This simple DIY shea butter lotion recipe (made with just 3 ingredients) is the perfect moisturizer for the whole body, face included, and may be used for acne-prone and aging skin.
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I’ll guide you, step-by-step, through how to make shea butter lotion, using shea butter and no coconut oil (because coconut oil can and will clog pores). The final product is a non-greasy, 100% natural moisturizer, with a creamy consistency and skin-soothing properties.
This recipe is used just like store-bought body lotions: to moisturize the face, hands, feet, legs, arms. Technically, this is more of a homemade body butter recipe: a thick moisturizing cream versus a pumpable lotion. (Make pumpable lotion recipe here.)
But whatever you call it, it’s one thing: AMAZING!
What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter comes from the “nut” (or pit) of the fruit found on the Karite Tree. It is soft, compared to cocoa butter, and has a strong scent when it’s purchased in an unrefined state.
I use unrefined shea butter in body-care recipes, but if you don’t care for the (natural) fragrance, I recommend using refined shea butter. Shea butter softens and moisturizes the skin, making it perfect for homemade lotion, shaving cream, and lip balm.
Benefits of Shea Butter
Shea butter is the main ingredient used to make homemade body lotion and many other skin care products.
- It’s naturally rich in vitamins and fatty acids, like vitamin A and vitamin E.
- It contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. It’s ideal for sensitive skin and as an anti-aging product. There’s even evidence that shea butter could help with wrinkles.
- Shea butter helps to combat dry skin. It’s an emollient: traps moisture on the skin without clogging pores. There’s also some evidence to suggest that it may help to alleviate eczema symptoms and soften scar tissue. Source: Medical News Today
- Shea butter contains stearic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid, that allows the butter to spread smoothly on skin without tension. This makes it ideal for a body and face moisturizer since it will melt right into the skin!
I personally use shea butter moisturizer every night before bed. And I’ve seen the texture and softness of my skin improve.
Before You Get Started: Ingredients & Tools
The natural ingredients can be found at most health food stores or online via Amazon. Each ingredient is carefully chosen for its natural moisturizing properties.
Video Recipe Tutorial
How to Make Shea Butter Lotion: Step-By-Step Instructions
Here’s the best way to make shea butter lotion, step by step.
Step 1: Melt Shea Butter
Heat the shea butter to melt it, don’t burn it. To avoid burning the shea butter, create a DIY double boiler. This will allow you to melt the shea butter without it directly touching the heat.
Place a medium-size glass bowl over a sauce pan filled 1/4 the way full with water. The glass bowl should sit just on top of the saucepan, without touching the water in the pan.
Over medium heat, allow the water in the saucepan to simmer. Then add the shea butter and melt.
Once the shea butter has fully melted (about 2-3 minutes), turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the heat.
Step 2: Add Nourishing Carrier Oil
Stir 1 teaspoon of arrowroot starch into the liquid oil of choice (grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, OR jojoba oil) and whisk to combine. Pour the oil (and arrowroot starch whisked in, if using) into the shea butter.
You can skip the arrowroot starch and add the oil directly to the shea butter at this step. The arrowroot creates a non-greasy lotion.
How do you make non-greasy shea butter lotion? Adding arrowroot starch, which is similar to cornstarch, is the best option. You’ll find this ingredient in the baking section at most grocery stores or online. This ingredient may also be used in cooking: make almond flour cookies and waffles or thicken stir-fry sauce.
Step 3: Cool in the Fridge
At this point, the shea butter and oil mixture should be cooler (along with the bowl).
If not, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then place the mixture in the fridge and allow it to solidify (about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on location in the fridge and temperature).
Alternatively, speed up the process by placing the bowl in the freezer.
Step 4: Add Essential Oils
Once the mixture is opaque and firm (not solid as a rock), remove the bowl from the fridge.
Add the essential oil (or a combination of essential oils) of choice, if desired. Add up to 15 drops of skin-safe essential oils to this mixture. A few of my favorite essential oils to add are listed in the recipe below.
Step 5: Whip the Shea Butter
Use the whisk attachment and an electric mixer, hand mixer, or a fork to whisk the mixture until it appears “whipped.” This doesn’t take very long, just a few seconds using a mixer and a bit longer with a fork.
