natural body butter, but when I tried using coconut oil as a body moisturizer a few months ago, it completely clogged my shower drain, I guess because the oil solidifies at cooler temps. Do you have any ideas for a recipe that doesn’t include coconut oil? Thinking that cocoa butter might also clog the drain as it is solid at room temp here in Colorado. Many thanks!
Hi Jessie – yes that would be a problem in a cold climate. Where I live it’s hot all year round, so not something that I’ve dealt with. Most butters and even oils will harden in cold.
In the shower, you could make a moisturising scrub or body treatment using brown sugar and aloe vera gel. Or you could cook some oats in water until soft, blend it up into a mush and strain in a cheesecloth. You’ll have a thick gel like substance that you can apply onto the skin, then wash off. It will moisturize your skin without the need for oil.
Hope that helps – oils and butters are great, but if they are blocking your drains – you can find other ways to moisturise until the weather warms up again.
Let us know how you get on!
Militza
I finally tried it today Militza! It is SO luscious on my skin. It melts like butter on hot pancakes. Insane but also very good. The cocoa smell is really strong though. Smells yummy but I wonder if people on the trains will notice. Hahaha! I can’t wait to experiment some more on this. Love it. Thank you!!!!
Yay Niki! Thanks for sharing – I’m so happy you like it! It’s amazing how simple it can be, isn’t it! 🙂 Definitely keep playing and let us know if you come up with any new combinations!
You can buy cocoa butter that has been deoderised to limit the cocoa scent. I buy mine from eBay uk.
I just put this in the freezer to harden I used Mango butter and cocoa butter but added a very small amount of Rose infused coconut oil and almond oil. I have very high end essential oils from working an all natural perfumery so I added twenty drops of Patchouli ,fifteen drops of a very high end Sandalwood oil, and a green Rose oil that was ten or so drops. I’m so exited to see how this turns out. If it’s good I’ll do a Vetiver, Rosewood one. With the Cocoa butter scent as beautiful as it is Bergamot will be a nice one to compliment too. What an easy recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Follow-up the butter turned out beautifully. I am going to try Shea next time and cut down on the cocoa butter so the scent will be different. I live cocoa butter though. I saw an earlier post and will try to add vit E as well to preserve it and more essential oil drops as the cocoa butter is what comes through strongest. What an inspiring and easy project this was. I’m exited to jar more of it and pass it to friends.
Hi Robin – that’s awesome- I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for the follow up! Your essential oil blend sounds beautiful – thanks too for the recipe, so that we can try it too! :))
My butter came out as lotion. Can I a mix it with more cocoa butter or do I need to just start with a new batch? Thank you.
Mine came out too runny. Can I add more cocoa butter and refreeze it or do I need to just make another batch. Thank you.
So far I have used a couple other recipes and this one is my go to.I use 1cup mango butter,and divide the half cup with equal parts cocoa butter and coconut oil. almond oil with a teaspoon Vit.E which I mix and for this batch I used 100% essential oils of Tangerine,Vetiver,and Rosewood. The Vit.E is suposed to help the essential oils emulsify with the body butter, and I must say I do notice a big difference than with previous batches, The scent is able to come through clearer. Just thought I’d share.
Hi Robin! Thanks a million for taking the time to share your experience with us! I’ll definitely try it next with a bit of vit. e! 🙂
hi there militza. i’m from the philippines. you made the suggestion to one commenter (the one from singapore) to use 75% cocoa and shea butter + 25% coconut oil. i wonder if it’s ok if i substitute other kinds of oil for coconut oil (i was thinking of apricot kernel seed oil or grapeseed oil). i am afraid that the body butter may not maintain its consistency in this very hot summer weather.
Hi Maria – love your name, that’s my daughter’s name too! 🙂
yes, absolutely. You can substitute coconut oil with apricot or grapeseed. You can even do a combo of the two (which is what I do for my body oil) grapeseed absorbs very quickly and is great for oily skin, so it may work really well for our hot weather!
let us know how you get on!
Hi Militza! I can’t wait to try out this body butter recipe. Though there are tons of body butter recipes online, most of them are for cooler climates. And I know how coconut oil is like here in Singapore!
One question though. Even with your recipe’s proportions catered to our hot climate, I’m still concerned that everything will turn greasy and mushy if I do not store it in the fridge. Do you think I can add a little beeswax to it?
Hi Pamie
What I would do is make the body butter, split it in half and add beeswax to one. That way you can test out which works better for you. I’d love to hear your results!!
Woops – I see that I replied to an existing thread instead of starting a new one. I will repost 🙂
Hello….. super easy recipe; however, I just made this and I actually find it very waxy on my skin. I normally mix coconut oil in with my lotion so I am totally used to the initial greasy feeling that you had described in your instructions, however, I don’t feel like my skin has totally absorbed the body butter. It isn’t greasy but it is almost like a film. Any ideas as to why and any idea how to remedy this? Thanks!
Melting the butters (cocoa and shea) work for me because they can be grainy in my experience.
Love the simplicity of this recipe. I’m a total newbie and was interested in where people from the UK were buying their ingredients?
I get anything like cocoa butter or beeswax etc from eBay or Amazon. I’m in the UK.
When it come to measuring your ingredients using measuring cups can be a
pain and not very accurate. You should be using a scale an two examples are
1cup Shea butter weighs 218 grams, cocoa butter 1 cup weighs 219.2 grams
( round off to 219 grams.) Even the liquid oils need to be weighed. Let’s say you make a body butter you love by weighing it each time you make it it will be the same. I hope this helps.
thanks for sharing but I actually produce my own coconut oil myself I wish I could make cocoa butter as well because I love home made stuffs.
I’ve tried your bodybutter recipe.but it’s very greasy for the climate.it doesn’t hold well together either.the moment it touches the skin it’s back to being like oil.can you suggest an alternation?something to make it less greasy and something to hold it together
Hi Elsa!
It’s all about playing with the proportions – if it’s too oily – you can try either using less oil or using different types of oil that might suit your skin better. Give grape seed oil and jojoba oil a try.
You can also try adding a bit of arrowroot into the blend to give it a more powder finish.
