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If you are into a minimalist lifestyle, this shea body butter lotion recipe is for you. You will learn how to make lotion with shea butter with only 2 main ingredients: organic shea butter and organic safflower oil and you can whip it in just 5 minutes.
You don’t even need to heat it up nor use a double boiler for that matter. Yes, it’s that simple!
It actually faster to make this shea butter lotion recipe at home, than to go shopping to buy it in a store.
Benefits of shea body butter lotion
- You are busy and have no time for fancy and time consuming DIY beauty recipes.
- You are in a panic because you ran out of body butter and your skin looks like crocodile skin! (yes, I’ve been there!)
You will need a hand immersion blender like this one, a thick glass recipient, and only two ingredients:
You don’t even need a double boiler for this shea butter lotion recipe!
What is Shea Butter?
For all you DIY beauty enthusiasts jumping with joy after realizing that this is a shea butter recipe – you might want to dig in a bit deeper before you start using shea butter for everything, especially if you have a nut allergy. Shea butter is the fat that is extracted from the nuts of a shea tree. Its extracted form comes out in an off white or ivory color, found in solid-state at lower temperatures.
Native to West Africa, shea butter has been used in beauty and cosmetic products for centuries because of its high concentration of fatty acids and vitamins. Some of its more popular properties include the easy-to-spread consistency that makes it ideal for conditioning, smoothing and soothing your skin.
What are the properties of shea butter?
Shea Butter has deep moisturizing and healing capabilities known to heal and revitalize the skin. It is full of vitamin A and fatty acids are known to treat stretch marks and numerous skin conditions such as blemishes, wrinkles, dermatitis, and the like.
Shea butter is known to repair damaged skin and increase collagen production. It naturally contains vitamins A and E and is a miracle worker for your skin. It has been shown by studies to have inflammatory properties and helps to relieve skin irritation such as sunburn or rash.
It is no wonder why Shea butter is the main ingredient of most body butter, lotion and healing salves known to cure and prevent stretch marks.
Shea Butter is thick and solid like your average butter (the raw and unrefined one is known to give the most benefit to your skin).
I use organic refined shea butter grade A as this is a personal preference.
I find the unrefined or raw shea butter has a strong smell but if you don’t mind it, it is definitely better quality and contains more vitamins and minerals since it has not been refined or processed. Raw is the way to go!
How to Make Shea Butter from Shea Seeds?
After 20 years in the soil (yes 20 years!!!), the shea tree produces its first fruit and reaches its full production capacity at the 45 years mark. The fruit has a sweet taste, which probably gives the butter its nutritional properties. The shea seeds can be obtained after the fruit is eaten. While there are several different processes to making shea butter from shea seeds, here is a simple, step-by-step process:
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Cracking & Pounding
Crack the shell of the shea seed with your hand to obtain the shea nut. After you have done this, wash them and leave them to dry to evaporate the moisture. After you have dried them, pound them, crushing them into smaller pieces.
2.Roasting and Making the Paste
Next, you need to roast the small crushed pieces to transform them into a paste. The product will be of a dark chocolaty color.
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Whipping
Add some water to the dark chocolaty paste and whip it so that it is mixed well.
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Purifying
Purify the paste by washing it with distilled water repeatedly.
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Boiling
Now, heat the purified paste on the stove. You will see the fat rising to the top and the oil settling at the bottom.
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Final Step
Finally, skim off the fat while allowing the oil to settle at the bottom. The oil that is settled becomes hard and is used as Shea Butter.
For visual understanding, here is a link to a video.
Why I use safflower oil in my shea butter lotion recipe?
Safflower oil has a light texture and barely any scents at all.
It is a nice compliment to shea butter and allows you to make a lotion that is smooth and with a thinner texture.
Safflower oil contains about 78% of linoleic acid and has the highest level of linoleic fatty acid.
Step by step how to make shea butter lotion at home in 5 minutes
Step 1: Combine shea butter and safflower oil in a glass bowl
Step 2: Start mixing the shea butter and safflower with a hand mixer to make a shea butter lotion
Step 3: Continue mixing until smooth, should take no more than 2 minutes to turn into a lotion
Step 4: Pour into a pretty cream or lotion container and slather the cream on your body, it will thank you!
How to make lotion with shea butter and keeping it simple at home
Ingredients
- 10 tbs of refined or raw shea butter
- 10 TBS of safflower oil
- 20 drops of Lavender essential oil OPTIONAL
- a hand immersion mixer like this one
- a glass recipient
Instructions
- Combine shea butter and safflower oil in a glass bowl
- Start mixing the shea butter and safflower with a hand immersion mixer to make a shea butter lotion
- Continue mixing until smooth, should take no more than 2 minutes to turn onto a lotion
- Add the essential oils if desired. (optional) Mix for a few seconds.
