Since 2019, I have been working and experimenting with natural products because I want to start using more natural products, especially for my skin and hair. I created an eyelash serum that actually works, tried making my body scrubs and face masks and currently, I am obsessed with my whipped Shea butter recipe.
During wintertime, my skin becomes extremely dry and ashy and no amount of lotion seemed to work. I knew I needed something with a thicker and buttery consistency that will keep my skin smooth and nice. Whipped Shea butter was the answer.
Whipped Shea butter is basically raw Shea butter with air bubbles and other oils incorporated into it.
It’s very easy to make, and a little goes a long way.
I also love to use it on my hair especially when it’s still wet to retain moisture and it makes my hair soft and curly.
There are so many whipped Shea butter recipes and methods out there but here is how I make mine. My processes are very easy to follow and quick so without any further delay, let’s get into it.
How to make a whipped Shea butter for skin and hair
Table of Contents
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Items you will need:
– Raw Shea butter
– Liquid oils ( I use coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin e oil)
– Metal Container ( for melting your Shea butter)
– Bowl or another container(for whipping)
– A mixer ( I use a hand mixer because that’s what I have.)
– Spoon for mixing
– Jars or containers for final packaging
My whipped Shea butter recipe:
I always make my whipped Shea butter in small batches so here is what I use:
– 100g for raw Shea butter
– 2ml each of the liquid oils
– A few drops of vanilla and sandalwood essential oils whenever I want to add fragrance. But the majority of the time, I don’t add any essential oil.
Note: this is what I use because I like the consistency I get with the recipe. Here is a general guideline that will help you:
if you’re making this during winter, you would want it to have a thick consistency so that I suggest you use more Shea butter and less liquid oils.
If you’re making it during the spring or summer period, you would want it to feel light on your skin so I will recommend less Shea butter and more oils.
There is no ultimate whipped Shea butter recipe that works for everyone. It really up to you to choose the consistency you like, the scent, and even the oils you want to add. Just do your research properly.
The procedure
1. Slowly melt the shea butter in a double boiler and melt it at slow heat. A burned butter is never a good idea, so slow and steady is the way to go
2. Turn off the heat and remove the butter from the burner. At this stage, you can add carrier oils and vitamin E, but it’s still too hot to add essential oils
3. Let it cool off to room temperature either by setting it aside or by placing your container in a bowl with ice to speed up the process. I just place mine into the freezer for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir it occasionally while you are waiting for it to cool off close to room temperature, or about 75 F (23 C)
5. Add the essential oils if applicable
6. Start whipping. Yes, you whip it while it’s still liquid. I am not sure about the science behind it, but if you skip this step, it won’t turn out as nice
7. Put it in the fridge until it’s completely solid
8. Take it out of the fridge and let it soften enough to be able to WHIP IT AGAIN
9. And you’re done!
10. Now you can scoop the shea in your final containers, or you can pour the whipped butter in a zip lock bag, cut a corner at the end of it, then squeeze into your jars.
And that is it. You now have a beautiful jar of whipped Shea butter ready for your skin and hair. Remember to keep it away from hot temperatures because that will melt all your hard work.
I hope you learned something today, I would love to hear from you in the comments. Do you make your own body butter? Have you tried one before? Do you have any questions regarding the whipped shea butter? Just leave them all in the comments and I will answer as soon as I can.
Thank you for reading and I will see you again, next time!
Wao I learned a lot from your blog post
Thanks for taking your time to write such an excellent article
I’m glad you found it helpful. Thanks for reading:)
I loved learning about this! Sounds like an awesome recipe I need to try. I love shea butter.
Oh you should! Shea butter is so amazing for the skin and hair. Let me know how it turns out for you when you finally try it. Thanks for reading:-)
When you say, take out of refrig, let soften to be able to WHIP IT AGAIN, are we whipping it again?
Yes. Whipping it the second time is what will get it to be fluffy and smooth.
Sounds great, will have to try. Only thing. Putting back in the freezer, let cool out and whipped again…will have to try.
Thanks
How do you use this on your hair?
Can you calculate it into a larger batch? I want to gift these
just double each measurement 🙂
This is my first time making whipped shea butter so I made a half-batch. It turned out way to thick/firm. Can I put it in a double-boiler and heat it and add more carrier oils to thin it out? Would I refrigerate it and whip it? Once or twice?
Also, it doesn’t really soak into my skin. I’m hoping adding more carrier oils might help.
And last, it would be beneficial to update the recipe to a more specific amount for the essential oils. I know the amount is personal preference, but the recipe says “a few drops,” which to me means 3-5 drops. I made a half-batch and chose to put 3 drops in, but I can’t even smell the essential oil. So 3-5 drops would absolutely not work for a full batch.
I would love to be able to modify what I have already made to make it more useful, so I look forward to your suggestions.
It sounds like you’re on the right track! Here’s how you can adjust your whipped shea butter:
1.Thinning it out: You can absolutely melt the butter using a double boiler and add more carrier oils like coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil to adjust the consistency. Start with small amounts (1-2 tablespoons) and mix thoroughly to ensure the oils blend well. Add more if needed until you reach your desired texture. Once it’s mixed, let it cool slightly before whipping.
2.Refrigeration and whipping: Once the shea butter has been thinned out, let it cool to room temperature or slightly solidify in the fridge (about 20-30 minutes). Then, whip it with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes to achieve a fluffy consistency. Refrigerating it before whipping is a good idea to help the texture firm up. You only need to whip it once unless you want to achieve a super light texture.
3.Absorption: Adding more carrier oils should help with absorption, especially if your current mix feels too heavy. Some oils like sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil are lighter and absorb better than thicker oils like coconut oil.
4.Essential oils: For a more noticeable fragrance, you can increase the essential oil amount. Generally, 1% of the total batch weight is a good guideline for essential oils. For example, if you’re making a 100g batch, 1% would be 1g, which equals about 20 drops of essential oil (depending on the oil’s density). This will give a more noticeable scent without overpowering the formula.
Thanks for the feedback! I wound up using all the first batch as is.
The second batch (half batch) I recently made, I doubled the carrier oils and upped the essential oil a bit, but not nearly to the amount you mentioned. It still doesn’t have a noticeable scent at all, so I will add even more next time. I definitely like the texture better, but will be tweaking it again next time I make it.