Keep playing with it and you’ll find the proportions that work best for you! 🙂
Just made this – I added vitamin E oil and orange essential oil. Smells soooo good!!! A chocolate orange. Love the feel of it, too! Thanks!
Sounds absolutely scrummy, Rachel! I’m so happy you made it and that you love it! 🙂
Love this! Substituted 1/4c Shea butter and 3/4c cocoa butter, and used avocado oil instead of almond. I thought about adding clove oil but it smelled so good as I was melting it all that I decided not to. It doesn’t really smell like much now, kind of a slight blend of cocoa and shea; nice and natural.
Hi militza, I have just very little resources around me and the climate is a bit too hot.I was wwondering if I could use shea butter avocado oil,coconut oil, few vitamin e caps and lemon juice for scent.I dont wnna get darker, I hope this won’t tone my skin colour down.
Using citrus oils and juice can cause very bad sunburn and it can really damage your skin. So unless you only use it before you go to bed, you shouldn’t add lemon juice
Hi Cheryl! Lemon juice wont work here because oil and water don’t mix, plus it would decrease the shelf life. Try using an essential oil to scent – but yes, many citrus oils are not safe with sun exposure. You can try mandarin or grapefruit.
HELP!!!!!! I have made body butter a few times, but did not re-read directions today. I put ALL the ingredients together. I did not melt the shea and coconut oil first before adding oils. Is my batch wrecked???? It’s on the stove right now! Hoping for a reply ASAP. Thanks!
Hi Brenda! How did it turn out? This recipe is pretty forgiving – and after you make it – you can actually remelt it and adjust if needed: add more solid butter to make it thicker or add more oil to thin it out.
Hope it worked out for you 🙂
Thanks militza!!would try it out soon and give a feedback.My only fear is getting darker.
I have recently started to purchase clinical grade essential oils and would love to make my own body butter and soaps. I live in Canada does anyone know the best places to buy the butter and oils from? Purest grade possible
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after looking at a few of the articles I
realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly happy I discovered
it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!
I just made a batch using coconut oil and cocoa butter. Amazing! I added a couple of drops of an essential oil mix I use as perfume. The smell is phenomenal! So creamy, too!
Hi Radonna! Love it!! so happy to hear it 🙂
I made this today and I’m really glad I did. Like she says it goes on greasy but your body soaks it up. I love it and I will continue to make it.
Hi Jacki! I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for writing in 🙂
Hi Militza 🙂 ,
I have made this and just love it, I added some sweet orange EO and it smells like one of those chocolate covered oranges_ yum! I would also like to say I love the fact you include your recipes in the email I receive _ so convenient. Thanks so much for sharing such wonderful things 🙂 .
Hi Donna!
Orange sounds amazing!! Thanks for the feedback, thats really helpful to know 🙂
Loving the updated recipe 🙂
sign me up for the free fresh stat my email mojisola420 @gmail.com
I made the recipe and all went good but when it cooled down it became very hard. still when i apply on the skin it will melt easily. Should it stay creamy and fluffy or hard. What to do? I love to make it again cause it is supper easy. One last thing , can i add some vit E capsules? thank u.
Hi! I’m glad you gave the recipe a go 🙂 You can play with using different butters that are less hard, like shea would be lovely. Also, if you’re using something like shea, you won’t need to melt it – in a large bowl you can add in your oils, shea and whip it straight away.
Yes, adding a vit E capsule would be great for your skin and for protecting the oils. Keep playing with it 🙂
Hi Mary, Mine also came out so hard I couldn’t get it off the beaters 🙁 so I re melted and added about 1 oz of Almond oil and that did the trick 🙂 .
Hi
I want to make home made cream recipe from Coco+ Shea butter+argan oil please send me the recipe
Thank u
Hi Rahul – try 2 tablespoon of cocoa butter, 4 tablespoon shea butter and 2 tablespoon of argan oil 🙂
Hi! I have a question. I made a body butter from a different site using Shea, cocoa, coconut, and avocado as liquid choice. When I started whipping it became hardI had to add extra oil just to get it to whip. once I whipped my butter, the next day it was hard. Melted after a few seconds of rubbing on my hands. Is there a successful way to add water to make it more like a stiff lotion? I used avocado oil to thin out out?? but it is greasy and I don’t want to add more oil.
Hi Carmen! Where I live it’s HOT all day, every day – so I use a higher percentage of cocoa butter to help my butter stay hard. Depending on the temperature of where you live – it can come out very different. If it’s cold where you live, the butters will harden.
I get what you mean about not wanting to add more oil. You might stick with softer butters, like just shea. If the coconut oil hardens in room temperature where you live, you might want to swap that out too.
Yes! You can blend in water – but this becomes lotion making and you’ll need to add an emulsifier (like beeswax) to bind the oil and water. The making process is a lot like making mayonnaise!
I recommend that you look into my online course – where we learn how to make oils and blend up body butter, spray on moisturisers and balms. Here’s the link: https://littlegreendot.com/product/simplify-skin-workshop/
hope that helps!!
Militza xx
[…] Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe with Coconut Oil … – This homemade whipped body butter recipe is pure gold, and you’re going to love what it does for your skin! Learn what to buy & how to make it yourself! […]
Hi! I live in Singapore as well, and am struggling with purchasing ingredients, would you pls share where to purchase Cocoa butter in Singapore pls? thanks for the amazing recipes!
Amazon is where I get mine.
Hi Cheryl, you can find cocoa butter in any good baking supplies store, like Bake King in Singapore. But if you are buying more than 1 or 2 ingredients at a time, you should check out iHerb. They ship from the US with free shipping over $40.
I have collected all of my kitchen pantry essentials with links to the exact products I use here: https://littlegreendot.com/essentials/
Let me know how it works out for you!
Militza Xx
Hi Cheryl! I hear you! Try Real Food, give them a call – they stocked Big Tree Farms cocoa butter (which is the BEST!) Otherwise, you can order online from Redmart (which is SO convinient!)
