
This luxurious homemade body butter is the ultimate hydrating treatment your dry winter skin is longing for. It’s easy to make with only 3 essential ingredients which means that even the newest of newbies to DIY skincare can pull it off!

A body butter for dry winter skin
This luxurious homemade body butter is one of the first beauty products I started making at home.
My family uses it extensively during the winter months to treat dry itchy skin, chapped lips, relief from the soreness under a runny nose, dry winter hands, as chapstick and as a preventative for chapped cheeks during cold windy winter days outside.
However it has since become a real workhorse product replacing a long list of products I no longer have to buy and that in itself is a pure win in my opinion!
Here are some of the many ways we put this all natural body butter to good use in our home:
- Homemade nipple cream and belly butter – take a look at the ingredients in typical nipple creams, do you want your baby ingesting that?
- Homemade diaper rash cream – very effective at preventing and healing diaper rash. Can also be used to remedy cradle cap and baby eczema
- Homemade moisturising treatment for dry cracked heels.
Seriously, this body butter is so easy to make, even the newest of newbies will be able to pull it off! Are you ready to give it a try? Let’s get started!
Let’s make an all natural body butter
You will need 3 key Ingredients + 1 optional bonus

Shea butter: I have chosen shea butter for it’s rich and luxurious feel on the skin but Mango butter , Cocoa butter and Cupuacu butter are of similar consistency to Shea butter at room temperature so they should do a good job.
Solid Coconut Oil: I have used an equal amount of shea butter and SOLID coconut oil. If your coconut oil is liquid then its best to omit it and use an equal amount of shea butter (or mango,cocoa, cupuacu butter) instead as this will affect the final consistency of the body butter.
Liquid Carrier Oil: Olive oil is my choice but really any other liquid carrier oil would do for example sweet almond, jojoba, avocado or grapeseed oil.
(Optional) Arrowroot starch: Adding a tablespoon of arrowroot starch to this body butter formula helps with the absorption of the butter and minimising that greasy feeling. Cornstarch can be substituted as long as it is non GMO without additives.
You will also need a few basic pieces of equipment

- access to a stove for melting the solid butters
- small heatsafe bowl for melting & mixing
- electric beaters for whipping
- a kitchen scale for accurate measurement – try measuring out 1/2 cup of solid shea butter and you’ll see what I mean – impossible!
- glass or metal container with a tight fitting lid for storing your body butter

Body butter and lotion in one!
The difference between body butter and lotion boils down to the ingredients. Body butter contains butter and various oils while body lotion is often a combination of water and oils.
During the winter months this homemade body butter is firm at room temperature but don’t worry because as soon as it makes contact with your skin it melts and spreads on easily. Leaving your skin wonderfully moisturised.
Apply Melts into skin Skin is left perfectly moisturised!
Customizing you Homemade Body Butter with Herbal Oil
You can take this recipe to the next level and use an infused herbal oil in place of the olive oil. Oil infusions have many benefits and can be customised to your preference.
You might also like – How to make a Luxurious DIY Herbal Body Oil
Because I know my whole family uses this product though I usually make several batches of homemade body butter. One with plain olive oil and a lavender vanilla version for myself and the girls.
Some precautions
Shelf life : Due to the fact that this homemade body butter does not contain any water it is very shelf stable and should last a good 6 months.
Usage : I always err on the side of caution and use a small pallet stick or spoon for removing the body butter from the container to avoid contamination from hands. I recommend you do the same.. 🙂

