Homemade Cocoa Body Scrub and Body Butter
It’s getting to be that time of year again when I sometimes like to smell a little bit festive. Ya know…aside from the ordinary scent of oatmeal, honey, and whatever my toddler ate for lunch.
As the gift-giving season approaches, too, I’m glad to have these two fantastic recipes for making the most delicious-smelling body scrub and body butter ever!
I’ve already made my own batch, of course, and I need to go get some more half-pint mason jars so that I can give these as gifts to some sisters and friends. If you do the same, make sure the person you’re giving to likes chocolate first. (Who doesn’t? I know.) But seriously. Make sure they do like the smell of chocolate because this stuff is potent!
I love the way the scrub gently exfoliates my dry arms and hands with such a fun scent. And the body butter! It melts instantly and soaks right into the skin, leaving it re-hydrated, soft, and shining. And of course, it does this with all natural, wonderful ingredients, many of which are found right inside your pantry!
One really neat thing about these two recipes is that they are really easy to customize. Want to add a fruity scent to go along with the chocolate? Add sweet orange essential oil. Looking for more of a spice? Go for adding just a hint of cinnamon – about 1/4 teaspoon. Raspberry extract sounds divine! Experiment and find your favorites.
Cocoa Body Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/8 cup melted cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
- sweet orange oil essential oil, or raspberry extract, or cinnamon (optional)
Instructions:
- Melt cocoa butter over low heat.
- Mix all ingredients in bowl.
- Store in half-pint size mason jar.
Cocoa Body Butter
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup shea butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa butter
- 1/8 cup sweet almond oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
- 8 drops sweet orange essential oil, or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or raspberry extract (optional)
Instructions:
- In small saucepan over low heat, melt shea butter and cocoa butter together.
- Remove from heat and stir in oils.
- Pour into half-pint sized jar and allow to cool.
- Secure lid tightly, and enjoy or give as the perfect gift.
Have you ever made your own body scrub or body butter? What are your favorite scents to use?
Great post to start my morning. I already purchased the Simple Scrubs book and have wonderful ideas for Christmas gifts. Thanksfor a good way to start my day.
Oh, Stacy’s book is amazing! I learned so much from reading her book!
These recipes look heavenly! It would be so wonderful to share with friends!! Could you share with us where you buy your supplies? Thanks so much!
I buy everything but the essential oils here: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=126956
I get my essential oils from DoTerra.
I would be one of those crazy people who doesn’t like chocolate. Is there an alternative for using cocoa?
I have seen a brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice recipe somewhere and also a lemon… but I’m not sure about the measurements. Maybe just add 2 more Tbls brown sugar and 1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice. For the lemon, you use white sugar and the zest of one lemon.
If you don’t like the scent of cocoa, then definitely use WAY less of that in ratio to shea butter. And then, simply use essential oils of your choice for desired scent. 🙂
I made this face and body scrub and it came out hard.
It is difficult to get out of the jar with fingers, you have to dig it out with your fingernails.
It is not very exfoliating, but super moisturizing.
Although I like it, another problem is that it leaves a coating on the skin that you can scrape off.
Isn’t that the point of exfoliating?
If I make it again, I would adjust recipe to my liking.
When melting all these ingredients do you use a pan just for this. Or what is the best pan to use? Thank you..Love your site…
You can just create your own double boiler by putting a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water.
we have nut allergies in our family. Any substitute for the almond oil?
Yes! You could use grapeseed oil, or jojoba oil.
I was just wondering how long these butters/scrubs last? Thanks for the great gift ideas.
I would say up to six months, depending on the jar. With all natural ingredients, and no preservatives, definitely not as long as chemical stuff, BUT you will probably find it only lasts you 3 months or so, anyway. 🙂
These look absolutely delightful!
Couple of stupid questions, as I’m just starting to make my own things: 1) When you say melted cocca butter, do you mean, like the cocca BODY butter, like the lotion stuff? and 2) What is an ESSENTIAL oil and where can they be found? Could I use Orange extract like you could Raspberry? and lastly 3) is SWEET almond oil the same as Almond extract or no?
I see the author hasn’t been able to respond yet, so I’ll give a little input:
1. Cocoa butter comes in solid form, like shea butter. It is a stand alone ingredient; you wouldn’t be melting a “cocoa butter lotion” that is a cocktail of other ingredients. You would find this at a health food store, Whole Foods, or online at Mountain Rose Herbs or similar distributor.
