How to make a luscious, creamy Shea Butter Body Balm to moisturize dry winter skin, tame locks, soothe cracked lips, and condition dry hands and feet. Made with simple all-natural ingredients, scented with your choice of essential oils. A fun kitchen DIY project, perfect for gifts or self-care.
Here’s a fun little DIY kitchen project to make while we are all holed up at home this holiday season. I’ve been enjoying playing around with different scents and I’m finding that being creative in the kitchen, really does help with cabin fever.
The Shea Butter Body Balm is creamy and luscious and can be scented with your choice of essential oils. I’ve been using it on my dry skin, lips and even on my hair – a wild hair tamer for sure!
This time of year citrus scents are so uplifting, so most of my batches contain some sort of citrus blend. Depending on what you are after, you can create the scent that suits your needs best.
The best part is, this takes just 15 minutes of hands-on time- very simple and easy! This would be fun to make with kids, letting them pick their own personal scents and create their own labels.
What you’ll need to make creamy Body Balm:
- Shea Butter – anti-inflammatory, hypo-allergenic, anti-oxidant, moisturizing, skin-plumping, heals scars.
- Beeswax– reduces Psoriasis and Eczema, soothes and calms the skin, hydrating, softening, protective, smoothing, collagen-enhancing, conditions brittle hair.
- Coconut Oil– reduces inflammation, moisturizing, wound healing, antimicrobial
- Jojoba Oil– is anti-oxidant, moisturizing, anti-bacterial, soothing, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, speeds up wound healing, minimizes scars
- Vitamin E Oil– powerful anti-oxidant, reduces psoriasis, soothes eczema, anti-aging.
- small pourable milk pot
- Essential Oils for scent
- 2-ounce jars and optional labels
It starts with melting the shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil over a very low flame.
You can also use a double boiler.
Stir in the Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E oil.
Add 10-20 drops of essential oils to the individual jar, creating your blend. I usually pick 2-3 oils but you can also keep it simple and stick with one.
Essential Oil Ideas:
- lemon
- tangerine
- bergamot
- grapefruit
- geranium
- jasmine
- rose
- lemongrass
- lavender
- rosemary
- eucalyptus
- fir
- spruce
- sandalwood
- vetiver
- black pepper
- frankincense
For example, you could pick out a couple of individual oils and blend them yourself, or there are also handy sets of organic essential oils on Amazon. (Affiliate link). Or go with ultra-pure Doterra. Here is another one: Organic Essential Oil Set that has some nice options. While you are at it, you can also use the oils in a diffuser- here is my favorite one: Diffuser with Oils.
Pour the melted balm into the jar with the essential oil.
This recipe will perfectly fill a 2-ounce jar. These are the jars I used. (Affiliate link)
Let it cool until opaque.
Then label the jars giving them your own personal spin or name.
I used these labels.
Seal up the Shea Butter Body Balms and give them away as gifts, or keep them for yourself- a little self-love. 😉
I have one by my bedside table, one in the bathroom for wild flyaway hair, and one in the car for lips.
A fun little kitchen project to help fend off any winter blues. I personally find adding citrus essential oils to the balms, really uplifts the spirit.
Have fun, and enjoy.
Happy holidays friends -wishing you beautiful moments of joy, speckled with laughter, sparkling with love and packaged up in warm, cozy hugs (virtual, of course).
Cheers,
Sylvia
Wonder Balm (Shea Butter Body Balm)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 ounce jar 1x
- Category: DIY, holiday, gifts,
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to make a luscious, creamy Shea Butter Body Balm to soothe dry winter skin, tame locks, heal cracked lips, and moisturize dry hands and feet. Made with simple all-natural ingredients, scented with your choice of essential oils.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons organic Shea Butter
- 1 tablespoon Beeswax
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons Jojoba Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
- 10–20 drops of Essential Oils or Doterra
You’ll need a small pourable pot, 2-ounce jars and labels.
Instructions
The recipe makes one 2-ounce jar, so feel free to multiply.
Place shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil in a small pourable pot over very low heat, and stir until melted into a liquid. Remove from heat. Stir in jojoba oil and vitamin e oil.
Add your choice of essential oils (10-20 drops) to the 2-ounce jar and pour in the warm balm, stirring with a toothpick or chopstick. Let cool completely until opaque, about 1-2 hours.
Seal and label, giving it your own personal style.
Use on skin, hands, feet, lips or on dry hair.
Notes
I prefer adding the essential oil to the jars themselves so I can make different scents. If making more than one jar, but with all the same scent, feel free to add the essential oils to the pot after you remove it from heat.
Shea butter can have a tendency to crystalize. One thing that helps is to cool it down quickly by putting the jars in the fridge after you pour them. (If it does crystalize, the crystals will melt once they are rubbed in to your skin, but it doesn’t look as smooth.)
What is a good substitute for coconut oil?
Cocoa butter, mango butter, and shea butter are all good substitutes. Something that is solid at room temperature for the best consistency.
