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Hardworking hands deserve something better than store-bought. This homemade hand cream is thick, non-greasy and exactly what dry, cracked skin needs. I like to use it daily to stay ahead of dryness, but it’s especially good as an overnight hand treatment, just slather it on before bed and let it work while you sleep.
Homemade hand cream is a great DIY to start with to “get your feet wet” in the DIY world.
Much like homemade body butter and hand-made lotions, hand creams can be very forgiving, which makes them so easy to do with little helpers.
This DIY uses just three simple ingredients and no water, so you don’t have to worry about preservatives. That said, if you’re in the mood to customize, I’ve got a few optional add-ins you might want to try.
I especially love this cream for my hands, it really helps soften up that rough, cracked skin that tends to show up around the knuckles. It’s light, creamy, and dare I say even a little fluffy? Plus, it leaves your hands feeling silky smooth.
I make mine with shea butter, mango butter, and jojoba oil. It’s gentle enough for any skin type, and I even use it on my kids.
DIY Ingredients
- Shea butter: One of my go-to ingredients for homemade hand cream. It has a rich, creamy texture and a naturally beautiful scent that makes it feel extra luxurious.
- Mango butter: similar to shea butter, but a little more firm and has a neutral scent.
- Jojoba oil: One of my favorite carrier oils to work with. It blends beautifully and gives the cream a silky finish. That said, feel free to swap in another carrier oil if you have one you like; most will work just as well.
- Vitamin E oil: I only use a few drops of this ingredient, but I absolutely love it for its moisturizing properties.
- Essential oils: While these are optional, feel free to check out my favorite blends below to add the perfect fragrance!
- Arrowroot powder: This one’s optional, but if you’re after that smooth, non-greasy finish, you’ll definitely want to include it!
Variations
- For this DIY, I’m using a mix of shea butter and mango butter, but you can absolutely use just one, or even swap one out for cocoa butter. All three work well and can be substituted equally. Just keep in mind, mango butter is the firmest of the bunch, so if you leave it out, your cream will turn out a bit softer.
- A carrier oil helps give this cream that light, whipped texture. I personally love how jojoba oil feels in this recipe, but really, you can use just about any carrier oil you like. I’ve listed my top 10 carrier oils here if you want to explore a few options.
- Lastly, this one does call for a hand mixer, but only if you’re after that light, airy feel. If you don’t have one (or don’t mind your cream turning out more like a balm or salve), you can absolutely just stir everything together while it’s still melted, then let it set up on its own.
Homemade Hand Cream Recipe
Step 1: Add shea butter and mango butter to a medium-sized glass bowl. Place the glass bowl over a saucepan with a bit of water in the bottom. Heat over medium heat until the butters are melted.
Step 2: Allow the butter to cool slightly before placing it in the freezer for 5 minutes or until it sets up. You don’t want it to be completely solid. You can test this by pressing your thumb into the ingredients; if it holds the imprint, then it is the right texture.
Step 3: Add the jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and, if using, essential oils.
Step 4: Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients together until soft peaks form. If using arrowroot powder (to make it non-greasy), add that in now. Whip the hand cream for 1-2 more minutes.
Expert Tips
- This recipe should last up to 6 months if stored properly. Keep out of direct sunlight and in an airtight container for maximum life.
- Essential oils aren’t a must, but they’ll give your hand cream a lovely, natural scent if you feel like adding a little something extra.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a heat-safe glass bowl over a pot of water and slowly bringing it to a boil. It works just as well and helps gently melt your ingredients.
Essential Oil Blends
Tropical Explosion
- 5 drops wild orange
- 5 drops grapefruit
- 5 drops lime
Floral Breeze
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops chamomile
- 3 drops geranium
- 2 drops bergamot
Woodland Calm
- 5 drops vetiver
- 5 drops cypress
- 3 drops Siberian fir
- 2 drops cedarwood
Recipe FAQs
Get a small dime-sized amount of cream on your fingertips and gently massage it into your hands. You can use this multiple times a day.
For severely dry hands, apply a generous amount of cream to the hands before bed and put on a pair of gloves.