2. Essential oils come in small bottles 1 oz. bottles and have medicinal benefits as well as being used to scent something. You’d also find them at a health food store or Mountain Rose Herbs. I think the main point of using them in this recipe is to scent it, so I don’t see why you couldn’t use orange extract as opposed to an essential oil.
3. Sweet almond oil is not the same as almond extract. It is a body oil, much like jojoba, sesame, or olive oil but has its own light almondy scent. You don’t need much, 2 Tbl. is the equivalent of 1/8 c. I believe, but it’s usually sold in an 8 oz. bottle at a health food store.
Thank you for the info! I’ll have to Google to find a health food store int he area, LOL.
Thanks, Jen!
Hi Jen!
You can find many of the items mentioned in the recipe here: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=126956
(The other) Jen did a great job answering your questions! Thanks, Jen!
I am going to make this on my trip this week, and use it while I’m gone! Any suggestions on where to find shea butter? I know I can get sweet almond oil from the pharmacist I believe.
Hi Debra, you can find shea butter (and sweet almond oil, too) here: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=126956
Holy smokes….they sound easy to make…AND seem like they might be good on ice cream. I think making these for my wife could be a win/win. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
I made these two recipes last night and this morning my cocoa butter is still mostly liquid. It has beads of white solid in it, but mostly it is a yellow liquid. Do I need to refrigerate to cool it more? Did I do something wrong and cook it too long? Is there a way to salvage it, because I spent about 100 dollars on all my supplies to make this big batch for Christmas gifts…!!! Thanks so much for your help!
Hilary, I can try and help you. That is surprising about your cocoa butter, because I usually have the opposite problem. Did you use the suggested ratio of cocoa butter, shea butter, almond oil? Cocoa butter usually solidifies easily. Is is possible that you used too much of the other oils? I’m just thinking for you. Let me know if that helps. I would not dump that batch. If possible, and if you think you agree, I would suggest adding a bit more cocoa butter, and remixing, and then, yes, placing in fridge to cool (mostly so that you can find out quickly if that solves it.) Okay. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
I just made it again to see if I could figure something out. It is setting up right now and I will let you know, Hilary.
Okay, mine set up very quickly in the freezer. I followed the recipe exactly. Maybe you used a different brand of butters/oils? All of my products are from Mountain Rose.
Hmmmm… I am curious. Be sure and let us know if you are able to get it to work.
I just made some tonight and 3 hours later it is still liquid. I am going to try and put it in the freezer. I did the correct ratios. Hopefully it won’t need to be stored in the refrigerator as they are gifts. I am surprised since cocoa butter is so hard at room temp and shea butter is solid as well. It seems weird that small amount of almond oil and vitamin E would make it a liquid. I will try freezing and if all else fails add more cocoa butter.
i thought I would share how mine turned out in case it helps anyone else. I put it in the freezer for a couple of hours and it solidified. I left it at room temperature overnight and it is still solid in the morning. So it was pretty easy to fix the liquid problem.
Now it is really hard (like cocoa butter) so I have to figure out how to get it out of the jar for use . . .
I tried posting this in the thread above, but it said it was a duplicate comment and would not post this.
I thought I would share how mine turned out in case it helps anyone else. I put it in the freezer for a couple of hours and it solidified. I left it at room temperature overnight and it is still solid in the morning. So it was pretty easy to fix the liquid problem.
Now it is really hard (like cocoa butter) so I have to figure out how to get it out of the jar for use . . .
Now I see that it posted both comments, sorry!
Here’s my problem: math! I am trying to make this recipe in a big batch, but I bought my butters in 7-oz. jars. I know that 8 oz. of a solid does not equal a cup, but I am having a very difficult time figuring out what they DO equal. Plus I have to figure out how many oz of the liquids to add. Help!
To add…more specifically, I bought 14 oz of shea and 28 oz of cocoa butter. So basically I need to know how much of the other ingredients to add to make my big batch. Anybody?
Figured it out, I think…but several hours later, it’s still liquid…so we shall see!
I make all of my scrubs and lotions. I like all kinds of scents. =) From Mint, to Cocoa and just about everything in between. If I had to pick just one though, it would be Vanilla. Or something similar to it.