Step 6: Spoon Lotion into a Jar
Now you get to enjoy this amazing homemade lotion recipe and all its benefits (we’ll talk about the awesome benefits in a minute). Or, share the lotion as a gift.
Choose a beautiful glass jar and spoon your creation into the jar. Add a label, if desired. And store the lotion at room temperature in a cool place (like a bathroom cabinet) for up to 6 months.
How to Choose a Carrier Oil
You can use shea butter alone as a body and face moisturizer, or you can mix it with a carrier oil to make a whipped body butter recipe or lotion (like this recipe).
Here’s what I recommend for a nourishing carrier oil to mix with the shea butter. The options absorb easily in the skin, making them the best options for a non-greasy lotion.
Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil is made from a shrub that grows in Northern Mexico and the Southeast US. Jojoba is an emollient: a natural moisturizer that softens and moisturizes skin. Jojoba is the closest to our skin’s natural oil, making it ideal for all skin types.
Grapeseed Oil: This oil comes from pressed grape seeds. It has high amounts of fatty acids, vitamin E, and antibacterial properties. Grapeseed oil may be a great option for aging skin and for those with acne-prone skin.
Sweet Almond Oil: Made from sweet almonds and rich in vitamin A & E, fatty acids, and proteins.
Virgin Coconut oil is also an option, but as I’ll share in a minute, I don’t care for using coconut oil on my face. If you’re just using this lotion on your body, coconut oil may be a good option.
How to Use
Scoop a small amount of shea butter lotion out of the jar using your finger, then rub between your hands. The heat from your hands will soften the shea butter. Massage into your skin: face, arms, legs, feet, dry patches, etc.
A little goes a long way.
For the face, apply this moisturizer after cleansing (my favorite natural face cleansers) and toning (a spritz of rose water is my favorite). If you use any serums, apply a facial serum before applying the lotion.
What’s the Shelf Life?
This natural lotion recipe doesn’t use any preservatives. Store-bought lotions add preservatives to formulas out of necessity. Without a preservative, mold and other bacteria will grow in a water-based lotion.
This recipe doesn’t need a preservative because it doesn’t use water in the formula. This means you can make a long lasting moisturizing lotion, without using any preservatives and don’t need to worry about mold growth. Woohoo!
Store the final product at room temperature, in a cool dry place, for up to 6 months. I recommend keeping homemade shea butter lotion away from heat, like a hot steamy shower, since it will melt slightly. This recipe is intended for home use; not to be sold commercially.
How to Add Essential Oils
If you want to scent your own lotion, essential oils are the best way to do this! Along with their scent, essential oils are easily absorbed by the skin for nourishment, and provide antibacterial and soothing properties.
Add one essential oil or a combination of essential oils, totally 15 drops, to this lotion recipe. The best essential oils for homemade lotion are…
- Roman Chamomile
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Jasmine
- Carrot Seed
- Rose
- Lavender
- Tea tree
- Sandalwood
- Geranium
Essential Oils to Avoid: Avoid citrus essential oils (like lemon or orange essential oil) if you plan to wear this lotion during the day when exposed to the sun. Citrus essential oils are photosensitive and can cause your skin to develop a rash or sunburn.
Lotion Without Coconut Oil, Here’s Why
You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t use any coconut oil. A lot of lotion and homemade whipped body butter recipes rely heavily on coconut oil.
Coconut oil is not the cure-all. Gasp, I know. That statement is practically heresy in the natural living community. Toothpaste? Coconut oil. Smoothies? Yep, coconut oil. A boo-boo? More coconut oil. We use it for everything! I’ve learned the magical oil isn’t always suitable for every need.
Many years ago, I decided it was time to ditch the toxins found in our bathroom. From lotions to body wash to makeup, the amounts of toxins I put on my body was astounding. With the urge for simplicity and natural living, I started developing my own replacements for things like foundation powder and lotion.
One of my very first DIYs was a simple homemade moisturizer using coconut oil. After a few weeks of using this moisturizer on my face, I experienced multiple break outs, daily peeling, and dry skin patches. Here’s why…
There’s nothing wrong with coconut oil, but from a skin care perspective, it’s not the best moisturizer option for the face. If you use it on your face, it’s likely to clog pores and cause breakouts due to its chemical composition.
Shea butter does not clog pores and is the best moisturizer option. So skip the coconut oil on your face and instead turn to shea butter and a non-clogging carrier oil!
