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
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
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
i made this recipe but the body butter goes hard and not feel whipped … How to solve this problem please ??
Could a fragrance be added to the whipped butter butter?
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!
I’ve tried it twice but it keeps getting hard when it’s in the jar. What am I doing wrong?
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’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?
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
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?
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
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.
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? :)
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.
Absolutely amazing and easy to make, I used yellow shea butter, coconut oil and about 2 tablespoons of bio oil.
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
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?
I am unable to view all the comments on my matchbook with safari :(
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.