Full disclosure: I live in Arizona. So while most of the country is in a deep freeze, it’s citrus season where I live. Don’t hate me! Nevertheless, it’s still winter and that means dry skin (even for us Arizonans!). What better time to make a decadent whipped body butter?
I haven’t experienced frigid winters in a long time, but I grew up in Ohio so I know what they’re like! You skin takes a beating during the cold months. Hands get dry and cracky from frequent hand washing, and your face and body need extra TLC with the dry heat blasting all the time. The cure for winter dry skin is lots of moisture. So it’s the perfect time for an exceedingly rich body butter.
The oranges in my backyard were the inspiration behind this recipe. The light, happy scent of orange essential is perfect if you’re in a winter wonderland with springtime temps still months away. I used coconut oil, shea butter, a bit of sweet almond oil and orange essential oil to make this rich body butter. You’ll need to let the coconut oil solidify so if yours is runny just pop it in the fridge for an hour or so.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil make sure it is somewhat solidified
- 1 1/2 tablespoons shea butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet almond oil
- 25 drops orange essential oil
- Medium-sized glass bowl
- Electric hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Glass container with a lid
Instructions
- Place the coconut oil, shea butter, and sweet almond oil in a medium-sized bowl.
- Use a hand mixture to beat the ingredients for a few minutes to combine them. Add the essential oil and continue to mix for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture becomes fluffy. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Transfer the body butter to a glass container with a lid. If you live in a warm environment, you may want to refrigerate the body butter so it doesn’t melt.
- Use sparingly.
If you’re pregnant, you should not use essential oils. For more facts and safety information about essential oils and aromatherapy, check out the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.
5 Tips to Avoid Dry Skin This Winter:
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom (or any room where you spend a lot of time). A humidifier helps keep moisture in the air, which helps replenish your skin.
- Stay hydrated. You might not think much about it during the colder months, but you still need lots of water to stay hydrated. Not only is water good for you in general, but your skin will benefit as well.
- Bundle up to keep your skin protected against the elements when you go outside. That means wearing gloves, a scarf and, while you’re at it, throw on a cute hat!
- Apply your moisturizer and lotion shortly after bathing while your skin is still damp. This helps trap moisture in your skin. Pat yourself dry then apply a rich body butter.
- Don’t forget to apply sunscreen. The sun can still beat down on you (and not in a good way) when it’s cold out. Sunscreen will help protect your skin from the negative effects of the sun.
If you love citrus beauty products, learn how to make your own citrus sunshine perfume!
Photos by Ana Stanciu
Orange + Coconut Whipped Body Butter
Equipment
- Medium-sized bowl
- Hand mixer
- Spatula
- Glass jar with lid
Materials
- 1/2 cup coconut oil make sure it is somewhat solidified
- 1 1/2 tablespoons shea butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet almond oil
- 25 drops orange essential oil
Instructions
- Place the coconut oil, shea butter, and sweet almond oil in a medium-sized bowl.
- Use a hand mixture to beat the ingredients for a few minutes to combine them. Add the essential oil and continue to mix for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture becomes fluffy. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Transfer the body butter to a glass container with a lid. If you live in a warm environment, you may want to refrigerate the body butter so it doesn’t melt.
- Use sparingly.
I WOULD SUGGEST A MANGO BUTTER INSTEAD OF THE SHEA BUTTER
How much does this make? I want to fill out 4oz jars for my bridesmaids.
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. I tried it today, but for some reason it did not turn out a little solid for me. Any suggestions please!!!!!
I don’t see any recipes for these body butter?
Hi, & Thank you, I’ll be making this tomorrow, November 3rd, Tuesday, for myself, the Shea Butter it is calling for in ingredients, for the Orange Coconut Whipped Butter, it calls for Shea Butter, is that using
liquid or how does that work? Thanking you in Advance
Regards, Dianne Rigsby
321-972-1286 Home
If the coconut oil and shea butter are soft, you can just whip them as is. But you can also melt them together and then refrigerate until solidified again and then whip.
This body butter sounds awesome! Is it possible to replace the coconut oil with coconut fat? Is there even a big difference between the 2? And in what kind of container should self-made body butter (or lotion, too) be stored, does it matter whether it’s a glass, plastic or aluminum container? Thanks in advance for the reply!
Coconut fat and coconut oil are very different.
Thanks for the recipe. I have printed it off to try to make this weekend. I definitely need some TLC on this dry skin!
I’ve tried making body butter with similar ingredients to these, including coconut oil, shea butter, and I used beeswax as well and it keeps turning super liquid. Are you supposed to keep it in the fridge?
Hope you can help me out there– I’m sick of body-sauce!
:) Thanks, Lindsay
I was experimenting with body butter yesterday and really liked the consistency of 1/2 cup shea with 1/4 cup coconut oil. Recipe is coming next week! But do you live in a hot climate? I wonder if that’s why it’s liquifying?
Is that the right amount, just 2 drops sweet almond oil? that’s not very much
Yes, you only need a small amount because of the other oil in the recipes. I think it would be okay to leave it out if you prefer :)
These suggestions about skin’s care will help to ensure that my skin’s health and beauty will be maintained through the years. Thanks!
Hello Patricia, This is perfect for summer! I love doing DIY beauty products, gotta copy your recipe.. thanks for sharing♥
You’ll love it Coleen, happy summer! :)
This is so important… What most women don’t realize is that going natural is not a sacrifice! With a little trial and error (at first), you can find great products that leave you looking and feeling divine. Thanks!
A friend made this body butter with essential orange oil. It is wonderful! I’m going to make some myself! Why does it need to be in a glass jar and not plastic? Does it really make a difference? Is there an expiration time fore this cream?
Vicki
ps This cream is NOT greasy! It soaks right in! Love it!
I saw in an other recipe using essential oils she noted that they would eat through plastic, hence the glass container.
Hi,
Could we actually get real drops from the orange? I know that is probably not a question you’re ever, and I’m not sure if it could be possibly? If it can be done how long would this cream last for?
Thx
I love your blog :)
I would love to make this for the kids that I nanny, but they have a nut allergy. What can I use in place of the sweet almond oil?
Thanks.
Olive oil works in place of or grapeseed oil. I’m not sure if they could use those but you may ask.
That sounds like a lovely body butter, but I’d like to give a small warning – citrus essential oils tend to make skin photosensitive, which is to say it’ll sunburn much more easily, so avoid using this on anything exposed to sunlight (like face or neck). Or use another essential oil like lavender which doesn’t have the same effect!
In winter skin becomes dry and thus its important to provide additional care to skin so that it remain healthy and hydrated. In winter, normally I switch to natural products like soap, lotion and creams and made them itself because then I know what is in the products that I am using rather than using chemical products because they make skin dry.
How long will it be before it goes bad?
This sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
This looks so luxurious Stephanie! I didn’t know you had an orange tree. I’m a little bit jealous.
What a fancy body butter!
This sounds fabulous. I love the smell of oranges.