FAQs
6 More Ways to Use Shea Butter
- Use shea butter to make homemade deodorant. You’ll also need arrowroot starch for homemade deodorant.
- Combine shea butter, coconut oil, and castile soap to make homemade moisturizing shaving cream.
- Combine butter, carrier oil, and beeswax to make Shea Butter Lip Balm or a custom DIY Lip Balm.
- Jojoba oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and soothing herbs come together to create DIY lotion bars.
- Shea butter, aloe vera, chamomile, and coconut oil make a fantastic homemade diaper rash cream.
- Use shea butter combined with mango butter and cocoa butter to make a customized body butter.
Homemade Moisturizing Shea Butter Lotion Recipe (Without Coconut Oil)
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer or fork
- 1 medium-size heat safe bowl
- 1 medium-size sauce pan
- 1 4-ounce glass storage jar (or larger)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shea butter (4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot flour starch (optional, to make a non-greasy lotion)
- 2 tablespoons nourishing carrier oil such as: jojoba, sweet almond oil, or grapeseed oil. This can even be coconut oil or olive oil (if not using on the face).
- 5 drops lavender essential oil optional*
- 5 drops rosemary essential oil optional*
- 3 drops carrot seed essential oil optional*
- 2 drops tea tree essential oil optional*
Instructions
Step 1: Melt Shea Butter
- To melt the shea butter, make a DIY double boiler. This will allow you to melt the shea butter without it directly touching the heat.
- Place a medium-size glass bowl over a sauce pan filled 1/4 the way full with water. The glass bowl should sit just on top of the saucepan, without touching the water in the pan.
- Over medium heat, allow the water in the saucepan to simmer. Then add the shea butter and melt.
- Once the shea butter has fully melted (about 2-3 minutes), turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the heat.
Step 2: Add Nourishing Carrier Oil
- Stir 1 teaspoon of arrowroot starch into the liquid oil of choice (grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, OR jojoba oil) and whisk to combine. Pour the oil (and arrowroot starch whisked in, if using) into the shea butter.
- NOTE: You can skip the arrowroot starch and add the oil directly to the shea butter at this step. The arrowroot creates a non-greasy lotion.
Step 3: Cool
- At this point, the shea butter and oil mixture should be cooler (along with the bowl). If not, allow it to rest for a few minutes.
- Place the mixture in the fridge and allow it to solidify (about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on location in the fridge and temperature). Alternatively, speed up the process by placing the bowl in the freezer.
Step 4: Add Essential Oils
- Once the mixture is opaque and firm (not solid as a rock), remove the bowl from the fridge.
- Add the essential oil (or a combination of essential oils) of choice, if desired. Add up to 15 drops of skin-safe essential oils to this mixture. A few of my favorite essential oils to add are listed in the recipe above. You can add your favorite essential oil or oils, not the ones listed above (if desired).
Step 5: Whip
- Use the whisk attachment and an electric mixer, hand mixer, or a fork to whisk the mixture until it appears "whipped." This doesn't take very long, just a few seconds using a mixer and a bit longer with a fork.
Step 6: Store
- Choose a beautiful glass jar (4 ounces or larger) and spoon your creation into the jar. Add a label, if desired. And store the lotion at room temperature in a cool place (like a bathroom cabinet) for up to 6 months.
Video
Notes
- Roman Chamomile
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Jasmine
- Carrot Seed
- Rose
- Lavender
- Tea tree
- Sandalwood
- Geranium
Natural Body-Care Simplified
Learn how to make your own body and beauty products with simple ingredients.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! I just printed it out and am going to try it today. (Luckily, I already have all the essential oils.) I thought you might also like to know of CamdenGrey.com, another excellent source of pure, high-quality essential oils (and other supplies, such as Shea butter etc.). I’ve purchased from them over the years and their quality is consistently high, their customer service excellent, and their prices are almost always much lower than other places.
Hey Marina, Thank you for the essential oil and DIY resource. Enjoy the lotion!!
I have made this recipe three times so far and every time I do love it but I find it ends up turning pretty hard. Doesn’t look as soft and fluffy as yours does in the pictures or on the video. Is there something you think I could be doing wrong? Maybe whipping it too much. I was hoping to continue with this lotion but I would love it to be more creamy and easy to spread. Thank you for your help.