Real Food: http://www.realfoodgrocer.com/
Redmart: https://redmart.com/product/baking-blocks-cocoa-butter–88782
We use Cocoa Butter in my new Spring Guide, so when you get your hands on the cocoa butter – they’ll be some good recipes in there for you too!
>> https://littlegreendot.com/product/simplify-skin-seasons-spring/
Hope you find it!! 🙂
I am looking for jars/containers to store homemade body butter in. Does anyone know where I can find them? I have found 11/2 oz and smaller but I would like larger ones.
Hi Shar, if you’re a regular Amazon shopper, I have created a whole post about how to bottle and store your homemade natural skincare products. You can read it here: https://littlegreendot.com/bottle-diy-skincare/
I’ve included Amazon links that go directly to the same bottles I use. They’ve all been tested and loved by me ☺️
If you’re in Singapore and looking for bottles, check out the following links:
* https://littlegreendot.com/marketplace/hands-on/
* https://littlegreendot.com/marketplace/where-can-you-buy-mason-jars-in-singapore/
Let me know if this is useful!!
I want to give it try, please can I add lemon essential oil to my butter or which oil is good for my skin I’m fair and I don’t want to dark
Hi! Aw, good! I’m so glad you’re giving it a go! Yes, lemon is fabulous but, I would only use the butter at night – those citrus oils and sunlight don’t mix well on our skin! It can cuase some skin damage. But at night, no worries – your skin will feel yummy and you’ll smell fresh and lovely!!
Do you like lavender? It’s something that I’ve been using a lot for the new Spring Guide – and it’s an amazing essential for all skin types. It’s like a first-aid-in-a-bottle – that takes really good care of your skin! You can wear it day and night!
Here’s the link to the Spring Guide: https://littlegreendot.com/product/simplify-skin-seasons-spring/
THank You!!!! I finished my first batch and am making my second. It is wonderful and I have found that it is not only a great moisturizer but also a great sunscreen. I was recently in Florida visiting a friend after our cold winter. She mentioned how cocoa butter and coconut oil are natural sunscreens. I looked it up and sure enough, they are. I have been slathering up with your recipe and I am not getting burnt. 2 in 1 – moisture and natural sunscreen. Love it!!
Hi Tracy – that’s so fantastic to hear! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!!
hi, please as African, can this recipe be applicable and how do we get the ingredients in Nigeria.
Hi Mara,
I hope it’s not too late to respond.
You can check http://www.youraurora.co.uk/2093-2/
There’s a list of websites to source these ingredients & utensils in Nigeria and beyond. Happy shopping
You can easily get them in my area. Email me for more details. [email protected]
Lovely! Are the measurements after oils are melted to liquid?
[…] rough on the skin and difficult to apply if not mixed with an oil. After looking for some help on LittleGreenDot.com I started mixing it with virgin olive oil and it’s been making even greater progress! Drying up […]
[…] Source: https://littlegreendot.com/homemade-body-butter-recipe/ […]
[…] to make for sometime. I have wanted to make my own moisturising cream and this natural recipe from Little Green Dot sounded like a quick and simple way to make a moisturising butter from organic ingredients. I used […]
I want to try out this body buter recipe but would like to add oils for skin brigtening/glowing, Im an african and the sun makes skin darker
Please help with correct quantity
Sweet almond oil
Pure frankincense essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Carrot seed oil
Pure cold pressed rosehip oil
Mulberry extract
Papaya extract- qty
Or
Papaya seed oil – qty
Question 2
Is it necessary to add phenoxy ethanol as preservatives . if yes qty
Question 3 – do I need any frangrance oil?
Im sorry to take your time but I will appreciate your assistance.
Dear Militzia
Love your website and recipe. Would love to talk with you regarding the recipe. I formulated my coconut, Shea butter, Arian oil body butter and unfortunately since coconut oil melts at 76 degrees, that is a problem. I would love some input from you as to formulation. Would very much appreciate whatever assistance you can provide. Many thanks, Sylvia Sharenow
[…] 5. Whipped Butter Recipe […]
[…] https://littlegreendot.com/homemade-body-butter-recipe/ […]
[…] Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe […]
Dear Militzia
Hi, this butter looks divine! going to try this during winters instead of buying lotions and butters from the market. However I have one query, I have a block of Kokum butter at home, can I substitute Cocoa butter. If yes then can you help with quantity?
Hi Nidhi! I haven’t used kokum butter personally, I do know that it’s used often as a cacao butter substitute. Maybe try the same proportions, and remember that climate does effect the outcome. If it’s hot or cold where you live you might get a different result. If your body butter comes out too thin, you can remelt it and add in more kokum butter. If it comes out too hard, you can remelt it and add more oil.
Happy making!!!
I realy need to have more informations about making natural oil skin with cocoa butter because i produse it with beans i hearvest in my farm.i could also help those in need of cool press butter to easily have it at a better price
I’d love to get some from you. Please email me at [email protected]
Really, Info please. Email me at [email protected].
Info please ? [email protected]
Hi there – I made it and my kitchen smells edible! Insanely beautiful smell. I just found it got hard after a bit of sitting. Would you suggest adding more coconut oil? I would take any suggestions.
do you know what the measurements are by weight?
Hi! I have had hits and misses, and found that I like grape seed oil for most of my recipes.
Is it possible to substitute grape seed oil for liquid coconut oil? I realise that it doesn’t whip as well, but for my skin, (aging and dry) i find it absorbs and stays a bit longer.
Thank You!
For all the cold climate people out there I had to add about half a cup of olive oil to make this usable! Damn Wales!
Half a cup of oil wasn’t enough as it soon seized again! Reheated it, added another full cup of olive oil and half a cup of Shea butter and it’s a lot better now, a far lighter whipped body butter. Maybe be worth going for a recipe with more oils/ softer fats if you’re from a colder part of the world like me.
[…] Body butters or bath bombs and bath salts, soap (if you’re really skilled) […]
Hi!
I made my first attempt at this body butter using cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and I added a little aloe. After the melting and cooling process, I added Frankincense, Myrrh, Helichrysum, Lavender & Copaiba. I didn’t have a mixer so I whisked by hand. After a just a few minutes of whisking the mixture began to harden. How can this be corrected? I was afraid to re-melt it as I wouldn’t want to harm the Essential Oil’s properties. SO I transferred the butter into a tub but it is crumbly and hard. Any advice? Thank you!