- Pour into a pretty cream or lotion container and slather the cream on your body, it will thank you!
How to Make Shea Butter Whipped Cream?
Shea Butter is a nourishing moisturizer that can be whipped up into a light and creamy skin concoction similar to the texture of whipped cream. The benefit of making it at home is that you can avoid the preservatives and chemical stabilizers normally found in commercial products. Before we get into the process, the trick to whipping this cream is maintaining proper temperature throughout the process.
You can use the same ingredients as in the above recipe but follow this tutorial below, which include melting and freezing so you can whip it!
Step by Step Tutorial
- Fill the saucepan with water and bring the water to simmer over low heat.
- Place a smaller aluminum bowl into simmering water (or a double boiler) and add the Shea Butter to the bowl. Heat it until it becomes liquid.
- Stir oils into melted Shea Butter, continuing to heat it over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Now, remove the bowl from the hot water pan and allow it to cool slightly before stirring in the cornstarch and essential oils
- Place the bowl in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, until a ring has appeared and the shea butter has started to solidify (but has not completely solidified).
- Beat the oil and Shea Butter mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed. Continue whipping as the mixture cools down and thickens – for about 5-10 minutes.
- Stop beating the Shea Butter mixture when it reaches a whipped cream consistency. Spoon it into clean jars that you can store in the refrigerator for up to three months.
If you would like to make more body butter containing shea butter, take a look at this whipped shea body butter recipe or this calming shea body butter recipe.
Top 4 Shea Butter Recipes
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Shea Butter Lotion Recipe
As discussed earlier, homemade shea butter lotion can be your gateway to comfortable nights and soothing mornings (without all the pesky chemicals). Here is the entire recipe for this amazing skin concoction!
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Shea Butter Lip Balm Recipe
The soothing properties of Shea Butter in combination with the shine of castor oil will help you say goodbye to chapped lips. Want to find out more? Click here to get more information on this DIY lip balm.
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Natural Soothing Body Cream
One of the most luxurious ingredients to apply on your skin is Shea Butter, so it is natural to have a soothing body cream that has Shea butter as its main ingredient, amongst coconut and Jojoba oil. Click here to get access to the full recipe.
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Shea Body Butter Recipe
A Shea body butter recipe can be your go-to remedy for dry and dull skin. It includes luxurious and royal skin ingredients like Mango butter, Shea butter, grapeseed oil, lavender essential oil and chamomile flower water amongst other things. Find out more about this miraculous blend in this post!
Please help me create more recipes like this shea body lotion recipe by rating it, sharing it and commenting below!
I hope you have enjoyed my recipe, please share the love and rate ***** in the comments below!
I’m Eve, a DIY organic skincare recipe creator since 2010 that loves to make a big mess in the kitchen!
I’ve embarked on a journey to empower women to ditch all the chemical-filled commercial beauty products and to share how to make your own organic beauty recipes at home towards a healthier lifestyle.
Homemade face & body creams, body butter, lips balms, face masks, shampoos, and all-natural perfume will have no more secret for you!
I am self-taught, read many books, and spend many hours in the kitchen creating brand new homemade beauty recipes. All my recipes are unique and are tested on humans!
In 2016, I studied Aromatherapy and became certified by the School of Natural Health Sciences.
Oh my goodness!
I just whipped up a batch of this with the good old stick blender.
The lovely Shea butter baby cream that I normally use as a base cream is no longer in stock so it was time to search again for a recipe.
This is super lovely and quick recipe.
I used Grapeseed oil as that’s what I had to hand and I swapped out 1T of that as caster oil.
I added 5drops myrrh eo, 5d chamomile eo, 3d clove bud eo and 2d frankincense eo. Which diluted to 0.2% Super healing oils Because it is for baby’s Nappy rash.
Thanks for your lovely base cream recipe
Sorry should read 0.6% diluted rate for essential oils for baby haha
Hi Eve. I have a question. Does this mixture stay creamy or does it harden like a whipped butter. Thanks for the reply.
I come from west Africa, in a region where shea fruits and shea butter are in abundance and I can testify to the many benefits it offers the body. Even though I now live in Europe, I’ve enough shea butter with me for my body care. Great for the body!
You’re the best,thanks so much.
Author
thanks Catherine 🙂 sending you lots of love back!