Hey Jillian,
I’m not sure what may be happening. Within a few days of making this recipe, the lotion will feel hard but should still be spreadable and easy to scoop from the container. One suggestion is to try cooling the mixture in the freezer, but not allowing it to fully freeze. Then whip the semi-frozen ingredients. I think that may help produce more of a whipped consistency.
Hi Kristin. I just happened on your site today looking for a good recipe for a rich hand cream and am excited to try out your recipe…it will be the first time I make my own body product. I plan on using very small canning jars and lids to put the cream in. My question is: do you sterilize your containers or is it just sufficient to wash them in hot soapy water and dry them? What do you do to prepare them?
Cheers!
Hey Kellie, Welcome to Live Simply! I just wash my jars with hot soapy water and dry them. As long as the jars don’t have any standing water (or leftover food particles) bacteria won’t grow :).
If you wanted to add a darkening agent to the moisture, could you use cinnamon and cocoa powder?
Hey JG, I’ve thought about adding cinnamon and cocoa powder, but haven’t experimented with the combo yet. If you try it, let me know!
Hi! I just ordered a few of the things I can’t find in my hometown from amazon, and can’t wait to make this! Do you use this just in place of a facial moisturizer? I have done homemade lotions, but looking for something I can use for my face as well. Will it be oily? Do you wear it under makeup? Will the EO’s cover things such as anti-wrinkle/acne issues?
Hey Shanay, I use this lotion for a facial moisturizer. The lotion easily absorbs into my skin, but a little bit goes a very long way. The oils will help “maturing” 🙂 (*raises hand*) and acne-prone skin. I wear this lotion under make-up. Enjoy!!
What would make this better is to make sure all of the ingredients are organic. Thanks for this recipe.
You’re welcome, Renee. Using organically-sourced ingredients is awesome. Enjoy!!
Can I replace the carrot seed oil with Vitamin E?
Hey Heather, Yes, you sure can :).
Sorry if you have been asked this already but will also be good for a face moisturizer?!?
Hey Jillian, No problem at all…we like answering questions :). Yes, I use this as a facial and body moisturizer. Five times a week I use this lotion and the other two I use a homemade facial serum: https://livesimply.me/2015/01/18/diy-homemade-facial-serum/.
Have you tried this lotion recipe in a Pump Dispenser? Or would it be too thick to dispense this way? Thank you in advance.
Hey Roberta, The lotion is a bit too thick for a pump dispenser. I’m still working on a homemade lotion that will work in a pump dispenser.
Hi Kristin, I made this lotion tonight. I’ve had it with Olay and their overpriced products that have a bunch of stuff in them that I’m sure I don’t need. It’s my first attempt at making my own beauty products. I’ve been reading all over the internet to find recipes for making my own and it seems I like yours the best.I was reading too fast and missed the rosemary but it still turned out well and I love the smell, shea butter doesn’t bother me in the least. This feels great on my skin. Thank you so much for all your hard work and sharing what you’ve learned with us. You do a wonderful job of writing, explaining recipes and answering questions. I appreciate you.
~ Sincerely, a new fan, Annie 🙂
Thank you so much, Annie! I’m so honored to have the opportunity to share recipes, tips, and stories with such an amazing community. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the lotion. Making homemade products is such an empowering feeling–knowing what’s in the product and how it is made.
Hey Kristin! This will be my first time making my own lotion and I’m pretty new to EOs as well. Is this lotion okay to use on my kids with all the EOs in it? Thanks!
Hey Tiffany, For a family-friendly lotion, I’d leave out the carrot seed (the carrot seed oil is amazing for the skin, but I don’t think it is necessary for kids) and rosemary. Here’s a great post from an aromatherapist I highly respect and follow on kid-safe EOs: http://www.learningabouteos.com/index.php/2014/02/07/essential-oils-and-children/.
I just found this recipe today and I’m so excited to try it out!
I was wondering whether you’ve tried mixing different butters? For example, using both shea butter and cocoa butter in the same lotion?
I was also wondering whether you’ve been able to use this moisturizer without having to switch things up again? At the start of your post you said that you changed from your coconut moisturizer because your skin was beginning to get irritated. Did you eventually find the same thing with this shea butter moisturizer?