Lucia
I made this with shea butter and coconut oil. The consistency is perfect and soft but it takes a long time to absorb.
try adding 1 tbsp of cor starch. Makes it less greasy and feels wonderful. I add this right after i pull the melted butter/oil off the heat.
[…] Recipe via littlegreendot […]
I followed the ingredients & directions exactly. Once it was cooled in its storage container, it was more like a greased brick. Definitely not a whipped consistency. I could chip off soap like pieces and that would melt in my hands enough to smooth on my skin. I live in Nj, currently the temps are colder then normal, but my house is kept comfortably warm. Help, I want this to work lol
This works great. I whipped in my kitchen aid mixer for like 5-10 minutes I used even amounts of coconut butter and Shea butter and a tad of almond oil. Scented the butter in small batches different scents.
Mmmm! I want to make it straight away!;) I live in Mauritius, we have good quality local coconut oil, but for cocoa or shea butter need to try find it here…))) Thanks a lot for everything you share with us!!! Just adore all your recepies!
Hi,I’ve been reading comments about the whipped lotion getting hard & disagree with everyone wanting to change it. I live in upstate ny, it’s 0° out, yes my lotion got hard but all u do is take a spoon scoop it out rub in your palm, it melts & then apply to your body, it’s awesome! My skin is soft, smells great, plus coconut oil& cacao butter are so good for your skin. Thank u militzia for the recipe?
Can this be used on your face? Are there any oils that specifically help with skin conditions?(Red, dry, itchy, sore)
A total disaster. Would never whip, no matter what temperature it was at. I added all the coconut oil and all the olive oil in my house and am still sitting here crying as it fails to whip after three days of trying.
The whip comes from the whipping the butters. The more oil you have, the less whip.
Hi,
Are you able to add scents to this?
do you often add scented oils to this?
I. I did. I put a little camomile oil into it and it smells wonderful! I also used infused coconut oil and made my jars medicated.
Whip it up and store it in a timely manner though. I was trying to do 3 things at once and ended up letting it sit too long. Its not whipped but hard. It works, I just think ill do my second batch when in not trying to do a million things at once so it comes out right. I’m 100% it was user error on my part. 🙂
[…] Recipe via littlegreendot […]
Well, I don’t know where I went wrong because I followed the recipe to a “T”. Whipped up fantastic, immediately put it into 2 jars and screwed the lids on tight…. and now its hard again and I can’s scoop it out to use it. The little that was left in the bowl also hardened (it’s been a couple hours) and I had to remelt it a tad to use it. Now I’m sitting here smelling like cocoa butter and shiny and slippery to the point I had to use a paper towel to wipe it off and I’m STILL all greasy. Also, cleaning up the tools used to create product were a pain and a half to get cleaned up. I used Organic Raw Cocoa Butter and Organic Coconut Oil.
Hi Michelle! I totally hear you on the clean-up! That’s just part of the process of making. Hot water and soap does the job nicely though! If it came out too hard, it’ often down to outside temperature. I lived somewhere incredibly hot and humid, so the extra hard-butter held the product together. You can play with the ratio, add more oil than butter to create a softer consistency.
It’s a rich product. Use a little – it goes a long long way. I hope you’re not discouraged from trying again, because when it comes together – it’s beautiful and lush and makes your skin feel incredible. But either way thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks for this article.
I supply Organic Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and other Organic products in large and small quantity.
Kindly I will like to go into production of body butter since I have the real deal in my care and also to take some of my clients who may be interested true the process. Kindly advise. thanks
Where did you purchase ypur bain-marie?
Hi Nikka! i’m not sure anymore of where I specifically bought the set, but you’ll find it online, Amazon. Also in home good stores, in the kitchenware section. You can also set a metal bowl over a pot. If you have a heat-resistant glass container, you can also set that in. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi! Does this recipe fit a 100g container? Hoping for a response. Thanks!
Hi! I stay in a hot country but inside its all very cold (air conditioner) so do i need to tweak the recipe? Also instead of freezing butter after melting, why are we not letting it cool naturally?
Hi! It’s best to freeze the butter quickly, so that it doesn’t become grainy. Which, just incase – if that does happen, where it forms little grains, it doesn’t degrade the final product at all! You can still use it 🙂
Can I use olive oil instead?
Was wondering if we can add any scented oils such as lavender lemon citronella?
Thank you so much for this article. Actually, this article is so attractive for all. Body lotion are most important for body skin care. I think this article is better than another article.
Do all body butters have a shelf life of about 3 months?
Hi Manu! They can actually last well up to 6 months to 1 year – I tend to try to use up my homemade products within 3 months, so it’s fresh and I’m not worried about contamination.
I made the recipe 60/40 as suggested but it’s as hard as a brick and unuseable. Any suggestions to make it more user friendly?
Hi Deb! You can always gently remelt the body butter and add more oil to thin out the consistency. The recipe was developed in a very hot country, so the higher ratio of hard butter, hold the butter together in very hot weather. When we’re using only butters and oils – so beeswax – you may find that our environment makes a big difference, where the product can harden or melt. Keep playing, it’s not a mistake, its just learning what will work best for you!
I use the exact same combo with added olive oil and use for both body and hair.❤️ Amazaballs
Hi, I live in the Caribbean so its hot alot all of the time and inside is even hotter. I made a recipe from another site, it was 5 tablespoons of Shea butter, 2 tablespoons Rice barn oil( the recipe called for another type of oil, but this is the one I had, and essential oil. It whipped beautifully, the texture was amazing and smelled yummy (strawberry oil). But then after a couple of hours it became stiff, it melted instantly when applied but it lost that wonder whipped texture and look. I am going to try your recipe this week end and would let you know how it turns out. I am absolutely looking for consistency in keeping the whipped look and feel.
Hi there!
I find I get tiny, stone like lumps through the butter. I usually only notice it the day after when I apply it. It’s not s huge problem, but it doesn’t look as nice. Do you know what might cause this?