Hi Eve,
I know this is an older Post but just wanted to say I love this recipe. I made it for my 89 year old Mother who gets very dry facial skin, it works beautifully and she loves it. Thanks for a lovely and simple recipe.
Author
so glad to hear Gayle, thank you 🙂
Thanks for the tips,I will definitely makes this and feedback you about it
Hi, I made this but it came out quite oily. It’s a loely texture but better used as an overnight intensive moisturizer with cotton gloves or socks. Where did I go wrong?
Your recipe calls for equal amounts of Shea butter & Safflower oil as tbs and TBS is the same measurement. Both are tablespoons so when I made my first batch, I chose to use a lot less safflower oil. My batch still came out a tad oily. I didn’t completely mind due to the fact that it’s only for home use and not for sale. Please confirm that your recipe is equal parts of those two ingredients. Thank you!
Author
Yes, its 50/50 ratio. You can add arrowroot powder to remove greasiness!
Under “How to Make Shea Butter Whipped Cream?”
“Step by Step Tutorial”
Step 4 states:
Fill a large bowl with ice cubes. Now, remove the first bowl from the hot water pan and allow it to cool slightly before stirring in the cornstarch and essential oils.
Is the bowl to be placed in the ice for the cooling mentioned here?
Step 6, 2nd sentence:
Continue whipping as the mixture cools down and thicken.
Does this cooling down mean it has been placed in the ice cubes again?
Author
I rewrote the step by step so it is more clear!
Hi, Eve, can use Shea Butter and coconut oil to make the Lotion? Also can use just Shea Butter, coconut oil and corn starch for the body butter
Hi Eve love this site can’t wait to get started can I use shea butter oil in place of shea butter for the lotion recipes
Author
Hi Belinda, this is going to change the consistency of your lotion and it won’t be creamy if you use shea butter oil. If you want to make a body oil, then that’s fine.
Hi Eve
I have been using your method and its been great for my hands and feet. I like the fact, your recipe does not heat the Shea which keeps it in it’s raw form.
My question is do you recommend using Shea lotions on the face? I have read conflicting articles on the internet 🙂
Thanks,
Jim
Author
Hi Jim, yes shea butter is amazing for the face!
Well I made this today and it’s gorgeous! I only had rosehip oil so I used that and jasmine essential oil and I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you
Author
awesome, you made my day Lanie 🙂
HI EVE,
You’ve mentioned 10 TABLESPOONS of Raw Shea butter, but I bought a solid brick of 100% shea butter(it’s 10 lbs in weight).
Do you melt the butter to measure it at 10 tablespoons?
Also, I’m trying to get mine the consistency that I can put in a PUMP bottle. The creamy/fluffy kind is TOO thick to go into and come out of the pump.
How can I get that consistency? Add MORE oil? or BLEND longer?
THANKS
Author
Hi Shirley, if you want a liquid lotion its going to be a different recipe. I will put this on my to-do list!
For the shea butter, I simply scoop tablespoons from the shea butter, It’s not supposed to be that hard. You could gently melt it if you are having trouble.
Hi Eve. I’m so glad to have found your recipe for an “un-whipped” body butter that’s not full of preserving chemicals! I was wondering what quantities you would recommend if I was to use Shea, Mango and Cocoa butters in this recipe? I’m hoping for a consistency that’s nice and thick, but not so thick that it’s difficult to use. Any help would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Author
Hi Robyn, it would be an entirely new recipe if you wanted to use shea butter, mango butter and cocoa butter. The consistency would be hard unless you add an oil like sunflower or safflower oil.
Hello Eve, I am looking forward to try it out. How long will it last once it is in a jar and it is opened?
Thank you
Katya
Author
Hi Katya, it last up to a year depending on the shelf life of the ingredients you used.
I am not sure I understand your question about when the jar is opened. This is a homemade product, not commercial so it does not matter if the jar is opened or not.
How much lavender oil do you add in the recipe above? Also at one point do you add into the recipe
Author
I put 20 drops of lavender essential oil because I do not want a strong scent. You can add the essential oil at the very end and mix well.
very helpful.thanks
Wow! Thanks so much. I’ve been researching and reading homemade beauty recipe books, blogs, etc. I’m very excited to get started. Maybe you can answer my question: Some of the lotion recipes that I have been finding say to add Stearic Acid. . . .why would I need that if the recipe calls for cocoa butter or shea butter; since they both have a high amount of stearic acid naturally?
Author
Steric acid is a co-emulsifier helps thicken lotion. Its a chemical, not a raw natural product so I don’t personally use it. It can cause skin irritation too.
