Here in Canada, winter has been really long, really cold, and really dry. Moisturizer has been an absolute necessity. But good moisturizers are expensive. And cheap moisturizers are not good for your skin and can leave you feeling sticky and not very moisturized.
You all know I love a good DIY. So I decided to make my own body butter recipe. That way, I could save money and take care of my skin. If you’ve never heard of this product before, don’t worry. I’m going to answer the question, “so, what is body butter anyway?” Plus, I’m going to share the best essential oils for skin to make this body butter recipe totally customizable.
I love making my own products because I can control exactly what goes into my body butter recipe, so I know I’m only using great products that will banish this winter dryness. So if you too need some moisturizing help, read on.
What is Body Butter?
Body butter is an amazing, moisturizing, and natural product that’s great for your skin. Like lotion, it is nourishing and moisturizing. But there are some key differences between moisturizer and body butter.
Body butter is usually thicker than moisturizer, and it contains a blend of natural butters. Shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut butter are the most common natural butters used in body butters.
Body butter also usually contains natural oils, including essential oils. These are deeply moisturizing, and they smell great. So when your skin is crying out, “help me, help me!” body butter is an absolute lifesaver.
Body Butter Recipe
This body butter recipe has been my go-to this past winter, and I want to share it with all of you. Remember, DIY products are totally customizable, so if you don’t have coconut oil or you don’t like shea butter, feel free to swap them out with a different butter or oil that you do like.
If you find this body butter thick, add a little liquid. Or, if it’s too thin, add less liquid next time or a little bit more arrowroot powder or corn starch. And you will need an electric handheld mixer or standing mixer for this recipe.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup shea butter
- ⅓ cup cocoa butter wafers
- ⅓ cup jojoba oil
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 5 – 10 drops essential oil (optional)
How to Make DIY Body Butter
- Melt the coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter over low heat (preferably in a double boiler). These oils are sensitive, so make sure to stir often and keep that heat low!
- Remove your mixture from the heat and add jojoba oil and your essential oil(s), if using. Mix this well until it’s blended.
- Pour your mixture into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator. If you have a standing blender, use its bowl as you will be blending this later. You want to chill this until it’s solid. This should take about two hours.
- Once your mixture is solid, remove the bowl from the fridge and use your mixer to whip. You’ll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add your arrowroot powder or corn starch and continue to whip your body butter until it’s light, white, and airy, about 7-10 minutes.
- When you’ve achieved the desired consistency, transfer your body butter to a glass jar. Store it in a cool, dry place, and it will keep for up to six months.
Best Essential Oils for Skin
You can use any essential oils you like for this body butter recipe, but I recommend using an essential oil that’s good for your skin. Here are my favorites.
Lavender: The soothing scent of lavender is thought to have antibacterial properties. It may prevent inflammation and soothe the skin.
Eucalyptus: This essential oil is thought to fight inflammation and promote healing. It’s often used in skincare products.
Orange: This bright citrus oil is thought to promote clarity and help your skin feel bright and fresh.
Play around with this recipe a few times to decide with essential oil you like best in your body butter. And if you’re new to essential oils, read Everything You Need to Know About Cleaning with Essential Oils for a full rundown of what they are, how to buy them, and how to use them.
DIY Body Butter
Making your own body butter is so easy! And it’s more affordable than a lot of expensive moisturizers. If you try this out, leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
And if you love DIY like me, be sure to check out 5 DIY Essential Oil Recipes and Clean Your Whole Home for $7.25 With These DIY Cleaning Products. And for my best DIY recipes, sign up for The Dirty Dish! That’s my newsletter, where I send you exclusive cleaning content for free, including lots of DIY recipes and other great tips.
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[…] DIY Body Butter Recipe: Natural Skin Care […]
This is so awesome and so helpful, especially for those who love DIYs and knowing what ingredients are in their beauty and skincare. Keep up the great work!
What does the starch do? I usually just do the coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter melted together in the microwave. Is the starch for making it whip up better?
Starch helps cut down the grease, so it doesn’t feel too oily on your skin.
Unfortunately our house was foreclosed on, and we could not even buy help to help us move, needless to say we had to leave so many things behind including heirloom things, memories of marriage etc.! So my blender, and smoothie maker was left. I’ve never owned The great mixer you share in the video, Is there any other way to make the body butter? I kid you not, when I take my clothing off, it actually snows flakes all over my body, thank goodness it’s not on my face, but my husband for the last year, gets super red and lasts for hours, as well as weird flaky skin, he does have dandruff, and unfortunately it is going on his eyebrows as well! I don’t know if it’s coming from the scalp, no I actually think it’s coming from the skin under his eyebrows literally in the eyebrows, we are not able to go to dermatologist right now, so I was wondering if you had any special hints?
thank you so very very much, I have subscribed to you, and may God bless you!🤠🙏❤️
Hi Megan, I’m sorry to hear that. If you and your husband are having a severe skin issue, I would recommend speaking to a medical professional.
Where do you buy the raw ingredients of butters, essential oils, and the other ingredients?
Hi Tina! I usually buy these ingredients at health food stores. You can also order them online, but sometimes online brands aren’t as high-quality as what you can find in a health food store. And it’s nice to have a real salesperson you can ask assistance from if you’re new to essential oils.