I like to use it every night before bed, especially when my hands are extra dry or cracked. Just massage a small amount into your hands and let it soak in overnight. Repeat for several nights until hands are soft and smooth. If your hands are feeling rough or flaky, you might want to start with a little exfoliation. Try using a homemade sugar scrub or my go-to homemade hand scrub.
Essential oils are not necessary for this recipe, but they do provide a beautiful aroma. If you choose to include them, it’s important to consider that your hands often come into contact with sensitive areas of the body, such as the eyes, nose, and ears. In addition, since hands are regularly exposed to sunlight, take care when using photosensitive oils, especially citrus varieties, as they may increase the risk of skin sensitivity when exposed to UV light.
I just love using this hand cream daily! It makes my skin feel so soft and moisturized. I even recommend it in my natural nails article because it helps soften brittle nails, too!
Related DIYs
If you tried this homemade hand cream or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Hand Cream
Equipment
- Glass Bowl
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 2.6 oz mango butter, Approx. 1/2 cup, chunked.
- 2.6 oz shea butter, Approx. 1/2 cup, chunked.
- 2 oz jojoba oil, 4 tbsp
- 0.05 oz vitamin E oil, 1/2 tsp
- 15 drops essential oils, optional, see blends below
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder, optional, see notes below
Instructions
- Add both shea and mango butter to a heat-resistant glass bowl. Place the glass bowl over a saucepan with an inch or two of water. Heat over medium heat until the butters are melted.
- Once melted, allow the bowl to cool slightly before placing it in the freezer for 5 minutes or until it sets up. You don't want it to be completely solid. It is ready when you can press your thumb into the ingredients; if it holds the imprint, then it is the right texture. Remove bowl from the freezer.
- Add jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and essential oils.
Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients together until soft peaks form. - If using arrowroot powder, add that in now. Continue whipping for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer cream to an airtight container for storage.
Notes
-
- If you want to watch me make this recipe, I’ve included the complete step-by-step video tutorial above.
- Add a little arrowroot powder if you want your hand cream to feel less greasy.
- This recipe should last up to 6 months if stored properly. Keep out of direct sunlight and in an airtight container for maximum life.
- Essential oils aren’t a must, but they’ll give your hand cream a lovely, natural scent if you feel like adding a little something extra.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a heat-safe glass bowl over a pot of water and slowly bringing it to a boil. It works just as well and helps gently melt your ingredients.
Essential Oil Blends
Tropical Explosion- 5 drops wild orange
- 5 drops grapefruit
- 5 drops lime
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops chamomile
- 3 drops geranium
- 2 drops bergamot
- 5 drops vetiver
- 5 drops cypress
- 3 drops Siberian fir
- 2 drops cedarwood
Could I substitute cocoa butter for the mango butter in this recipe?
Yes, you can
what is oxyscents
Hi there, I can’t smell any of the essential oils – it still smells like the melted shea butter… Can I double/treble the drops? Also, after whipping it kind of dried/cracked and doesn’t look beautiful and fluffy anymore (I left it in a bowl covered in plastic wrap while I looked for a jar!) – should I melt and whisk again and transfer immediately to an airtight jar, or is this normal? Thanks
You can add in more essential oils if you prefer.
When I made this the mixture went solid after whisking. I melted it down and popped it in the freezer and whipped again. Once again it went solid after standing for a few minutes. I’ve done this three times now with the same results. What am I doing wrong ☹️
It can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer to thoroughly whip the ingredients.
This was pretty greasy. Took forever to work into skin. How do I make it less greasy in the future?
I would suggest using the arrowroot powder to help with the greasiness and only using a tiny bit of the product, as a little goes a long way.
Hi Laura
My hand cream turned out liquid-y not whipped. Is that ok? I figured it would harden some. Thanks!
It certainly shouldn’t hurt anything.
Were you able to use the exact ingredients & measurements? With the mango and shea butter, it should be more hard than liquidy, if nothing else.
It says 45 drops but the oil blends are 5 drops a oil for 3 oil blend..?
Hi! I tried making this and think I blended it too long… my body butter instantly hardened and I’m not able to get it out of the bowl! Do you know if I can re-melt it or if there’s anything else I can do to save it?? Thanks 🙂
Yes! You can re-melt it and re-whip it.