SkinCare: How To Make Your Personal Frame Butter

After publishing many DIY Skincare recipes over the years I decided to circle back and cover the basic fundamentals of making body butters that I have learned and use often. Included are three very simple recipes showing the use of some of these basics.

I have also made a tutorial video of these recipes which is included at the beginning of this article for reference:

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BODY BUTTER

1. SHEA BUTTER – COLD-WHIP METHOD:

The first recipe uses the queen of all cosmetic butters, Shea Butter.

A little about Shea Butter and why it is popular and a common choice as a base in skin care products is, Shea Butter is nutrient rich, packed with vitamins and antioxidants. It deeply moisturizes the skin to help soothe and repair dry, itchy, cracked skin and helps to maintain a healthy glow. Its properties also make it effective in evening out skin tone, diminishing blemishes, dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Shea Butter is a nice universal option as it is safe for all skin types and is non-comedogenic (does not clog pores).

You can get Shea Butter in an unrefined or refined state, I use unrefined shea butter as it contains all of the natural nutrients and has no added chemicals or preservatives.

Unrefined Shea Butter Benefits:

• Helps relieve skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dry, cracked skin
• Loaded with vitamin A (for cellular turn over and collagen production).
• Contains vitamins E, F and fatty acids for deep moisture.
• Helps repair damaged skin, aggravated skin and blemishes
• Fights fine lines, wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, and uneven skin tone
• Helps shield skin from pollution, sunlight and strong winds
• Helps stop the itching of stretching skin
• Pure Unrefined Shea Butter is completely safe for men, women, children and also pregnant moms
• Naturally non-comedogenic, so does not clog pores.
• Moisturizes and nourishes the scalp and hair
• Protects hair against the elements
• Helps lock in hair moisture which prevents it from getting dry and brittle

For this recipe we will use the cold-whip method using unrefined shea butter as this butter is a semi-soft butter and usually very pliable. There are times shea butter can harden and you will need to melt it however most times you can mash and whip it without using heat.

Here is the recipe with the details on how to do this:

SHEA BODY BUTTER RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 8oz Unrefined Shea Butter
• 3oz Jojoba Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
• 25 drops of an essential oil of choice
• Optional: mica, to add color and shimmer

Directions:

1. Once you confirm your shea butter is soft and pliable, cut it into small pieces and place into a bowl, mash it up with a fork or similar instrument.
2. Add in the oils and mash this with the butter until combined
3. Once the mixture is mashed into a smooth paste, whip it using an electric mixer until it is to the fluffy consistency you desire
4. Optional: add in mica if you would like to add natural color to your body butter. Sprinkle it in and mix it with a spoon to combine it, then whip it in until fully blended.
5. Scoop your final product into jars with lids or similar sealed containers
6. Now it is ready for use. Use on your body after a shower or bath or throughout the day as needed.
7. When not in use, store in a cool dry place, away from sunlight in a sealed container

2. MANGO BUTTER – MELT NO-WHIP METHOD

There is a way I have recently used for body butters that does not require whipping the body butter, however it still comes out with a nice creamy texture. I am calling this the melt no-whip method.

For this recipe I used Mango Butter, which is rich with antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins that nourish the skin and  boost its elasticity and suppleness. In this way it can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is also known to boost the skin’s luster and natural radiance while reducing the appearance of dark spots. Mango Butter is semi-solid, so is a bit harder than shea butter and slightly less greasy.

Mango Butter Benefits: 

• Effective every day deep moisture for the skin and face
• Naturally non-comedogenic, so does not clog pores
• Contains vitamin A (promoting cellular turn over and collagen production)
• Loaded with Vitamins B, C, D, E & fatty acids helping with cell regeneration, which gives the skin a rejuvenated, revitalized appearance
• Can even out dark spots, and discoloration over time
• Helps reduce fine lines, wrinkles, scars and stretch marks
• Shields skin from pollution and strong winds
• Deeply moisturizes dry cracked skin
• Safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin
• Effective as a scalp conditioner (seals in moisture and reduces breakage and hair loss by strengthening hair follicles)
• Protects hair from drying, helps control frizz and boosts volume and growth

MANGO BODY BUTTER RECIPE:

Ingredients

• 8oz Mango Butter
• 3oz Apricot Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
• 25 drops of an essential oil of choice

Directions

1. Cut up the mango butter into small pieces and melt using a double boiler until it is liquid
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes so it is cool enough for the oils
3. Add in Apricot Oil and your essential oil of choice
4. Stir the mixture and put into final containers
5. Place these containers in the fridge until firm and remove
6. It is ready for use. Apply to your body or face once a day or more as needed
7. When not in use, store your final product in a sealed container in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight

3. COCOA BUTTER – MELT-WHIP METHOD

This recipe uses one of my favorites, Unrefined Cocoa Butter, which has a natural chocolatey smell.

Cocoa Butter  is a solid butter rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids that deeply penetrate the layers of skin to moisturize, improve elasticity and protect it.  Its properties make it effective in smoothing or diminishing scars, wrinkles, and similar marks on the skin. It can also help in preventing and minimizing the appearance of stretch marks.

Cocoa Butter Benefits:

• Penetrates layers of skin for deep moisture and skin repair
• Fights fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks, and scars
• Shields skin from pollution and strong winds
• Relives dry, cracked or peeling skin
• Helps stop the itching of stretching skin
• Strengthens and regenerates skin by enhancing collagen production
• Loaded with vitamins E and K which are essential to good skin health
• Full of saturated oleic, saturated stearic and palmitic acids all beneficial to the skin

COCOA BODY BUTTER RECIPE:

Ingredients

• 8oz Cocoa Butter
• 3oz Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
• 25 drops of an essential oil of choice, for this I used orange essential oil which came out nice

Directions

1. Chop the cocoa butter into small pieces and melt it on low heat over a double boiler
2. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then add the almond and essential oils, mix it and place in the fridge
3. Remove it from the fridge when it is mostly solid but still has some liquid in the center
4. Whip with an electric mixer until it is smooth and fluffy
5. It is now ready for use. Apply to clean skin once a day or more as needed
6. When not in use, store in a sealed container, in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight.

SUMMARY

My three go-to butters for skincare products are Shea Butter, Mango Butter, and Cocoa Butter.

As you may notice in most recipes you can use about 60% butter to 40% oil and you come out with a nice balanced body butter. There are different methods to make the final product come out the way you want it, as described above. You can then have fun with the essential oils you like. You can add colors you want using mica and put your final product in fun containers to make it unique and just the way you like it.

I hope you enjoyed this. Comment below with any thoughts or questions.