Shea Butter Hand Cream

This is another cream I make. This one is a little more expensive to make than the Vaseline based cream. This one I use on my face and neck, as well as my hands. The Vaseline based cream I use in my feet and on my hands 100 times a day! I’m constantly washing my hands (dirt, dogs, cat, chickens, eggs) and in the winter, they dry out and crack so badly if I’m not keeping them moisturized.

The cream on the left is obviously the shea/cocoa butter cream. This cream could also be whipped while the oils are still warm and it will be made into a fluffy body butter but this is best done when the house is warm. As soon as the oil is poured into a cool mixing bowl, the oil starts to set up. I prefer the cream rather than the butter.

The beauty of all of these homemade concoctions is that you can really use whatever proportions you like. I use equal amounts of shea butter and cocoa butter, with a little beeswax. I’ll often add a little sweet olive oil or coconut oil or aloe gel. Really, anything nice oil that you think you might like is ok. I would make a small amount at first, just to be sure you’re going to like the finished product. My favorite mix is this:

• 1/2 cup shea butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa butter
• 1/2 cup sweet olive oil
• 3 T. beeswax

Be careful when melting the oils. You can use a double boiler or a Pyrex cup in a pot of water with a canning jar run under the cup works fine.

Shea butter can get grainy after being melted if too much heat was used. I usually melt the cocoa butter with the beeswax, let that cool down a bit, then add the shea butter and stir til it melts. Once it’s melted, I’ll add the sweet olive oil, which I warm (not HOT — just warm) in the microwave before adding to the other oils.

If you want to add essential oils, either for scent or other benefits, this is the point where you would add them.

Pour the liquid into containers that can be sealed. If the oils are fresh when you’re using them, these lotions should be good for at least a year.

Shea butter is an amazing product for dry skin. I’ve ordered from several places in the past but usually, simply because of Prime and free shipping, just order from Amazon. This is the one I’ve used in the past and recently ordered again. 

I often add cocoa butter, which does give the cream a bit of a cocoa smell but I can live with that. This is the cocoa butter I most often use.

I also add in a bit of melted beeswax just to give the lotion a little stability . . this makes it not melt quite so easily. This is the beeswax I use.

Whether you use the items I use or not, please be sure to read the reviews. Some complain about various oils/butters having strange scents and other issues. I’m happy with the ones I’m currently using but you need to make your own choices based on reviews.

One last note: If you want to order any of these oils, you should probably order something other than the heat of the summer .. especially if you live in areas that get really hot or if your items will travel through very hot areas. I make sure I have plenty of cream made or the products ordered by the end of February or else I’ll have to wait til late November to get them. Just too hot in Texas for these wonderful oils to spend time on the delivery trucks where they will melt, spill, etc.