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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.
Hi Megan, could you whip this up in the Vitamix? X
I use a magic mitt to remove my eye makeup, and it works well. I typically use alcohol-free witch hazel as a toner and I rarely have any residue. If I do have any eye makeup that isn’t coming off, a q-tip and some coconut oil seem to work just fine. Maybe if you only use it occasionally it won’t clog those ducts?
Hi
Can this be prepared using Refined & Ultra Refined Shea butter. Can we get the same effect ?
Thanks
Rajesh
Hi
Can this be used on the hair & scalp ? If yes what would be the advantages ?
If No Will it have any adverse effects
thanks
Rajesh
I’m willing to make this cream and use it. The only question I have is, what is the “shelf life” of it … how long will it last before it gets rancid? Or, doesn’t it matter?
This recipe looks wonderful! Can I replace the shea butter for cocoa butter?
Thank you!
oops, I forgot – definitely 5 stars!!
My husband bought me a super fancy $120 eye cream for my birthday – and then I made this..Hands down the very best, most effective skin cream I’ve ever used!
Thank you! I will try this. I’ve been making a similar recipe with Shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin e oil. The only 2 complaints I have is that it’s a little greasy and the Shea butter has a less than beautiful smell 🙂 But perhaps taking out the coconut oil and using minimal olive oil will help with the greasiness. And I’ve been using some vanilla essential oil to affect the scent. My other great recipe is to combine some cocoa butter with the Shea butter and some olive oil. I love the smell of the cocoa butter, and if you use a little orange blossom essential oil (as long as your skin isn’t sensitive to citrus), it smells delicious!
I find it helps to use the whipped shea butter on wet or moist skin – especially while you’re still warm in the shower. It spreads and soaks in so much easier and the essential oils really bloom. You really don’t want to add water of any kind to your shea butter recipe…just incorporate as needed at application. In a pinch you can apply a little shea butter on your skin then moisten your hands from the faucet to finish rubbing it in.