Organic? Yes. Non-toxic? Yes. Fantastic? Absolutely. This DIY body butter base is buttery and creamy, and it has just a few ingredients. It’s the perfect addition to your self care items or it can even be an easy, homemade gift for a friend. You can add your own essential oils or enjoy the natural cocoa butter smell that it comes with it.
Body butter is a thicker, heavier type of lotion that is often used for very dry areas such as the feet, hands, or elbows (though it can be used everywhere). It’s safe to use on your skin and is perfect for the rougher, caliced parts of the body.
In my opinion, body butter is a form of self care in itself. As discussed in my blog about toxins, it can be hard to find a moisturizing lotion or body butter that doesn’t have preservatives or additives in it. Topical creams are one of the easiest ways to sneak in some chemicals, and that’s just not worth the havoc on our health! Luckily, body butter doesn’t need to be tossed away and forgotten forever. As usual, nature provides us with all of the ingredients we need.
Here’s a little bit about the ingredients.
Coconut Oil
You can find coconut oil in both the kitchen and in the bathroom in my humble abode. I use it in cooking, for hair care, skin care, and, yes, even for DIY cosmetics. It’s an extremely effective moisturizer and has endless healing properties. It is antibacterial, anti fungal, and has cleansing, moisturizing and rejuvenating properties.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is from the Shea Tree primarily found in Africa. It is very thick and turns creamy when you rub it together or heat it up. It’s packed with both vitamin A and vitamin E, and has skin-healing properties galore. It softens and moisturizes dry skin very well and can also help with swelling and various skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is one of my favorite ingredients of this body butter, and not just because of the smell. I often use it on my lips as a chapstick or on my skin for moisturizing. It’s also packed with Vitamin E, which has a bunch of topical benefits. It has a history of being used to smooth scars and wrinkles, and can also help heal cuts and burns. Obviously, another perfect ingredient for a moisturizing cream such as a body butter base.
*Please note, this does have a cocoa-like scent. If you prefer not to have this, you can replace it with the same amount of shea butter.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is extracted from the jojoba shrub that is native to desert-like areas such as Mexico, Arizona and southern California. WebMD informs us that it can be useful for skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, or chapped skin and has properties that soothe the skin and unclog the hair follicles. It also happens to have healing properties that help with things like cuts or burns.
Olive Oil
As another great thing often found in both the kitchen and the bathroom, olive oil easily made it on the list of ingredients for the best DIY body butter base. Though some recipes forfeit it completely or switch it out for jojoba oil, I enjoy using it in this recipe. This ingredient is a miracle-worker when used topically for skin and hair. It’s super hydrating, healing, and repairing and pairs perfectly with the other ingredients.
Arrowroot Powder
You don’t need much of this powder— it’s mostly to make sure the body butter isn’t too oily (which is based upon your preference). Arrowroot powder is a starch that you can add to absorb up extra oil. If you don’t have this, corn starch works too, but I prefer this as a bit of a cleaner option. It also is more nutrient dense, so it has more vitamins and minerals that may be beneficial to the skin. Moving forward, if your body butter comes out too oily, add a little bit at a time to your desired consistency.
Essential Oils
You will be seeing a lot of essential oils show up in this blog, mainly because they are a non-toxic way to add delicious smelling scents to around the house products. Not only do they smell good, but many have anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antioxidant properties. Each is different, so I won’t go on too long about these. Regardless, I highly recommend using them. These are totally optional for this recipe, but it never hurts to add them!
As you can see, each ingredient is in this body butter base because they help tremendously with moisturizing dry skin and healing various skin conditions. Like mentioned above, it’s great for the rougher areas of the body!
Let’s get to the recipe. Here is the simple, few ingredient body butter base that you can add your own spin on with essential oils.
DIY Natural Body Butter Base
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Shea Butter
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Butter
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Jojoba Oil
- Arrowroot Powder (optional-for consistency)
- Essential Oils (optional-for scent)
Instructions
1. Add the coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to a heat-safe bowl.
2. Boil some water in a pot that is larger than the bowl or will fit under the bowl.
3. Once boiling, place the bowl on top of or in the water. This recipe uses a double boiling method. If the water is touching the bowl, make sure it is just touching the outside of the bowl and that no water gets into the oil inside the bowl. The goal is to heat up the bowl from the outside in.
4. Stir oils in bowl on top of heat until they are melted.
5. Remove from heat, add the olive oil and jojoba oil. At this time, you can add the essential oils if you are using them.
6. Place in fridge and let cool for about an hour. You want the mixture to be solid. Be careful not to leave it long because it will get too hard and you won't be able to whip it as easily.
7. Use a mixer or hand mixer to whip it for about 10-15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency you are looking for.
8. If it seems too oily, add arrowroot powder 1tbsp at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
9. Add to a glass jar or your desired storage vessel and enjoy!
Notes
STORAGE: It is best to store this in a cooler environment so the oils don't separate. Room temperature has been fine for me, but if it gets too warm the oils may melt and separate. A cool, dark closet or cabinet or the fridge are great options for storage.
SHELF LIFE: This should naturally keep up to about 6-8 months.
Essential Oil Blend Ideas:
- Rose & vanilla is a great combination. About 15 drops rose with 10 drops vanilla.
- Lavender, lemongrass & a pinch of eucalyptus for a a calming blend. About 15 drops lavender, 5 eucalyptus and 5 lemongrass (mine is very strong- may vary) This is what i used for the one photographed!
- Clove and jasmine both go very well with the scent of the cocoa butter. 10-15 drops of each together or 20 drops of one will work great.
Shop this post: here are the links to the ingredients I used.
* Please note this post contains affiliate links, read my full disclosure here.
Olive Oil
*Pro tip: Make sure the olive oil you buy is stored in a dark, glass container to ensure quality!
I stored mine in these jars, but any jar will do!
Essential Oils
*Please note, only some of these scents are organic. They are all pure & natural, but not all fall under the ‘certified organic’ category. This is the brand I prefer because of the scents, but Amazon has plenty of options if you want to use all certified organic.
– Rose
– Vanilla
– Lavender
– Lemongrass
– Eucalyptus
– Clove
– Jasmine
– Variety Pack
Thanks again for checking out this DIY body butter base. Let me know if you make it and what essential oils you add! I’ll be back with more natural, non-toxic recipes soon. Much love, and see ya next blog.
