Body Butter Recipe with Beeswax

In this tutorial, I will guide you through the art of creating your own luxurious body butter using beeswax as the secret ingredient. Beeswax adds a creaminess to the mixture to help create the ideal consistency. These step by step instructions and tips will help you craft a body butter that is customizable to your preferences.

Creating homemade skin care products is much easier than it looks. At a fraction of the cost of commercial products, this homemade body butter with beeswax recipe is very simple to make. And, it is only one of thousands of intriguing uses for beeswax.

Beeswax Body Butter – Why Beeswax?

Any investigation into homemade health and beauty recipes will reveal beeswax as a common ingredient. Why use beeswax in skin care? This natural wax forms a barrier over skin to lock in moisture.

When used in a recipe that needs to be thicker, the natural wax helps maintain the consistency of the product.

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.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In truth, only 3 main ingredients are needed to make this beeswax body butter. Any additions or customizations can be used to personalize the product. I often add Vitamin E oil to enhance preservation of the oils and sometimes essential oils for scent – they are optional.

• beeswax
• shea butter
• coconut oil

Choosing the Right Beeswax

If you have the opportunity, don’t be afraid to purchase raw wax from a local beekeeper – or use wax from your own hive. This ensures that you know the purity of the wax.

You do need to use wax that is clean – and cleaning beeswax is easier than you may think.

If you don’t have access to local wax, you can always purchase beeswax pellets (I like these) or bars. They have the advantage of being easier to melt and should already be free of impurities.

Shea Butter

Shea butter works like an emollient. It helps provide moisture and helps soften skin. Shea butter also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Unrefined shea butter can be used in many bath and beauty recipes.

Coconut Oil

The third major ingredient is coconut oil. Often you can find in right in the grocery store but you can order coconut oil as well.

This oil is another popular moisturizing ingredient. It is semi-solid at cool temperatures and liquid when warm – this makes it a great tool for body butters that require a firm yet smooth consistency.

Equipment

You will need something to melt the beeswax in – an double boiler will work. I LOVE these little candy melting pots and have several I use for crafting.

You will see that I am using a hand blender. This is a not a requirement but it is very useful.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Using the double boiler method (safest) melt the beeswax and add the shea butter and coconut oil to the mixture.

2. Once all the ingredients are melted – (if you want to add vitamin E oil or Essential oils) – let the mixture cool for a few minutes first. A couple of minutes on the counter or in the refrigerator should be enough.

3. After adding any desired optional ingredients (including a pinch of corn starch – if desired), use a hand blender to whip the ingredients into a light airy consistency.

4. Now, spoon the beeswax body butter into smaller containers for use.

Storage : Allow product to cool completely and store in an air tight container. It should last for several months.

• unlike making soap with beeswax or other ingredients, the measurements for this recipe do not have to be precise.
• basic recipe ratio -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
• you can purchase a bottle of vitamin E oil – but in a pinch – I have used cut open capsules
• if you use essential oils – make sure they are skin safe – and test for sensitivity in small batch
• 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.
• make a small batch first if it too firm use less wax or more soft oils. It may require making several small batches before you get the exact feel that you prefer.
• temperatures are a factor-you may need to add more wax to your body butter recipe during Summer.

Homemade Body Butter VS Homemade Lotion?

Body butters and lotions are similar but not exactly the same. Butters are primarily fat based and feel a bit heavier or more luxurious.

However, lotions contain a larger percentage of water in the recipe. Meant to be a lightweight skin protector, it moisturizes in a different way.

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.

More Ideas

After you experience the joy of creating your body butter, don’t stop! There are many other simple DIY beauty recipes to experiment with.

What can you do with a little beeswax? The possibilities are endless. You can make your own beeswax candles, whip up a batch of homemade beeswax lip balm even lotion bars with beeswax and oils.-but there is more… so much more to explore.

You may want to use this natural beeswax vapor rub recipe for cold and flu season – or try your hand at this natural honey face moisturizer.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Have fun getting creative with the wonders of beeswax. It is one of the most precious gifts from the honey bees. When mixed with other butters and oils, you can create a DIY body butter that anyone could be proud of – and your skin will thank you!