Enjoy the moisturizing and soothing properties of this DIY orange spice body butter. Designed to restore and nourish skin while also invigorating your senses with the sweet scent of orange and warm, spicy notes of clove. Scooped into a glass jar or tin, it makes a beautiful handmade gift.

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The homesteading lifestyle is all about doing things yourself — opting out of the rat race and consumerism and learning how to be a bit more self sufficient. This can include raising your own livestock, growing your own food, producing your own natural medicine and preserving food whether it comes from your garden or a local farmer. But the life of a homesteader isn’t just about food, although that is quite important. It can also include skills like crafting, sewing, building things with your hands or creating skin care items using natural ingredients.

There are so many DIY skin care items you can create. Some are purely for health and healing while others are designed to treat yourself to something special after a long day of work. My favorite self care remedy to make is soap. If you have just a few base ingredients, the canvas of soap making possibilities are endless.

Another do-it-yourself body care product I enjoy making, and is often a necessity in the winter months, is whipped body butter. It is easier and quicker to create than lotion and only requires 4 easily accessible ingredients. While the initial body butter recipe will help moisturize your skin, I often like to add a blend of essential oils to create different scent combinations. During the fall and winter months, orange and clove essential oils turn this homemade whipped body butter recipe into a stimulating aroma that feels like it warms you throughout the day. Be sure to whip up a double batch as this recipe makes a perfect handmade Christmas gift to give to your friends and family!

Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe

This orange spice body butter has been proven to be an effective treatment for healing dry, broken and irritated skin in our family. I love that the recipe is easy to make in a moments notice and includes all-natural ingredients that I always have on hand.

Shea butter is a popular choice for skin care products. High in vitamin E and vitamin A, shea butter helps to soften and soothe dry, chapped skin.

Cocoa butter gives this recipe a light scent of chocolate (if using unrefined cocoa butter). The creamy qualities of the cocoa butter help to protect skin while also providing a smooth, firm texture to the finished whipped body butter.

Coconut oil is an excellent addition to homemade skincare products. It is anti-inflammatory, softens skin, provides a natural layer of protection and locks in moisture.

Olive oil is deeply hydrating and helps to soften and moisturize skin. When adding it into this natural body care recipe, I highly recommend using organic olive oil so that you are not absorbing any toxins or chemicals into your skin. If you do not have any olive oil on hand, you can swap the olive oil for sunflower or grapeseed oil.

Orange essential oil. There are so many great uses for orange essential oil and it is my oil of choice when I make homemade cleaning products, soaps, balms and salves. The pleasant aroma of orange essential oil brings a sense of calm, joy and overall helps to improve the state of mind.

Clove essential oil was added into this body butter recipe for its warm, spicy qualities. A little goes a long way so only add a few drops. Clove is well known for relieving pain in achy muscles and joints and the fragrant scent gives one a sense of comfort and optimism.

How to Store Body Butter

The best way to store body butter is in a glass jar stashed away in a cool, dark cabinet. I often place my whipped body butter into an amber glass container and place it my medicine cabinet away from direct sunlight to prevent the heat from deteriorating the product.

How Long Does Body Butter Last?

If stored properly, generally homemade body butter can last 6-12 months. Storing the whipped body butter in the fridge may help to extend the shelf life but can also make the body hard and not quite as easy to spread onto your skin. If moisture gets into the body butter, it can ruin it and cause the moisturizer to go bad. The cleanliness of the equipment you use to make the body butter as well as the freshness of the ingredients also play a role in the shelf life of the skincare item.

How to Make Whipped Body Butter

Makes: 4 ounces

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (20 g) shea butter
2 tablespoons (20 g) cocoa butter
2 tablespoons (32 g) organic olive oil
2 tablespoons (25 g) organic coconut oil
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
3 drops clove essential oil

Supplies

4 ounce jar

Directions

Add the shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil and coconut oil into a pint size mason jar. Set the jar into a saucepan with a few inches of water over low heat until the shea butter and cocoa butter have melted. The jar acts as a makeshift double boiler.

Turn off the stove burner. Remove the jar from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the essential oils. Pour the mixture into a heatproof mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 45 minutes or until it becomes set up and begins looking solidified.

Once it has set up, remove from the fridge. Using a hand mixer, whip the coconut body butter until light and fluffy – similar to a super thick whipped cream. Scoop the butter into a jar and store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. The homemade body butter will last for at least 6 months, if stored properly. Storing the the orange spice body butter in the fridge will help extend the shelf life and also feels cool and refreshing when rubbed into your skin.

To use, rub into dry skin or any area that needs a touch of moisture such as your arms, legs, elbows or back.

More Natural Skincare Recipes You Will Love

Calendula Lotion Bar

Milk & Honey Melt & Pour Soap

Comfrey Healing Balm

Vanilla Mint Lip Balm

Chamomile Bath Salt

Yield: 4 ounces

Orange Spice Body Butter

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (20 g) shea butter
2 tablespoons (20 g) cocoa butter
2 tablespoons (32 g) organic olive oil
2 tablespoons (25 g) organic coconut oil
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
3 drops clove essential oil

Instructions

Add the shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil and coconut oil into a pint size mason jar. Set the jar into a saucepan with a few inches of water over low heat until the shea butter and cocoa butter have melted. The jar acts as a makeshift double boiler.
Turn off the stove burner. Remove the jar from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the essential oils. Pour the mixture into a heatproof mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 45 minutes or until it becomes set up and begins looking solidified.
Once it has set up, remove from the fridge. Using a hand mixer, whip the coconut body butter until light and fluffy - similar to a super thick whipped cream. Scoop the butter into a jar and store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. The homemade body butter will last for at least 6 months, if stored properly. Storing the the orange spice body butter in the fridge will help extend the shelf life and also feels cool and refreshing when rubbed into your skin.
To use, rub into dry skin or any area that needs a touch of moisture such as your arms, legs, elbows or back.