Body Butter Recipe with Beeswax
Making your own bath and beauty projects can be a lot of fun. Though it may look difficult creating homemade skin care products is rather easier. At a fraction of the cost of commercial products, this homemade body butter with beeswax recipe is so simple to make – you can have some to share too.
Homemade Beeswax Body Butter Recipe
Any investigation into homemade health and beauty recipes will reveal beeswax as a common ingredient. This is due to the beneficial properties of this natural wax but also because it is so easy to work with.
May contain affiliate links. Read my privacy and affiliate disclosure policy for more info.
Beeswax is easy to melt, mixes well with other ingredients and solidifies at room temperature. With a relatively low melting point, it does not require any special equipment and stores indefinitely.
Though the initial cost of buying natural wax may seem a bit steep – you never have to worry about it spoiling. It will be ready when you are ready to create something special.
Why Use Beeswax?
This natural wax is made by honey bees. Thankfully, they are capable of making much more wax than they need but it does require hard work to produce wax.
When the beekeeper collects a honey harvest excess some wax is left over after honey extraction. Rather than wasting this precious product, it is perfect for many special beeswax uses.
When used in a recipe that needs to be thicker, the natural wax helps maintain the consistency of the product.
We are trying to create a perfect blend of soft and hard materials. The end product is then not as subject to changes in temperature.
Another benefit of using the wax from honey bees is that it creates a light coating over the skin, and aids in keeping in natural moisture.
Buying Beeswax
Don’t be afraid to purchase raw wax from a local beekeeper. This ensures that you know the purity of the wax. And, cleaning beeswax is easier than you may think.
If you don’t have access to local wax, you can always use pellets or bars. They have the advantage of being easier to melt and should already be free of impurities.
Homemade Body Butter VS Homemade Lotion?
Body butters and lotions are similar but not exactly the same. The main difference between these 2 skin care products is in the kind of ingredients used.
Butters are primarily fat based and feel a bit heavier or more luxurious. They contain products such as shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil. These give it a creamy consistency.
However, lotions contain a larger percentage of water in the recipe. Meant to be a lightweight skin protector, it moisturizes in a different way.
There are times and situations where both products are useful. Want to try a homemade lotion? Making lotion with beeswax instead of some other waxes gives a lighter feel and is less likely to clog skin pores.
However, because lotions contain water – they are more perishable than butters. This is why many lotion recipes call for some type of preservative to prolong the shelf life of the product.
How Much Beeswax to Use
Though it seems frustrating, these recipes allow a lot of flexibility. This is really a good thing. Play around with your ingredient ratio. Make a small batch of the beeswax body butter at first.
If the final product is too firm or hard, use less wax or more soft oils. It may require making several small batches before you get the exact feel that you prefer.
Everyone is different and what one person thinks too hard – another may feel is just the right amount of firmness.
Temperatures are a factor too. You may need to add more wax to your body butter recipe during Summer. Even though beeswax doesn’t melt until it reaches a temp of around 147°F, it does soften at high temps.
Expert Tips
- Unlike making soap, the measurements for this recipe do not have to be precise.
- a basic recipe is 4 parts coconut oil – 2 parts shea butter and 1 part wax. Substitutions are great!
- use vitamin e oil if desired to prolong freshness and a longer shelf life
- using a hand mixer to whip the ingredients results in a lighter product
- if you plan to give this to someone – be sure to include an ingredient label due to possible allergies.
What can you do with a little beeswax? The possibilities are endless. You can make your own beeswax candles, lip balm even lotion bars-but there is more… so much more to explore.
After you experience the joy of creating your body butter, don’t stop! There are many other simple diy beauty recipes to experiment with.
When you make your own skincare products, you control what goes in the recipe. Natural ingredients are always a plus.
You may want to use this natural beeswax vapor rub recipe for cold and flu season – or try your hand at this natural face moisturizer.
FAQs
The shelf life of whipped body butter is pretty good. Your product should last about 3 months if kept in a cool place.
Adding a little vitamin E oil helps keep the other oils from going rancid but this is optional. Because no water is used in the recipe, there is little chance of spoilage.
You can purchase a bottle of vitamin E but in a pinch, I have used cut open Vitamin E capsules and squeezed out the liquid. This is optional-and not necessary if you plan to use your butter quickly.
Coconut oil has a high melting point compared to some other oils. However, the use of beeswax helps stabilize your the product.
Different fats and oils absorb into human skin at different rates. Using a large percentage of heavy butters such as shea butter will create a greasier product. Limit the use of heavy butters or oils.
Body butter recipes do not need a preservative because they contain no water. It is okay to add some vitamin E oil to promote freshness of the oils.
How to Make Beeswax Body Butter Step by Step
Supplies
- 6 oz coconut oil net wt
- 3 oz shea butter net wt
- 1.5 oz beeswax net wt
- 2 tsp corn starch (optional)
- 6 drops vitamin E oil (optional)
- 12 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Use your scale to measure out the beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil. I only create beeswax crafts using net weight – not volume. However you can measure in any way you wish.
- Using the double boiler melt the ingredients gently until all are liquid. Then blend well to mix ingredients.
- Remove the top pot from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Then, add the Vitamin E and Essential Oil if desired – stir well.
- Place in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. We want the mixture to begin to cool.
- Using a mixer of your choice, (I used a hand mixer) continuously whip the ingredients as they continue to cool and thicken. Stop when you are pleased with the texture.
- Once the mixture cools enough to create a peak when stirred with a spoon – it is time to spoon it into the jars or containers of your choice. Store in a cool place.
Notes
- I measure beeswax crafts in units of weight. For this project, you can measure in any way you wish – our goal is to have 1 part beeswax – 2 parts Shea Butter – 4 parts coconut oil.
- *Substitute any oils you desire – I chose these for the easy availability
- *If you don’t have a bottle of Vitamin E for crafting – you can’t cut open a few vitamin E capsules.
- *The safest way to melt beeswax is always in a double boiler. Use extreme care when making any project that involves hot oils or waxes.
- *A stand mixer makes creating beeswax body butter much easier. However, if you don’t have one – don’t let that stand in your way.