The little lumps are the cocoa butter re-forming. The very reason I looked for a recipe that showed how to stop it doing that. So I guess I need to keep looking. I thought perhaps the whipping would do it. But mine re-separated too. ( its happened alot in my own trials) nothing wrong with using it. It will melt with a little attention. I just wanted a recipe to give away & lumps are not ok .
Re everyone else’s getting hard… its the temperature where you are. Coconut oil also sets . Try a liquid virgin oil . Olive , rice , rapeseed . All good . They help keep it softer . I do not know if it will whip up . Or be a thick cream .
Thank you so very, very much for your kindness on sharing your brilliant recipes with all of us!
You make it so easy and simple but at the same time it’s so healthy that makes anyone do it.
Thanks again, ls
Wonderful! I love this recipe.
I made this today: it’s divine! I love that this recipe is vegan and all natural, and I might even make this a Christmas present. It does take a while for the skin to absorb the butter, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with lazying around in your bathing rope in the meantime. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hey I’m trying to use this recipe but I don’t know which is the best brand of products to use. It sounds like your finished product turned out great can you provide me with any suggestions?
Hi! I would say more than the brand – what will make your body butter come out great is taking into account the temperature and environment where you live. This particular recipe is high in cocoa butter, which is a very hard butter – because I live in a tropical environment and I used a hard butter to give that rich consistency that holds its shape and not melt. Right not its summer, but if it were cold where you live, this may come out too solid for you. So the type of butter (ex: shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter) and the proportion of oil to butter is what will make the biggest difference for you, rather than the brand. That said, I use two suppliers for my butter: Mountain Rose Herbs and Better Shea Butter. For coconut oil, I always use supermarket oil. PS: If for any reason, the recipe comes out too hard or too soft – you can remelt the whole thing and readjust and whip it again!
Hi there,
This recipe sounds wonderful! A lot of folks are commenting on how hard the finished product is afterward. I was wondering if you can use fractionated coconut oil instead? Would that make it more lotion-y and less firm? I’ve never made a butter before, so I’m curious! Thanks!
Hi did you ever get a response I’d you can use fractionated oil?
Hi :)…
In all my experience, liquid coconut oil or fractionated , it shouldn’t make a didference, you would just be leaving out some benefits of the raw cold pressed butter is how I’m thinking? . If it’s too hard to ever beat, remedy with added amount of , I love macadamia nut oil… whatever you like … adjust accordingly lol I will try it 😉 good luck 🙂
Aside from coconut oil, I also added a little bit of carrot oil. Hope i have not messed up the butter?
[…] Homemade Nutella (without palm oil and its deforestation, and the taste is incredible!); and this Homemade whipped body butter is to die for. Last year I made salted caramel pralines, which turned out way easier than it […]
I mixed shae butter with cocoa butter pellets, i used a teaspoon of 3 diff. Carrier oils whipped and melted 7 times according to recipes . I had to leave so put saled lid on pyrex bowl and came home it was hard as a rock. Had to start all over with teaspoon of oils instead. Does added carrier oils harden the butter. This one is better but still not as soft as should be.
Hi so I made my body butter using coconut oil and coco butter and it keeps getting hard on me! What can I do to stop this?
Hello, I followed your recipe but I used $100% argan oil and unrefined shea butter. For some reason my body butter whipped up nicely but it didn’t take it long to melt. Any advice?
Try adding either more shea or just a bit of beeswax to solidify it a bit.
[…] for making your own combinations of these to find the perfect match for, there are great options on Little Green Dot and […]
Followed the recipe to the T and the Body Butter is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing, I am absolutely obsessed!
Hey what brands do you purchase for this recipe ?
If I don’t launder my clothes after using the body butter, after a couple weeks, the clothes smell like rancid oil. Do you ever use any kind of preservative? Any other suggestions?
Add some vitamin E oil.
How to softing shea butter for lotion.
I made it but it melted after a few minute. Is there anything that I can do to keep it from liquefying in room temperature
[…] for another option, as I am in need of more supply (I always give lots of it away!), and found this super simple recipe from Little Green Dot. I decided to make a batch, in addition to more of mine, in order to compare. After 20 mins in […]
followed the recipe to a T and it whipped up perfectly but the next day it was hard. Did not put it in a cool place was in my bathroom in a glass jar covered.
Love this simple recipe! Most people forget to add in where you live!!! Also, if it gets hard it’s because of the Cocoa butter. you can try melting it back down just until melted as to not kill important beneficial factors and add some more oil to it. I like Jojoba or Sweet almond oil. Or try 50% cocoa butter and 50% oil. Hope this helps the next person!
Cocoa butter is a hard butter. That’s why I do not use it as a main body butter ingredient. I prefer Shea or mango butters and add a small amount of cocoa butter in as a secondary butter in addition to the liquid oils.
I’ve made this and it whipped up beautifully, and then moments later, was hard again while scooping it into tin. Am I whipping it too long maybe? It’ll still work, but not as nicely 🙁
Yeap,spot on! I use this for years. I make it using 50% raw cacao butter, 30% coconut oil,15% shea butter and the rest of 5% argan oil and essential oils for fragrance. It’s pure heaven…It has to be kept in a cool place,under 23-24 degrees Celsius, to preserve its soft and creamy texture.
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I like the sound of this recipe. I don’t like shea butter, so I’m going to try mango butter.
Thanks.
I hope you can help me. I’m new to all this and have a problem. I’m one of those people that dislikes chocolate and the batch I made works well but to me, it’s not at all pleasant. I can smell the cocoa butter, is there something else I can use? I used lavender oil to try and mask the cocoa butter smell and it didn’t work. I gave it all to friends and want to make some more for me, any ideas? thanks
I like chocolate, but do not choose to smell like it. They have organic deodorized or semi-deodorized cocoa butters out there that have very little to no smell. Just search online.
Hi you can use kokum butter instead of cooa butter and it has no smell, allowing you to use essetial oils to fragrance it as you like
Hi Joan! I totally hear you, not everyone loves the idea of smelling like a chocolate bar! 🙂 You can use refined cocoa, if you like the texture/feel of cocoa butter, but not the scent. Or, you can swap out the cocoa butter completely and use other butters like shea + mango butter. That said Shea can also have a strong scent… mango butter has a very neutral scent.
