How To Make Citrus Body Butter

This citrus body butter smells like sunshine and will leave your skin soft and nourished! This easy DIY uses ingredients like cocoa butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and essential oils.

If you love the refreshing scent of citrus, you will adore this citrus body butter! This soft and creamy lotion is great for all skin types and is especially great for those who suffer from dry skin. I used only natural ingredients and skin-safe lemon myrtle essential oil to create this beautiful body butter that smells like a refreshing summer day.

How To Make Citrus Body Butter

For this DIY you will need olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, arrowroot powder, and lemon myrtle essential oil.

Use a double boiler to melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a medium pot of water and top it with a glass or metal bowl. 

Heat the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Heat the coconut oil and cocoa butter until both are melted. Once melted, remove the pot from the burner.

Pour melted oils into a medium bowl or your stand mixer bowl.

Add the olive oil, arrowroot powder, and essential oils. Use a whisk to mix the arrowroot into the oils. 

Place the bowl into the refrigerator and allow the oils to set for about one hour. 

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and allow it to warm to room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Then, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the oils into a body butter. 

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour the citrus body butter into a glass jar and secure with a lid.

Substitutes:

• Olive Oil: I love how olive oil and citrus smell together, so that’s why I chose this carrier oil for this recipe. Any liquid carrier oil will work, though. Other great alternatives are jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, or apricot kernel oil.
• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is great in skincare recipes because it’s an excellent moisturizer. It’s also easy to work with. If you’d like to substitute it in this citrus body butter recipe, you can use similar oils like shea butter or babassu oil in its place.
• Cocoa Butter: This hard fat keeps the texture of this body butter and helps it not to melt. If you’d like to substitute it with another butter, I recommend mango butter or kokum butter.
• Lemon Myrtle: This essential oil smells so lemony and gives this citrus smell to this body butter. I formulated this recipe with lemon myrtle because it’s not a phototoxic essential oil, which means it’s safe to use on your skin if you’re exposed to sunlight. Phototoxic essential oils can cause your skin to burn, so it’s best to avoid using them in this recipe. Some examples of phototoxic essential oils are Angelica, Bergamot, Bitter Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, and Mandarin Leaf. This is a great article about phototoxic essential oils if you want to learn more.
• Arrowroot Powder: This starch helps with the application of the body butter on your skin. It’ll help your skin feel less greasy. You can use cornstarch or omit it from the recipe if you prefer. 

Watch The Video Tutorial:

Citrus Body Butter FAQ

What is the best substitute for coconut oil int this body butter recipe?

Shea butter is a great substitute, but can be finicky to work with. Shea butter needs to cool slowly or the fatty acids will crystalize and become grainy. 

Can I use other citrus oils like orange essential oil?

You may, but do not expose your skin to sunlight within 12 hours of applying or you may break out in a rash. You can use other non phototoxic essential oils like tangerine or yuzu. 

Is this body butter safe for sensitive skin?

Yes, the ingredients in this body butter are safe for most skin types. It’s always best to do a skin test to check how your skin will react to this product. 

Do I need to add a preservative?

Because this recipe doesn’t use water or water based ingredients, it is safe to use without preservatives. You may add vitamin e oil or rosemary antioxidant to help extend the shelf life though. 

Related:

• Whipped Butter Recipe
• Lip Balm Recipe
• Calendula Salve Recipe

PrintLinks on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same