Last question: do you have any idea where I can buy these butters and oils in Canada? The products that you link to on Amazon.com are infinitely more expensive on Amazon.ca 🙁 I assume you don’t know, but I figured it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Hey Courtney,
I haven’t tried different butters in the recipe. Many readers have mentioned using mango butter. I personally think a combo of shea and cocoa butter would be great!
I’m still using this lotion. I love that it sinks into my skin and doesn’t leave the dry feeling left by coconut oil. There are times when I run out and due to laziness I just use pure shea butter for a few days, but overall this is my go-to lotion still. I also use a homemade argan oil serum once or twice a week at bedtime instead of this lotion (the recipe is coming soon and it’s super easy!), just to mix things up.
For the butters and oil, I’m not sure about purchasing in Canada. Maybe check with Plant Therapy for the oils and Mountain Rose Herbs for the butters? They may ship to Canada at decent prices.
Courtney – I’ve tried both cocoa & shea butters but not together & I prefer shea butter. I also liked the shea better b/c it kept my skin moisturized longer. As for where to get oils in Canada, Zehrs or a health food store. Here in southern Ontario, KW region, I go to S & H Health foods. Their prices are decent & I can usually find everything I need.
Just made this, but I used RAW shea butter. Quite a smell. So, I’m wondering what are the best essential oils to mask a sort of baby poop-ish (for lack of a better word) smell of RAW shea butter? 😀
Hey Jessica, You could add a bit more lavender, that will probably help with any smell :).
Ha-ha-ha-ha! I couldn’t describe that smell better! I detest that smell!
Hi Kristin,
Thank you for this recipe – I can’t wait to try. My question is that if I want to switch up the EO’s in the recipe do you have a reference as to know how much to sub? IE if I wanted to use Frankincense and Myrrh instead of Rosemary and Tea Tree oil – is it a straight substitution of drop amounts? I am still new to all this and want to make sure I don’t overdue it with the oils!
Thank you in advance
Hey Stacy, Great question. This chart can be a bit confusing at first (at least for my brain), but it’s considered the standard dilutions when it comes to adding EOs:http://essentialoilblogging.com/2013/12/04/essential-oil-dilution-chart/. Hope this helps :). I always play it safe, so less is more. Enjoy!! Here’s another post/chart that may help: http://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/methods-of-application/.
Thank you thank you! Gives me a good start. I am thinking from here then it is mostly preference on how much of each? IE if I can use 18 drops and want to add lavender, frankincense, and myrrh I just choose how much of each? Sorry for all the questions – I’m still new and just starting in on all this stuff!!
Hey Stacy, Questions are great :). Yes, those are pretty safe EOs too, so I think those three oils (and the amount you mention) will make a great lotion!!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I have some shea butter, but it smells weird so I am going to try the mango butter. I also love Plant Therapy. Besides great essential oils, they have a variety of carrier oils, so I may experiment with one of those. I have been wanting to try hazelnut, which is supposed to be good for oily skin.
Wonderful, Jan! I’ve never tried mango butter, but a lot of people really like to use it when making this lotion. I love Plant Therapy too. I just started using their carrier oils and love the quality and price.
Hi, just made this today for the first time. Used the unrefined Shea butter and jojoba oil, didn’t have carrot seed oil, but subbed basil. It’s a very moisturizing ‘feel’ compared to the coconut oil. So far, so good.
I saw where some people were asking about clean-up. I wipe out my glass measuring cup that I use to melt the Shea and jojoba in a hot water bath with a paper towel and then use Dawn dish soap for the final cleaning. Works like a champ.
Wonderful, Audrey! Thank you for sharing. Clean-up can be the trickiest part of this recipe :). Enjoy the lotion!!
Thank you for sharing.
i am making this as christmas gifts and i feel like adding something else would also make the batch bigger
thank you! i was wondering if there was something i could add to it that would make it more of a lotion… like less thick and creamy. i haven’t tried making it yet, because I’m still waiting on the shea butter to come in the mail, but just from the ingredients it seems as if it would be more solid then liquidy like a lotion
Hey Jessie, You could try adding more nourishing oil (but not too much as that will make it very oily). The other option is adding coconut oil (if you’re okay with coconut oil on the skin) as that will increase the amount made and create a softer lotion.
Thank you for sharing your recipe I have been using straight coconut oil to moisturize and am looking forward to trying something different.
You’re welcome, Layla! Enjoy!!