Now i have found SHEA BUTTER POWDER!!!
How do i make that in a facial cream??
try citrus or something earthy like rosewood
you can use shea butter and then add your favorite essentials
Yes! Shea butter is fantastic in this recipe. And yes to essential oils – it should be enjoyable for you to use!
lovely recipie, like it a lot, managed to make it as I didnt leave long enough in the freezer to cool, so had to add some cornstarch to help it thicken, seems to have done the trick – thank you
Where do you purchase cocoa butter and what kind does everyone recommend?
Hi Chritine! You might find cocoa butter in a health food store, or the healthy section of the supermarket. Its often with raw cocoa powder, and superfood powders… The brand that I often see in supermarkets in Nativas Organics, you can also find them online or on Amazon.
I did sweet almond oil and shea butter. I am really surprised at how the shea butter smells ? but I can always use a little bit fragranced lotion to mix in until I can get some essential oils but so far I like it.
I have made this handmade lotion with same process as I followed you can you tell me why its not like other lotion I mean to say as its bit semi solid. correct me if I am wrong here.
I just got through making it I love it how ever mind got solid before I can put it into a jar so my question is that I whip it too long only a couple of minutes
I’m curious & would like 2 learn more about making lotion… different recipes & etc…
Homemade Whipped Body Butter
I have made this twice now and both times, the butter does not stay in the “whipped” state and goes solid. Is this correct? Also, I have added essential oils prior to whipping but the butter does not smell of the oils when finished whipping? When I have purchased whipped body butters in the past they are softer than the ones I have made. Any tips on why and how to overcome this? Many thanks
try waiting until your butter is cooled from the freezer and then adding your essential oils before whipping.
This was so easy and it turned out amazing. I used refined cocoa butter and added a few drops of vitamin e oil and some essential oils when it had cooled a bit, mixed that in and popped it in the freezer. Blended it in a old electric stand mixer with the beater attachments and oh my, I love this stuff. 🙂
I’ve tried a few recipes and this is by far the easiest. Mixture of 2/3 Shea Butter, 1/3 Cacao Butter, and 1/4 cup Almond Oil turned out perfect. I would shorten the freezer time if using Shea Butter it hardens quite quick. I even use this in Costa Rica during the dry season, and yes y’all should visit there.
This body butter recipe sounds fantastic! I have been reading about DMAE and vitamin C serum. Could I include those in this type of recipe?
Hello,
I love how thick the final product looks once it was done. All I have at the moment is Mango, Cocoa and Shea butter, avocado oil and sweet almond oil. What is the best combo to get the same thick texture you did?
I made cocoa butter coconut butter whipped body cream which was whipped but when went to use it later it had hardened where did I go wrong ??
I made this using shea butter and almond oil. It turned out well, with a good consistency. But when I use it on my skin, all I feel is greasy with dry skin underneath all the oil. It doesn’t all soak in, and it makes me worried about it ruining my clothes and sheets. I wish I liked it better, because it is so simple and easy to make.
Hi Brooke! I have two tips for you: apply the butter onto slightly damp (not wet skin) after you shower. Wet skin soaks in the oils better. Also, next time you make a body butter – you might look at trying a different oil, like grapeseed. Almond is higher in oleic acid, it has a richer consistency – whereas grapeseed soaks in faster and lighter… I hope that helps.
Thanks for the tip!
Pretty good, though I had a tough time scraping it off the spatulas, whisks and bowls because it melted when I touched it…
Overall though, super easy and quick to make, thanks!
I bought a bag of raw cocoa butter on Amazon to use for stretch mark prevention during my pregnancy, but I had no idea how to use it. I looked up other recipes and they all contained other ingredients that I didn’t have on hand so I ended up using this one (Cocoa butter and sweet almond oil). Mine ended up great! I didn’t measure anything and just eyeballed it. Ended up having to add more cocoa butter but I just popped it in the microwave to melt since I had already cleaned the bowl for the double boiler. Mine didn’t freeze so well in the freezer (which is when I added more cocoa butter), so I immersed my container in an ice bath and used my handheld blender and voila! Whipped, chocolatey-smelling goodness. To those saying it’s too greasy, it’s BUTTER and OIL. Dont compared it to chemical filled, lab made, drug store lotion. Don’t go overboard and it eventually soaks into your skin and you smell yummy. And just FYI, mine took a while took fully harden, so it’s probably better to go a little looser than harder when making. That will also help to those saying it hardened.
Hello, thank you for the recipe. After you whip the two together, how do you store it? And does it stay go back to a solid or remain whipped? I would love it to remain whipped as I have been heating my cocoa butter each morning by microwave and oh, I don’t like that. the idea of whipped butter to use is heavenly. Thank you
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!
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.
I made this the other day and added Lavender Essential Oil, and a touch of Lavender color… YUMMY and so soft
I made it for myself but my husband enjoys it
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.. 🙂
Amazing! I will never go back to buying lotion/body butter!
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!
Hi Militza! Thank you so much for explaining it to me! I am so sorry because I didn’t mean to come across as rude but thank you so much for the advice! I’m not really good at DIY’S but I will surely take your advice and try it again! Thanks you so much Militza!
Hi Militza! Thank you so much for explaining it to me! I am so sorry because I didn’t mean to come across as rude but thank you so much for the advice! I’m not really good at DIY’S but I will surely take your advice and try it again! Thanks you so much Militza!
Hello! So I have a question. I came across this recipe after I screwed up another recipe. I used to make this baby lotion with 1/4 c coconut oil and 1/4 c of cocoa butter, but I recently realized it was not pure cocoa butter in solid form. So this time I made the same recipe, but I quadrupled it (using the raw cocoa butter instead) So after I take it out of the freezer, it goes back to liquid again. I only have 1 more cup of cocoa butter. Should I melt that in to the 1 c of cocoa butter and 1 c of Coconut oil and add some beeswax? Because if I had followed your recipe I would have needed 1 c of coconut oil to 3 c of cocoa butter. I’m just wondering if I lost all of it ?
