How to Make Body Butter, an Easy Recipe

An Easy Whipped Shea Body Butter Recipe That Isn't Greasy

How to Make Body Butter, an Easy Recipe

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Learn how to make body butter by following an easy whipped shea body butter recipe.

Extra dry skin is not exclusive to the winter months. In the warmer time of year, we are faced with hands chapped from gardening, heels cracking as we go barefoot, and other skin maladies. A luxurious remedy is easier than you may think with this recipe for some whipped body butter. A few simple ingredients, a little time in the kitchen (no cooking required!), and you will have healing moisture for yourself and possibly a few friends.

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How to Make Body Butter:

Ingredients needed are some of the same ones used for how to make soap with coconut oil and how to make shea butter soap:

  • Four 4 ounce jars
  • 12 ounces shea butter
  • 4 ounces coconut oil
  • 5 ml fragrance or essential oil
  • 1 ounce arrowroot powder
  • 0.1 ounce optiphen (optional)
  • Any other additions (see below)

You will need either a stand mixer or bowl and hand mixer. This is best done in an area between 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is too cold, you will simply end up having to mix for much longer. If the area is too warm, the oils, especially the coconut oil, will become too soft and the mixture will be runny and won’t whip. Set out your materials to avoid a last minute scramble.

You will begin with the shea butter. Whip it on medium speed until all chunks are broken up and become smooth. This should only take a few minutes.   Because there can be some discrepancy in the hardness of your shea butter (depending on your source), you may need to adjust the amount of coconut oil you will add. For optimal results, your beginning shea butter would be firm and just a little pliable. If it seems softer, reduce the amount of coconut oil in your recipe.

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Add the coconut oil next (do not melt it; you want it solid and at room temperature). Mix until it is thoroughly incorporated, leaving no chunks behind. Be sure to scrape the bowl often as you mix. Coconut oil is not necessary for whipped body butter, but it does help the end product to spread more easily when applied to skin because it melts at a lower temperature than the shea butter. However, you do not want too much coconut oil or your body butter will all melt if your house gets above 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now you will add your fragrance or essential oil. 5 ml is an estimate; you may want more or less depending on your fragrance strength preference. Remember, as with the best essential oils for soapmaking, a little goes a long way with fragrance! At this time you may also add the optiphen if you are choosing to use it. Optiphen is a preservative. Because there is no water in this recipe for body butter, it does not necessarily need a preservative to prevent mold or bacteria growth. However, if you plan to store your product in a humid environment, a preservative may be needed. You may also add it simply as a precautionary measure. You will want to whip your mixture on low speed now to prevent the liquid from splashing.

Next add your arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder helps decrease the greasy feeling of applying pure oils to your skin. It will still be a little oily, but the arrowroot powder helps. A couple alternatives to arrowroot powder are cornstarch or tapioca starch powder. Mix it in first with a spatula then the mixer so you do not send a billowing cloud of powder into your face. Gradually increase your mixer speed to medium until everything is completely incorporated and you have a smooth, creamy texture. Spoon the butter into your jars and you are finished!

One note to remember: when you combine different oils in a product, the shelf life of your product is only as long as the shortest shelf life in your oil collection. While coconut oil has a shelf life of up to two years, shea butter only has a shelf life of 1 year, so your body butter will be good for about one year. After this point the oils will begin to go rancid.

It is very easy to add variation to this simple recipe. You may like to add some vitamin E oil for its skin nourishing and antioxidant properties. You may switch out other butters such as cocoa, avocado, mango, and coffee butter. While cocoa and mango butters are rather hard and brittle, avocado and coffee butters are soft. Shea butter is between these in consistency. You will want to balance firm and soft ingredients to maintain just enough firmness to be able to whip. Some other additive options are green tea extract, hemp, calendula, jojoba oil, chamomile, or even some shimmery mica for a touch of glamour.

This body butter is great for heels, elbows, or extra dry hands. It even works great on the dry, itchy skin of a pregnant belly! The richness of shea butter makes this product feel very luxurious for not a lot of work. This recipe is also fairly forgiving if you only estimate ingredient amounts. I hope you are able to enjoy your easy whipped body butter soon!

Have you learned how to make body butter? Do you have any tips to share?

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