Hi Eve, I am excited to try this recipe. Do you recommend having separate kitchen tools (like the immersion blender, bowls, etc.) that you only use for beauty products, or is it okay to use them for cooking, too (obviously properly cleaned)?
Author
Yes that’s fine but make sure they are as sterile as possible, for example, put them in the dishwasher and if you have the sanitize option with high heat, use that to avoid having bacteria contamination.
Hi eve,
Your website is an amazing find! I’m excited to try your face serum and body oil recipe too.
I have two kids aged 9 and 4. Can I use the above body lotion on them?
Thanks JP
Author
thanks Judi! yes you can use it on kids, best to skip essential oils for children tho.
How many TBS of safflower oil did you use?
Author
10 tablespoons, it says in the recipe.
Hi Eve,
I’m excited to try this! What other essential oils would be good to use (I don’t super love lavender)? Thanks!
Author
how about ylang ylang, frankincence and rose geranium? 🙂
Can I put any flavor of oils in this to change the scent up? And is it always 10 drops total if I should use more than 1 “flavor” of oil?
Author
What do you mean by flavor oil? essential oils? you can put 5 drops of each ylang ylang, frankincence and rose geranium essential oil.
Hello,
Which are the oils yhat i can replace with safflower oil, for dry skin? Coconut, sunflower??
Thanks
Author
sunflower is a good choice to replace safflower oil!
Thank you for the reciepe. Will try it soon 🙂
It didn’t work for me I followed the instructions and it took me a good 15 min to make it fluffy And it was still not very fluffy. what went wrong?
Author
That recipe is not supposed to be fluffy. If you want to make a whipped shea butter that is fluffy follow these instructions and this recipe https://www.organic-beauty-recipes.com/body-butter-recipe/ make sure you use a hand mixer like this one https://www.organic-beauty-recipes.com/hand-mixer
Author
I don’t use ewax, its not natural, sorry cannot help here!
Does it have to go into a glass container or can a plastic tub work? Also If it hardens after a few days what is the point of whipping it?
Author
Glass container is good. the whipping will make it more fluffy.
Can you use a regular mixer? I have never bothered getting an immersion blender?
Author
its going to be too hard with a hand mixer! get an immersion blender 🙂
i made this recipe and the consistency is more like body butter and grainy?
Author
Hi Maria, the shea butter do thicken when it settles but the grainy part is probably because of the shea butter, especially if it is raw. I use refined shea butter and do not have this problem. If you want a thinner texture, you can add more oil vs shea butter.
Hi Eve,
Thanks for the recipe. I plan to use avocado or sweet almond oil. Which one would you recommend as better? Will this lotion keep as a liquid or will it solidify?
TIA
Author
I would use sweet almond oil as it is a little less greasy than avocado oil. it will thicken as it settles. If you want a thinner texture, you can add more oil vs shea butter.
Thanks for the recipe. How many drop of essential oil do you add? Thanks
Author
10 drops of essential oils.
Will this harden after a few days to a week like other shea recipes or will it remain a lotion? Thank you!
Author
it will harden and thicken.
Can i substitute Mango Butter for the Shea Butter?
Author
yes, but you will need to melt the mango butter with the oil, then put in the freezer for 10-15min and then mix. Its a different recipe but it works.
Hey this is amazing 😀 !! So easy and vegan too. I will make with apricot kernel/coconut oil as I don’t have safflower oil. Thank you !!
Author
Hi N, it will be a different texture, not as creamy. let me know how that works out for you!
hello eve,can i use coconut oil
Author
Hi Maryam, yes you can use coconut oil instead of safflower oil but it will change the texture of the body lotion and will be thicker.
can i use avocado oil?
Author
Hi anna, yes that should work!
woow, Thank you Eve for such great teaching, i like shear butter soo much and it keep my body so soft.
Hi,
May I use Argan or Camilla Seed for the Safflower oil? I do not want to buy a bunch of carrier oils due to shelf life.
Author
HI Lisa, sure! 🙂
Hello Eve, Thank you very much for sharing. It is an excellent recipe. I am getting ready to make it. Can you please tell me where I can find labels. I need to know how to package it right.
Thank u for the recipe!! What type of skin is it good for & what is the shelf life? TIA!
Author
Hi Lily, its great for normal to dry skin and the shelf life is 6 months depending on what is the shelf life of the shea butter and oil you bought.
is the any order way you can do make the lotion sold
Author
sorry its easy to make and I am not selling anything 🙂
Could you replace the safflower oil with grapeseed oil for this recipe?
Author
Hi Nayla, yes you can!