I have just made a batch for myself, i have extremely dry eczema so i made it with shea and avocado oil. It’s so nourishing! Now i am going to make batches for presents! Thank you! 🙂 Any other tips for red, dry and sore eczema would be much appreciated!
Hi Charlotte.
Just a quick reply to you requesting tips for eczema. I have suffered from severe eczema for many years and then my son started getting it once he started eating solid foods… Long story short. For us it was dairy! Even though we both had allergy tests and dairy did not come up. You have to be extremely diligent. Read all the labels and make absolutely sure you are not having any. After about 3 to 4 weeks your skin will improve to the point where you get rid of it completely. My son to this day cannot have dairy. A pizza here and there is fine. A pizza and an ice cream. And he starts to itch that day. As a result we both have gone vegan.
Thank you for getting back to me! I have actually always been dairy free because of my skin and would have the occasional dairy as a treat but I turned completely vegan in September and haven’t turned back! It helps but I still get some really bad flare ups
Hello, your recipe looks great and cannot wait to try it! I have one question though; I am moving to Malaysia where the weather is obviously quite hot and I was wondering whether I should keep in in the freezer (maybe in the ice cube tray?) as I am afraid it would just be all liquid and wouldn’t preserve well. Thanks a lot in advance! 🙂
the recipe works great! i just wish i would have made the realization before making it that i cannot wear it all the time, i have a few dogs and they love to lick anything off your legs no matter what lotion it is they are all over it and i made the recipe with cocoa butter not realizing it’s cocoa which has theobromine just like chocolate does so if they consume it it could make them very sick i just wish i would have realized that before i made it case it’s so amazing
I made it and it was the highlight of my day. Heavenly. Thank you!
This is my first time trying your recipe. Love it. I’m going to share the butter I made with family. Thanks.
I wanted to make a body butter to sell on my website the reviews on this one was great will it be safe for shipping? Will it hold up?
Hi Mariah! Cocoa butter is great because it does hold up well in the heat. But, it is a little more “greasy” feeling if you add too much – so finding that right ratio is going to be key. I suggest that you play with the recipe and make your body butter. Package it, and box it as you would for shipping – and leave it outside in the hot for a day and then open it up and see how it held up. And also use this as an opportunity to engage your customers. You might send out a newsletter asking for research volunteers – to be part of the development of this new product. Send them a free sample to get that direct feedback about how it held up in travel, how it felt on the skin. And this will give you testimonials before you even launch it on your site! But also – body butters and balms are known to melt in transit, I’ve consulted for top natural brands and it happens to them all the time! So a lot of it is about educating your customers about the nature of natural ingredients.
Hi there – just came across this recipe whilst looking for a Non-Shea butter alternative. My son has a severe anaphylaxis allergy to various tree nuts and peanuts. I’d like to know if I want to add an oil scent into the butter what could I use and how much? (ie: rose scent or orange etc)
Would it be possible to just melt the oils in the microwave?
you rather not. Making a boddy butter is all about natural ways to find a skin care, microwave add radiation to it
Microwaving no more adds “radiation” to this than it does to your cup o’ noodles. Imo, the main reason to melt slowly over steam would be the consistency. In a double boiler, one can stir almost constantly and achieve even, and slow, thorough melting/heating.
If you stir it every fifteen seconds, the microwave method produces similar results.
Go to the FDA’s website and look up microwave radiation, if you don’t believe me.
I’d forever want to be update on new articles on this
web site, bookmarked!
Can I had essential oils. I have a concoction that takes my pain away but am looking for a base
I just made this and it was whipped and silky when I packaged it. A half hour later it’s hard as a rock again. 🙁 What did I do wrong??
Hi Gracie! You didn’t do anything wrong! Cocoa butter is a very hard butter – if it feels rock hard you can remelt the whole thing, add more oil and then re-harden, re-whip. I created this recipe when I lived in Bali, a very hot and humid environment and cocoa butter helped the body butter stay thick and solid. You can also use mango butter or shea butter, which are softer butters 🙂
Hey – I live in canada and I am hoping to use this for the winter. Do you have an suggestion on the proportion because coconut oil does get very solid during winter.
I followed your ratios of coco butter to coconut oil and it has set as hard as a rock!! Remelted and added some more oil and still as hard as a rock!! Temperature of my house is around 21 degrees c. Time to remelt and try again!
If you are finding that it is setting hard, chances are you should move to a full liquid oil like almond or grapeseed.
I am unable to view all the comments on my matchbook with safari 🙁
Please can it be used on face? Heard coconut oil clogs pore
Can use jojoba oil in place of coconut. Jojoba oil is great to put on hair, face, and body!
yes you can i did and it came out fine!
What to do when the whipped moisturizer hardens?
how can you make it less oily??? my skin is so greasy
Hi !! Try adding a little water
U can’t put water in that unless ur using a preservative it will almost instantly have mold
Use a lil but of arrow root powder, water won’t mix with oil anyway, don’t listen to her
You can’t. You’re using OILS AND BUTTERS. they’re greasy by definition. My skin is oily as well. I’ve never broken out from shea butter, almond oil or grapeseed oil. Don’t put this recipe on your face, just your body. I’m not a fan of coconut oil for this reason, I don’t like breaking out. Coconut oil isn’t non comedogenic. I’ve been making my own beauty products for years, I stay away from coconut oil. Try using shea butter and grapeseed oil and melt those down then whip up same way. This you can use sparingly on your face, just a dab and rub up!
Try adding arrowroot or cornstarch
Absolutely amazing and easy to make, I used yellow shea butter, coconut oil and about 2 tablespoons of bio oil.
This is a nice butter but don’t put this on the face! Shea butter is okay for the face, surprisingly enough (it’s non comedogenic) and does wonders for the skin. Almond oil and grapeseed oil are both supposed to be fine for the face as well. Yes it’s greasy, it doesn’t mean it clogs pores BUT COCONUT OIL IS NOT FOR THE FACE. IT’S NOT non comedogenic.
