I just love shea butter and I enjoy using it in my skin care routine but it can be difficult to use due to its hard nature. So, instead of using it as it comes, I like to whip shea butter to make it a creamy, smooth texture that is easy to apply to my skin.
Don't run for the hills yet, this is a simplified version without heat. While there are methods for heating up shea butter before whipping it, that can be time-consuming and not necessary if you follow the steps we use. Altogether it takes about 10-15 minutes to whip shea butter without heat.Â
I like to use whipped shea butter as an essential oil base when applying oils to my skin, read more about how to use your whipped shea butter below PLUS recipes!
Shea Butter Recipes Guide
Shea Butter Guide with DIY Essential Oil Recipes by Loving Essential Oils, Owner and Certified Aromatherapist:
Whipped Shea Butter - No Heat Recipe
Learn how to make whipped shea butter without heating (leave your double boiler in the cupboard!).
Items Needed:
- 1/2 cup Shea Butter
- 2 teaspoons Jojoba Oil
- Glass Jars for Storage
- Mixer & Glass Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
- Small Ziplock Baggie (optional)
Step by Step Tutorial
Step 1: Add 1/2 cup of shea butter to a glass bowl large enough to use the mixer. Best if shea butter has been at room temperature. Use a fork to assist with getting out of container if to hard or cut up with a knife if shea butter is in brick form.
Step 2: Add 2 teaspoons of jojoba oil to the bowl.
Step Three: Use a fork or spoon to break up shea butter even more.
Step 4: Using a mixer, whip for about 5 minutes, you can pause a few seconds during whipping shea butter to rest your arm if needed.
Step 5: You can add in essential oils in this step if you desire your entire batch of whipped shea butter to include them. For example, if I was making a batch of pregnancy belly balm I would add in 12 drops of Lavender, 8 drops of Frankincense, 4 drops of Geranium, and 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil. Mix for an additional 1 minute to blend in additional ingredients. If using as an essential oil base, then leave oils out.
Your shea butter should be whipped smooth without lumps, looks kind of like cake frosting consistency.
Step 6: Scoop whipped shea butter directly into storage container using a spatula if the neck opening is large enough or into a small plastic baggie to fill up containers if not.
If using the baggie method for filling containers, get all shea butter into one corner of the bag, then snip the corner of the baggie off to create a hole to squeeze out shea butter. This step is similar to piping cake frosting if you have even done that before.
Step 7: Fill your desired glass containers. For this batch I used 1 oz glass jars so the neck is too small to scoop the shea butter into it, I filled up four 1 oz containers. This small size is great for traveling or when on the go. Also great for giving out samples or for making DIY eye cream or bug bite cream.
All done, now you can enjoy!
How to Use Whipped Shea Butter
You can use whipped shea butter as is. It makes a moisturizing body butter. We have a blog post on 10 shea butter uses for natural beauty, see all the things it can do for you!
Looking for all-natural baby products? Whipped shea butter makes a great butt balm for babies and with only two ingredients (shea butter and jojoba oil) it is gentle enough for delicate baby skin.
Whipped shea butter also makes a great base for homemade creams and balms. Just add in essential oils of choice for custom creams and balms.
I also like to have a jar of whipped shea butter available so I can use it as an essential oil base.
Shea Butter and Essential Oils
When applying essential oils topically, it is best to dilute them before applying to skin. This is done for numerous reasons. I personally like to dilute before using essential oils on my skin because:
- I can cover more area with my essential oils
- It makes applying essential oils easier
- I lessen the chance of skin irritation
- It saves me money because I use less essential oil
- I receive the benefits of the ingredients in the base too!
So what can be used as an essential oil base? Many things like carrier oils, body butters, aloe vera, creams, and lotions.
One of my favorites to use is whipped shea butter. Why? Shea butter offers many excellent benefits for the skin, read our blog post on Shea Butter to learn more. I like to have my shea butter whipped up and ready in a glass jar so I can just grab a dab and add my desired essential oils.
Here is an example of how I used my whipped shea butter with essential oils:
My son came to me the other day and said his tummy was hurting, like gas pains and cramping. So, I instantly thought about cardamom essential oil because it is great for tummy troubles and safe for kids (ages 6 and over) but I didn't have any prediluted and ready for him. He wanted me to apply them fast so he could feel better. I grabbed my jar of plain whipped shea butter and my cardamom oil, took out a quarter size amount of shea butter, added 1 drop of cardamom oil to it, mixed them together in my hands, and rubbed onto his belly. He was feeling better within 15 minutes.
Another example is recently when I was getting ready for bed, I notice the skin on my neck looked dehydrated. Wanting my skin to stay youthful looking, I got a dab of whipped shea butter in my palm, added in a drop of helichrysum essential oil to it, and rubbed together in my hands. I applied to my chest and neck for an instant beauty fix.
You can see having a small jar of plain whipped shea butter ready to use as an essential oil base can be very beneficial and time-saving. I like this because I can customize my essential oil experience to what I need at the time.
Whipped Shea Butter Recipes
Learn how to make these simple whipped butter recipes.
 DIY Pregnant Belly Balm |
Directions: Blend all together and place in a 4 oz glass jar using whipped shea butter without heat method above. To use: Take a dab and rub onto belly to keep skin healthy, soft, and supple and to prevent stretch marks. 1% dilution of essential oils. |
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 Bug Bite Cream Recipe |
Directions: Blend essential oils into shea butter that has already been whipped. To use: Take a dab of cream on fingertip or cotton swab and apply directly to bug bite. 2% dilution of essential oils. |
 Homemade Moisturizing Eye Cream |
Directions: Blend essential oils into shea butter that has already been whipped. To use: Take a small dab of cream on a fingertip and gently apply to under-eye area, a little goes a long way. I also like to use this on my neck too! 0.5% dilution of essential oils. |
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 Nourishing Body Butter Blend |
Directions: Blend all together and place in a 4 oz glass jar using whipped shea butter without the heat method above. To use: Rub a small amount onto skin as desired. 1% dilution of essential oils. You can mix in a teaspoon of arrowroot powder to help to absorb some of the oiliness of the whipped body butter. |
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