Do you struggle with eczema?
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) is a condition where patches of skin become inflamed, itchy, red, cracked, and rough. Whilst this homemade butter butter will bring some relief to your itchy eczema skin (it certainly did for my daughter when she was a baby) it’s important to note that, at least from a holistic perspective, eczema is considered an external symptom of an internal problem.
Which means that in order to experience long term relief you must treat the root cause – which is likely inflammation. The symptoms an overactive immune system can be seen anywhere in the body and in the case of eczema, it is the skin that is affected.
My top two tips for promoting healthy skin would be:
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet – eliminate inflammatory foods such as gluten, corn, soy, and dairy and focus on anti inflammatory whole foods like organic fruits and vegetables and pasture-raised meats.
- Heal your gut – 80% of your immune system is housed in your gut. That’s why one of the major root causes of eczema is a weakened intestinal tract. Try taking a daily synbiotic with includes specific probiotic strains shown to benefit skin + prebiotics.
Homemade Body Butter for dry winter skin care
Ingredients
- 30 g unrefined shea butter
- 30 g solid coconut oil
- 20 g infused olive oil
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch / flour optional – helps the body butter to absorb into to skin faster, leaving a less greasy feeling
Instructions
- Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler. Mine took about 10 minutes.
- Mix in olive oil.
- Add arrowroot starch if using
- Place bowl in the freezer to set. You want the body butter to cool as quickly as possible to avoid it going grainy later on. Twenty minutes should suffice. Cover the bowl to avoid any condensation dripping in.
- After twenty minutes check that your body butter is semi solid. Poke it with your finger, it should easily make a dent. If it does remove the bowl from the freezer, if not leave it to harden a bit more.
- Beat mixture with electric beaters until the butter looks like butter cream frosting (takes about 4 minutes)
- Transfer the butter to a glass or metal container with a tight fitting lid
Hi Krystal,
I love this DIY body butter because it is made from my favorite personal care products.I stopped using conventional lotions and creams years ago. I regularly use coconut oil, shea butter and olive oil for body care so mixing them together in this manner is perfect for me and my family. I’m pinning and sharing your gorgeous photos!
Thank you for sharing Deborah! It’s such a luxurious mix I’m sure you’ll love it 🙂
Krystal, just found your recipe and can’t wait to try it. where is the best place to buy shea butter and for that matter, any of the other ingredients, like coconut oil? thanks, Amy
Hi Amy it really depends on where you live. I can only find shea butter online but coconut oil I can find at my local supermarket. Wherever is convenient to you really.
Hmm… I have all the ingredients for this, I should try it. The last time I tried making body butter it looked so good I wanted to eat it. So I did. Haha. And it tasted wonderful on top of muffins….
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe at Savoring Saturdays! 😀
Oh Raia you crack me up!Hope this one makes it to your skin 😉
I didn’t know you could inject Shea butter?
Injest lol
I’m not quite sure what you mean by this.
Ingest means to eat, not sure about that either
That looks super luscious!
It is Linda! 🙂
I just finished making it for myself and it’s great! Will be sending gift jars of to friends and family for Christmas!
That’s awesome!
This recipe was very easy and quick!! I love the way it feels, its not heavy or too oily.
This looks wonderful!! I’m always looking for new body butters to try this time of year. What perfect timing 🙂
That’s great Tash! Hope you like it 🙂
I love this! Looking at the supplies and planning on making some! Thank you!
Great Renee! Hope you like it 🙂
Love making my own body care products. Body butter is definitely one of my personal favourites.
Toronto winters seem to go on for a very long time and my skin is soothed by these preparations.
Recipes like this one were best sellers in my shop! Thanks for sharing. Love your pics!!!
Here’s to looking after ourselves!!
Oh those long winters are awful. Stay warm Carol.
Krystal, I love this recipe. I like my body butter to be smooth so I think this has the right consistency. Can’t wait to try this out.
Yes me too Anya! Hope you like it 🙂
I’m pinning this for my friend! She’s having problems with psoriasis and allergies to regular lotions so this might be something we could make together that would be safe for her to use. Your photos are gorg btw!
Thanks Rachel! Hope it helps her 🙂
This looks so luxurious! I love DIY especially skin care because I like to control my ingredients. Thank you!
Me too Libby!
Sounds awesome! Did you use a certain kind of olive oil?
Sounds lovely! Did you use a certain kind of olive oil?
Hi Heather, I always have extra virgin olive oil on hand so that’s what I used.
How do you add the lavender and vanilla?
Hi Lisa. I have infused the olive oil with lavender and vanilla.It’s detailed in the post.
Have you tried any oils other than olive oil in this recipe? Jojoba, Vitamin E oil, Sweet Almond oil, etc? I just don’t love the smell of olive oil so I’d like to try something else.
Hi Christy, yes I’ve used sweet almond oil as well. Works fine ?
Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. Simple ingredients and the instructions are very easy to follow. Can’t wait to try it out!
Hope you like it!
Hi! What do you use to preserved/ or make this body butter will last for long?do you use Vitamin E oil as your preservatives?I would love to know how you preserved it, like maybe 2years? Thanks!:*
Hi Krystal!
Thank you for your DIY tips. I’m loving it. But I want to know how you preserved it? I am currently living in a tropical country. I’m planning to make a body butter same with your DIY so I can give this to my relatives as a Christmas gift. What preservatives you can recommend so that it can last at least 2 years. I would love the natural preservatives.
Thank you! :*
