In recent decades, more information has come to light about the products we use in our daily lives. New research has proven just how harmful some chemicals can be, and they’re included in items we use every day.
One industry that has been hit with this revelation is the skin care industry. Skin care products, especially moisturizers and lotions, are often loaded with harmful perfumes and chemicals that can disrupt your body’s natural hormones.
Thankfully, there are easy, healthy alternatives. You can simply make your own lotion at home! A popular recipe that has circulated for a homemade moisturizing butter is whipped shea butter.
So, how do you make whipped shea butter? To make your own whipped shea butter, you can either cold-whip it or use heat. Cold whipping is faster and involves whipping the cold shea butter, adding your oils, and whipping until smooth. To use heat, you’d melt the shea butter, whip it, let it cool, add your other ingredients, then whip again.
There are many options for the ingredients you use along with your shea butter. In this article, we’ll review all of your choices for additives to your shea butter, then walk you through both methods of making your own homemade whipped shea butter.
What Is Shea Butter Good For?
Shea butter is a moisturizing body butter that contains incredible properties. Though we are not making any medical claims, we can share that many people have experienced help with acne, dry skin, and skin irritation. It can even help reduce signs of aging and wrinkles.
Homemade whipped shea butter is made using only the most natural and organic ingredients. All the oils we’ll list below are cold-pressed, organic oils.
Because whipped shea butter is made with such clean ingredients, you can feel comfortable applying it to your skin, knowing that you’re getting great coverage with your moisturizer without compromising for any harsh chemicals.
Ingredients For Whipped Shea Butter
The primary ingredient in whipped shea butter is, of course, shea butter. It’s best to use raw, unrefined shea butter for the best results.
Unrefined shea butter means that it isn’t cut with or blended with any other ingredient, so you know you’re getting 100% pure, raw shea butter. From there, you can add several ingredients.
You’ll need to incorporate a carrier oil of some kind, but the exact oil you choose is up to you. We’ll provide a list of recommended options below.
You can also add essential oils to give your shea butter a fragrance. Shea butter has a naturally nutty smell, but it can be easily masked with 10-20 drops of essential oils.
If you’re going to use essential oils, be sure to read the bottle labels. Some oils, like citrus oils, are phytotoxic and can cause chemical burns on your skin if exposed to the light.
Another important thing when using essential oils is to choose them from a reputable company. It’s best to use 100% pure essential oils that have been harvested through a steam distillation process.
If you want to give your whipped shea butter a smoother, softer consistency, try adding a few drops of rosewater. This will also give your shea butter a nice floral scent.
Finally, you can add vitamin E oil to your whipped shea butter. Vitamin E is great for skin and can help smooth scarred tissue and soften wrinkles.
To sum it up, review our list of ingredients below:
- Shea butter
- Carrier oil (rosehip oil, argan oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil are all great choices)
- Rosewater
- Vitamin E oil
- Essential oils (we recommend Plant Therapy or Revive)
- Storage containers
How To Make Cold-Whip Shea Butter
The cold-whip method of making whipped shea butter is significantly faster than melting it first.
Some say that the cold-whip method doesn’t give a good consistency, but it’s close enough that you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.
Some also say that the cold-whip method is the best way to do it because it helps keep all the great natural properties of the shea butter without burning any away.
Either way, it’s a great method to use if you’re low on time.
Before you get started, be sure to gather your ingredients and something to mix with. We recommend a food processor, hand mixer, or stand mixer.
To use this method, your shea butter should be at room temperature. Do not store your shea butter in the refrigerator before using it to make whipped shea butter. It needs to be soft enough to whip.
Steps for making cold-whip shea butter:
- Cut your shea butter block into smaller chunks. If making a small batch, start with just 4oz. If making a larger batch, you can use an 8oz. block or even a full pound.
- Add the shea butter to your food processor, stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Whip the shea butter until it reaches a smooth consistency, around 30 seconds.
- Add a tablespoon of your carrier oil and a few drops of vitamin E oil or rosewater, if using. If you want to make the whole batch the same scent, you can add 10-20 drops of essential oils now. If you want to make batches of different scents, wait to add your essential oils.
- Mix everything together for around 1 minute until the mixture has a smooth, light consistency. If mixing in a stand mixer, remember to occasionally scoop down the sides of the bowl.
- After the initial mix, you can now separate your batches into smaller bowls and mix in your essential oils. This is only if you want different scents for every jar. Whip the essential oils with a hand mixer or whisk in until fully incorporated, another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Transfer your whipped shea butter into wide-mouth mason jars or other airtight containers. For easy transfer, scoop each batch into a small zipper bag, cut one corner, and squeeze it out into the jar.
Your whipped shea butter is now ready to use!
Store your whipped shea butter in a dark, cool environment. It shouldn’t be a cold place, like the refrigerator, because it will harden too much. You also don’t want to store it in a warm or light place, because the shea butter will melt.
The best place would be underneath the bathroom sink or in a drawer of your bedside table. If you made batches with different essential oils, be sure to label each jar with the oils you used.
How To Make Melted Whipped Shea Butter
If you want to try and go for an even smoother consistency, then you can try using the melted method.
Pay attention to when each ingredient is added. You can’t add essential oils to the hot, melted shea butter because it can have adverse effects on the oils.
For this method, you’ll need a double-boiler as well as a stand mixer or hand mixer as listed above. Since the shea butter gets melted down, you can even just use a regular whisk with a mixing bowl.
Steps for making melted whipped shea butter:
- Heat your double boiler up to a low heat. You wouldn’t want to use high heat because it will burn the butter.
- Cut shea butter into 1-inch size chunks while the double boiler is heating. Once it’s hot enough, add the shea butter to the double boiler and boil until it melts. You’ll want to stir occasionally during this process. The more shea butter you have in the pot, the longer it will take to melt.
- Add in a few drops of your carrier oil and vitamin E oil, if using. Mix well.
- Pour the melted shea butter into your mixing bowl and set aside to cool down. Once it’s cooled enough so that it’s still liquid, but it’s not hot to the touch, you can add 10-20 drops of essential oils and a few drops of rosewater, if using.
- While the mixture is still liquid, using a hand mixer or whisk, whip until thick and smooth. It will have the appearance of cake frosting.
- Wrap the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, creating an airtight seal, and store in the refrigerator to cool completely. Leave it in the refrigerator until it becomes solid again.
- When it’s cooled enough to be solid, take it out of the refrigerator and whip again with the hand mixer or whisk.
- After the second whip, your shea butter is now ready to be transferred to the storage containers. You can scoop it directly into the containers, or scoop it into zipper bags and cut the corners to pipe it into the containers cleanly.
That’s it! Now you have melted whipped shea butter. Depending on who you talk to, they’ll swear that melted whipped shea butter is better than the cold-whip method.
We recommend trying both ways and seeing which you like best. This is your homemade shea butter, after all, so you’re free to test different methods and tweak the recipes until it’s the perfect whipped shea butter for you!
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