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If you’ve ever been frustrated with expensive store-bought lotions or body butters that don’t feel hydrating enough, this body butter recipe is for you. It’s made with 2 simple ingredients and takes about 15 minutes of hands-on effort.
(Plus a little patience while it chills.)
I’ve been making this lotion for over a decade, and as a result, I’ve had lots of opportunity to experiment with it. I’ll share some of the variations I’ve tried, in case you’re curious!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This stuff is AMAZING!! My skin has never felt so soft and it will literally keep my skin hydrated for DAYS! My daughter is very particular about products and has naturally oily skin and she absolutely loves it too. She lets her friends try it and they fall in love. It’s been a huge blessing to us any many others!
I also am so grateful because it’s so affordable and easy to make. It’s one of few homemade products that I can always count on to work.
So as a busy momma with needy skin I have to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!” – Annie
Body Butter Ingredients
- Shea Butter. You’ve likely heard of this ingredient while shopping for bath and body products, because it’s included in many store-bought options! It’s a natural fat found in the seeds of shea trees. Compared to coconut oil (which is also solid at room temperature) shea butter doesn’t feel as oily, so it’s used as an emollient to help prevent dry skin.
- Jojoba Oil. This type of oil is considered non-comedogenic, meaning it shouldn’t clog your pores, and it’s thought to be one of the more hydrating oils. I used to make this recipe with olive oil, but I have since learned that it can clog pores, so jojoba is a better option if you plan to use this, especially on your face.
These two ingredients are all you’ll need to make homemade body butter. If you’re interested in adding a scent to your lotion, you can add 5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil before you whip it into a creamy consistency.
How to Make Body Butter with Shea Butter
Step 1:
Use a food scale to measure 4 ounces of shea butter into a heat-safe bowl. If you don’t have a food scale, cut the one-pound block into roughly four evenly-sized pieces. Each piece will be approximately 4 ounces.
To make a double-boiler, fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then place the heat-safe bowl filled with shea butter on top of the saucepan.
The steam from the boiling water will gently melt the shea butter. It will look like liquid oil once it has all melted.
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Step 2:
Stir the jojoba oil into the melted shea butter, then place the bowl in the fridge to cool for about 45 to 60 minutes, until it’s at least halfway solidified again. It’s ideal if the outer edges of the mixture look opaque, while the center still looks liquified. (But it’s okay if it totally solidifies, too.)
Next, use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until it is creamy. This takes about 60 seconds.
Note: The consistency may look runny as you whip this body butter, but it will thicken quite quickly when you’re done mixing. This won’t feel like the type of lotion you’d get from a pump bottle.
Step 3:
Use a spatula to transfer the thick body butter to a storage jar with a lid. It should keep well for several months as long as you don’t introduce moisture into the jar. I like to use a small spatula to scoop out the lotion.
This is most effective when applied to wet skin, so keep it near your shower so you can use it while your skin is still damp. It’s also perfect after washing your face!
Body Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces shea butter
- 2 tablespoons jojoba oil (or olive oil)
Instructions
- Use a food scale, if you have one, to measure 4 ounces of shea butter in a heat safe bowl. Create a double boiler by filling a small saucepan with 1 inch of water, then bring it to a boil over high heat on the stove. Once the water is boiling, place the bowl snugly over the top of the pan. The heat from the boiling water below will gently melt the shea butter.
- Once the shea butter is melted, use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the jojoba oil, then place the bowl in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour. It's ideal if the mixture starts to look opaque around the edges of the bowl, but is still slightly liquid in the center. (But if it becomes fully opaque, that's okay, too.)
- Use a whisk attached to an electric hand mixture to whip the chilled shea butter mixture. It should start to have a whipped texture in about 60 seconds of mixing. It might look lotion-like at first, but as it cools even more it will become thicker and firmer. (More like a body butter.)
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight jar with a lid. This is best used directly on wet skin, either after you get out of the shower or after washing your face. It should keep well for several months, as long as you're careful not to add moisture to the jar.
Notes
If you try this body butter recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
Bonjour Megan 🙂 A GREAT moisturizing oil for the delicate eye area (and all over the face) is Sweet Almond Oil. Many of our customers (we are a small natural cosmetics company in SA) use it as a make-up remover because it is so beautifully mild and you would have the added benefits of VIT E and D.
It also specifically works well if the skin is prone to oily breakouts.
Have you tried replacing the Olive Oil in your formulation with SWA before ?
Hey! I love your oven safe bowl! What brand is it or where did you get it, thanks!
I do much the same but also mix in apricot kernal oil and some aloe vera and favourite essential oils. 500 grms of shea butter lasts ages and the oils apart from the essential can be bought in the cooking or health food aisles. Love it..
wow! Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m super excited to try this! I have a couple questions though! Is there an expiration date for the lotion? Also, if you don’t have a hand mixer are there other options for mixing the two ingredients?
Thank you!
In case you want to improve the smell of the product and make it a little more water based, you could add a couple of teaspoons of rose-water to it. It will make the product smell good and I’m thinking the amount of shea butter will also emulsify the water… As is, rose-water is used in many households in India as a natural coolant…
Can’t wait to try this! I also had problems with blocked ducts, and finally found an eye doctor who solved the problem for me….baby shampoo! The no tears formula makes it safe for the eye area, and it removes even my waterproof eyeliner. I’ve used it for years.
Thanks Megan! I just whipped up a batch of this and LOVE! My skin feels super creamy and is GLOWING:) awesome recipe!!
I made this the other day…well, sort of. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil, and I don’t know if that was what caused it, but my lotion turned into quite a solid body butter *L*. It melts on my skin but I do have to use a little bit of muscle to work it in. Still, I am absolutely loving it so far. I have KP on my arms and thighs and I have been looking for a natural alternative to regular lotion to help alleviate it. It’s looking better already! I also used this on my face overnight once and my skin felt very good when I woke up. Not sure I’d use it on my face every night, but if I’m feeling particularly dry, I will.
It is very rich, but not extremely greasy. Don’t use it if you’re in a hurry to put on skinny jeans…*L*
Mine also turned from whipped to solid. Not as bad as the original, but I wish it had lasted “whipped”!! I also have KP (HATE it) but I didn’t think to try this lotion on my arms. I find this quite greasy but I don’t care if my skin is improving! Just put it on at bed time. 🙂
Hey there, so you’re no longer washing your face with oil?
Whipped shea butter! I have some of this at home from my favorite skin care line. Have you see Evan Healy’s products at your Whole Foods or Sprouts? They are the best, pure products for the skin. I love her whipped shea butter with olive leaf extract, but its expensive. I had gotten burned out making my own skin products, so out of convenience I turned to Evan’s stuff. But this recipe is so easy, next time I’ll make it myself 🙂