Easy making, tks.
Great to hear!
How much beeswax to 4 cups oil and 8 cups shea?
I’m not sure Becky. Sorry, you’ll have to do the math here.
How long is the shelf date for this?
I’m not exactly sure. I have been using mine for a year now and it still smells and feels good. 🙂
Can this recipe be whipped?
Hi Lynne- great question and I’m not sure, I haven’t tried that. Would that give it a more creamy texture?
I’m thinking it would be fluffy and creamy, if you whip it after it sets up in the fridge.
I Like the idea of that!
Can I use a substitute for jojoba oil?
Sure, any oil that is similar in consistency such as: sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil or even olive oil (though it will color it and give a more herbaceous scent).
Hi,
I was just wondering why we need to heat up the oil beside beeswax and Shea butter that need to be melted? Can we melt the beeswax and Shea butter and add it into the oil after it cool down a little?
Hi Jeslyn, We find that it just makes it easier in order to fully emulsify into the oil. You would want to use a double boiler and be totally on it- beeswax scorches easily. It will also re-harden quickly, so your oil should be at least room temperature when you whisk it with the melted beeswax and shea butter.
Whats the expiry date of the product once its done?
I’m not sure…I’ve had mine for one year, and it still seems good?
I believe this won’t have an expiration date as it has Vitamin E Oil in which stops it spoiling. This what I have read on other recipes
Good to know- thanks!
you can temper the shea; keep it at 175 degrees for approximately 20 minutes and it shouldn’t crystalize. Cool down quickly. You can substitute butters but know their properties first; for example kokum would require less wax as its a harder butter. you can whip the melted product; the key is to cool it until solid and then whip with a mixer. Hope that helps.
Thanks Tea!
I made a batch of Wonder Balm and love how it feels on my skin. It was nice and smooth at first, but after a couple of days it developed a somewhat grainy, gritty texture. Any idea what would cause this?
Hi Anne, Sorry about this! Shea butter can have a tendency to crystalize. One thing that helps is to cool it down quickly by putting the jars in the fridge after you pour them. The crystals melt once they are rubbed in to your skin, but it doesn’t look as smooth.
Thanks Tonia! I will try that next time.
Where do you buy your products? I am looking for good quality products. Also, what can used instead of the beeswax. I have not been successful with the beeswax. Thanks,
Hi Connie- I just purchase at our local health food store- but I’ve linked to Amazon here.
Can you whip this after it cools for a different finished product texture?
hi Maria- I haven’t tried that but love the idea of it!
Hello, would it make any difference if I use Mango butter? Also, could I wip it up? Last one, does this leave the skin feeling greasy at all?
Sorry for all the questions.
Hi Fiona- I have not tried mango butter, so not sure?? It does have a slightly oily feel I guess?
Is this safe for dog paws?
I think so? It is all-natural…I don’t see why not?
It sounds lovely! I’ve tried making a similar recipe without the Shea butter. I noticed that spots or circular indentations similar to that of a honeycomb forms on the surface of my balms when they harden. Do you have any idea what could be the cause? Could it be due to the type of beeswax used or the temperature when it cools. Or do you have any idea what I could do to prevent them from forming. 🙂
AS the balm cools it condenses. I save a little in pot, then warm it up refill the jars to level it out.
How do you measure out the harder ingredients (Shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax)?
I know the coconut oil it pretty maliable and the beeswax typically comes in pellets, but when I by Shae butter it comes in a block. Do you grate it or chop it into small pieces to measure it?
I chopped it!
This body balm is wonderful, thank you!
yes, it’s definitely more than 2 ounces and it’s definitely lovely stuff!
This recipe actually makes 4 oz. And it is luscious for everything!
Thanks! I thought my jars were 2 ounces?
Hello Sylvia.
By the way my mom’s name is Sylvia as well.
Would it leave my skin oily?
Not overly. 😉
Hi Sylvia —
If I buy all of the products you linked in the recipes, about how many 2oz jars can I expect to make?
Thank you!
Hey Amy, I’m not sure. I made six jars, and had lots of Shea, vitamin E and beeswax left. I already had the essential oils, coconut oil and Jojoba. I linked as a reference, not necessarily for you to buy these specific things, but to give an idea of what I used. Not sure if this helps at all….
That’s exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you, Sylvia!
Hi Sylvia,
Is there a substitute oil i could use instead of Vitamin E oil please.
Thanks Therese
Hi you can just leave it out. 🙂
Wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing!
I’ll be making the wonder cream for gifts! Thank you for always providing excellent ideas… happy holidays Sylvia
Cheers Janet
I ONLY wish there was an email share option…
Well now there is! Thanks for the feedback!
Hello,
Can you tell me the consistency of this when set? I’m looking for a recipe for a balm, but need something that sets quite firm (like chapstick) as I’ll be putting it in compacts rather than jars. Would you say this would work?
Thank you!
I think so- it is quite frim- maybe not as hard as chapstick- but firm enough for a compact.