Has anyone tried adding tapioca starch/flour to the cream to make it less oily? I’ve read about this and wondered if it would even improve the recipe? 🙂
Hello! I’ve been sourcing Shea butter and carrier oils directly from the source in West Africa, and purchasing Essentials on Amazon to homemade body butter. I was wondering if there’s any tip on how to make facial cream. I have a dry body skin, and an oily face-therefore my mixtures are not good for the face due to grease.
I’m an esthetician. If your skin is oily. You need an oil free moisturizer
For the Queen that says she has oily skin … you may want to go with grapeseed oil which is for oily skin and then use 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder but PLEASE Do Not use water… NoNoNo… I hope this was helpful
Hi! I’m starting a small business. I’m wondering if whipped body butter will melt during shipping, and if it will melt.. can I add beeswax to semi harden the texture of the whipped body butter?
Hi, did you figure out what to do? I’m starting a small business too 🙂
How do I keep cocoa butter from solidifying. After about a week after making a cream wi cocoa butter, oils and tallow I start to notice little grains of cocoa butter, so I have to remelt. I know it’s the cocoa butter because this is a new recipe. Help please! Thank you Billie
I’m going to make this for Christmas gifts. Can I add a few drops of essential oil after the butter/oil has melted?
Hi Mary! Yes, you can add essential oils – that would be really nice. If you are using unrefined cacao, note that the scent of chocolate is strong and you’ll want an oil that compliments that. I recommend that you test the recipe in a small batch to get a feel for the ratio (of hard butter to oil) cacao is quite hard and if it’s very cold where you live, the body butter will harden up.
Happy holidays!
Militza
How much essential oil would be a safe amount for this recipe?
I used coconut oil and cocoa butter but closer to a 6:4 ratio (more coconut oil than cocoa butter…or I didn’t actually measure) and added castor oil and lavender EO. I don’t find whipping necessary, as it liquifies in the summer and resets as a flat butter. I love it though, and it’s helped a little with reigning in my acne outbreaks. Two warts even disappeared after a ~week of nightly use!
I’ve tried it twice but it keeps getting hard when it’s in the jar. What am I doing wrong?
I made this as presents for Christmas 2019, and in 2020, it became my “go to hand cream” when we started washing our hands and using so much alcohol gel due to Covid. The skin on my hands started cracking and breaking badly, almost like eczema even-though I don’t suffer from that. I tried so many other remedies, even reluctantly a steroid cream prescribed by the doctor, all of which didn’t help. In the end, using this homemade butter, applying onto damp hands did the trick. Now I only use this for moisturising hands and body and give it as gifts to all my friends and family, many of whom also have sworn by it’s greatness! I used a coconut oil and shea butter combination with lavender and rosemary essential oils, which melts beautifully in your hand, but also is thick and luxurious. It also seems to keep for far longer than 3 months, providing it’s kept well out of any direct sunlight.
Thank you for sharing! I’ve just bought the book and look forward to making more of my own skincare products!
Could a fragrance be added to the whipped butter butter?
i made this recipe but the body butter goes hard and not feel whipped … How to solve this problem please ??
same thing happened to me and I tried making it two separate times, I might melt the batch I made and add a lot more coconut oil to it because I don’t want to waste it but I barely use it because it’s hard to use!
best shea butter ever! I ate a bit of it though and I strongly advise against that. :/
I love how this body butter whips up into nice light peaks. I want to know how I can prevent it from melting during shipping. Any thoughts please?
Way to hard! In fact, do hard, I can’t even put my hands in it! Do you have a better recipe for this combination?
Hi Tasha! This particular recipe has a lot of cocoa butter – which is a very hard butter – it’s ideal for hot environments.
If your body butter is really hard – you can use it as a lotion bar! You can also remelt the whole thing – add more oil to “thin” it out.
Hello, if I make this whipped… how long does it stay, well, whipped? I get it sits in the jar for a few weeks,
Does it solidify or does the whipping maintain throughout the life of the jar?
Hello, if I make this whipped… how long does it stay, well, whipped? As it sits in the jar for a few weeks,
Does it solidify or does the whipping maintain throughout the life of the jar?
Hi Liss! I’ve found that the butters stay whipped, light and airy as long as it doesn’t become too hot or too cold – which can affect the texture and consistency
I’m in London and as the winter has been very cold I sued a 50-50 split. I used 50% cocoa butter, 25% almond oil and 25% coconut oil – as I don’t like the smell of coconut (sorry I’m one of those few ones!). The recipe works really well and it’s not too solid. The smell of coconut still comes through so I might reduce or even replace coconut completely next time. I also used sweet orange essential oil to bring a nicer scent to my body butter, between 0.5% and 1% of the total volume.
Hi Veronica – thank you for sharing your experience and your ratios! that’s so helpful. Body butters are the kind of recipes that you can spend months perfecting! 🙂 It’s a journey of experimentation, tweaking the ratios until you find the right consistency for you. I love that you approached it that way! Thank you for sharing this
Hi there, fantastic recipe! Im wondering if using this cocoa body butter before bed will attract cockroaches into my bedroom? Thanks!
I don’t know if cocoa butter will attract cockroaches, but if you have a cockroach problem you should pick yourself up a bag of diatomaceous earth from the hardware store. It is non-toxic and pet and child friendly. You can sprinkle it on your floors and it will kill them when they touch it or you can mix it with flour and sugar and they will take it back to their nest and kill the rest of them.
I would like to try shea butter for my strechmarks
Please recommend me a rrecipe to lighten my scars
This is really informative information!! Thanks for sharing this!!
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Thank you for the recipe. I made it and it made 2 jars. It’s hot this side so keep it in the refrigerator. The other jar I placed in the freezer. When the jar finished I placed the other in the refrigerator. It seems fine besides a bit grainy like when you freeze ice cream and it does that. It smells different. More like a cream smell…makes no sense but it smells stronger than my first jar. Is there a problem with freezing a jar then using it later.
I am ordering the oil to try this recipe. I was searching for an organic lotion and landed on your site. SO AMAZING!
Can I use regular butter instead of shea, mango or cocoa butter?