Hello Estefan. Great idea, this would make wonderful gifts! I make enough body butter to last a couple of months and generally do not use any type of preservative. Even with a natural preservative I do not recommend keeping the body butter for 2 years though as there are opportunities for bacteria to enter the product for e.g. with the equipment you use or if you use your hands to scoop out the butter etc. Vitamin E oil, Rosemary Oil Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extract are some natural preservatives but as I mentioned I do not really use these so I can’t give amounts.You may need to experiment a bit with the ratio of materials. If the butter is too liquid add more shea butter for e.g.. Take care and let me know if you have any further questions.
Hello,
I have one question.
When do upu add the arrowroot to the recipe?
Add it in before you place the butter in the fridge to set.
Hi! Which method of oil infusing do you like the best? 🙂 Thanks!
I like the solar infusion method but I get a lot of sun year round where I live. The stove top method is good in a pinch.
Hi Krystal,
I really love your body butter recipe. I tried because my baby was born and it’s just perfect and now we all love it! Thank you for sharing. And I wanted to ask you what kind of sunscreen lotion do you use for your kids? Thank you 🙂
Hello Nikol. Congrats on your baby! Last summer I used this baby sunscreen from Badger – http://amzn.to/2rhigHR
I love this recipe and I can’t wait to try it but I’m currently having trouble with the conversions. I noticed the recipe calls for “grams” but google isn’t helping me with “30 grams.” Do you use cups when measuring? Thank you!
Hello Celina since shea butter is solid it is fairly impossible to measure it accurately in cups. If you do not own a kitchen scale you can do as I recommended in the post and use this formula to start with : 1 part liquid oil to 3 parts solid.
How long does it take to set in fridge?
Hi Kate! I would say about 30 mins to 1 hr but that depends on the temp of the fridge and where in the fridge )top shelf vs bottom for eg.) I usually check it every 15 mins or so to see if it set or not.
What size jar? It would be helpful to know how much it makes please
It makes enough to fill a 50ml jar.
Hola !
Me gusto mucho la receta la voy hacer
Tienes mas recetas ???
Saludos !!!
Hola! Mi amiga Tracy tiene más recetas y en español. https://cosascaseras.com/una-crema-hidratante-casera-basica-receta-facil/
Hi Krystal,
I am allergic to Shea butter(it has a component in it that is the same as latex, which I am extremely allergic to). Is there a replacement you could recommend?
Hi Kelly. Mango butter and Cupuacu butter are of similar consistency to Shea butter at room temperature so they should do the job. I haven’t tried them in this recipe but I’m curious so I’ll order some and give it a go. If you do try it please let me know how it turned out.
Vitamin E oil and grapefruit seed power are both natural preservatives that can be used.
Also I think cocoa butter would be a suitable replacement for the shea butter if you have allergies
Essential oils react to metal so if you are planning to add some for scent or to add therapeutic qualities to your lotion I wouldn’t store it in a metal container.
Thank you so much for adding your thoughts Nancy!
Hi Krystal — I am looking forward to trying your recipe. I am new to this so if you wouldn’t mind clarifying a few things for me? Could you give me the specific amounts of lavender and vanilla that you used to infuse the 20 grams of olive oil (or maybe the recipe for a larger amount)? Also, did you use only the vanilla seeds or the whole beans (or sliced open, etc.)? Many thanks!
Hi Barb, I’ll be honest with you I did not measure the herbs for infusing. I filled a small mason jar with dried lavender and then filled it up with olive oil. Lately I’ve just been using lavender essential oil. With the vanilla I used the same method as I do to make DIY Vanilla Extract 3 wayshomemade vanilla extract. Slice the vanilla beans lengthwise ,without removing the seeds, and place the beans into your jar for infusing. Hope this helps!
Thank you for explaining the reason for adding arrowroot flour. I could never find a reason why some recipes contain it so I didn’t know if it was optional. Such a simple explanation, I’m surprised more people don’t mention it.
It’s my pleasure Cindy! I hope you enjoy the body butter.
Hi Krystal,
I just found you and your recipe on Pinterest and can’t wait to try your bodybutter, but my scale is not in metric meausements. Could you please give me a simple conversion in cups and ounces.
Thanks so much, Susan
Hi Susan as I mentioned in the post it’s virtually impossible to accurately measure solid shea butter in cups.If your scale allows for measurement of ounces (weight) and not fluid ounces you can use any online calculator to convert.
Hi. Quick question: could I substitute cocoa butter for the coconut oil? I’m allergic to coconut but otherwise love this recipe.
Hi Jane, you could certainly try it.
I can’t wait to try. Approx how long do you beat it before transferring to jars?
Hi Rochelle,I haven’t really times it but i would guess about 5 minutes. I just beat it until it reaches the desired texture then stop.
Thank you so much for sharing. After much research on Pinterest for recipes for body butter for my family and friends, yours had the most information about the ingredients, how they work, why they work and easy to follow the recipe. The printable card is my favorite as I can include it with the product. I really appreciate your thorough blog! I may include this recipe in a blog post for my brides and of course, give your site credit!
So happy to hear this Jen! Those are some very lucky friends 🙂
Does this melt in summer?
It doesn’t melt but it’s not as firm. At least that’s my experience with it in summer here in Spain where temps can go up to 40C.
Hi! Just a quick suggestion for people who don’t have a scale – I use a glass measuring cup in place of a bowl in the water bath to melt the butters. Just add chunks and let it melt. When you get to the correct amount add chunks of the next butter. It’s not exact, but it works for me.
Awesome tip!! Thank you for sharing Liz!
Hi Krystal can I skip the arrowfoot step?
Thank you im advance
Hi Kiki, you can but as I mention in the post its purpose is to reduce the slightly greasy feeling body butters can leave.
Hi !
Can I use colloidal oatmeal instead?!
And also can I mix also cocoa butter too?!
Hi Aya, it’s not clear. You want to use oatmeal instead of what? And what do you want to do with cocoa butter, replace one of the ingredients or what?
What would you use in order to give this recipe a little scent, so I can give it as a gift?
Thanks
Pure organic essential oils. Lavender is my favourite!