If you’re anything like us, you probably find winter simultaneously enjoyable and difficult to deal with. While we love pretty, snowy landscapes, hot chocolate, and family time over the holidays, we also struggle with shorter days, very cold weather and- perhaps worst of all- super dry skin! We’re always on the lookout for new ways to keep our hands, elbows, and legs hydrated, rather than dry and itchy, and DIY ways are always our favorite methods.
Check out these 15 deliciously DIY winter beauty products that will help you keep your skin hydrated and smooth, rather than cracked and annoyed, all throughout this winter season!
1. Pretty in Pink body butter
No, we promise you, this adorably pink and swirled creation is not a dessert! It looks just about good enough to each, but it’s actually a DIY whipped body butter by Savy Naturalista! You’ll need:
- 1 cup of coconut oil
- 1 ½ cups of vegetable shortening
- 1-3 drops of pink food dye (gel is recommended)
- 5-10 drops of essential oils (optional, but rose oil works well)
2. Lemon cream body butter
Do you like the idea of a lovely, smooth DIY body butter, but pink isn’t really your style? Try this fresh scented lemon version from Get Inspired Every Day instead! You’ll need:
- 6 tbsp of coconut oil
- ¼ cup of cacao butter
- 1 tbsp of vitamin E oil
- ¼ tsp of lemon essential oil
3. Coconut vanilla body butter
For some reason, the rich smell of vanilla has always reminded us of the holidays. At the same time, we find the smell of coconut slightly summery. You can imagine how delicious and uplifting this body butter from My life at Playtime is then! You’ll need:
- Coconut oil (as much as required for the quantity you want)
- Vanilla extract (add to taste in terms of scent)
4. Lavender lotion bars
These might look like bars of soap, but they’re not actually meant for scrubbing in the shower! Gourmande in the Kitchen shows you how to make your own lotion bars that rub on like soap but moisturize your skin like lotion. You’ll need:
- 2 oz of beeswax
- 2 oz of coconut oil
- 2 oz of shea butter or cocoa butter
- 10-20 drops of lavender essential oil
5. Beach butter balm
Within all this cold weather and holiday talk, are you craving a little something to remind you of summer? We feel that way sometimes too, but we can usually satisfy it through smell! That’s why we love this DIY beach butter balm from Offbeat and Inspired! You’ll need:
- 2 fl oz of exotic coconut fragrance oil
- 1/2 oz of vitamin E (natural)
- 1 lb of Monoi butter blend
- 1 lb of cocoa butter (natural)
- 1 lb of Shea butter (natural)
- 1 lb of sweet almond oil (refined)
- 2 oz of argan oil
- 16 oz of aloe vera gel
6. Cranberry body butter
Are you a lot more likely to use a good winter moisturizer if it smells like the holidays and makes you feel like getting into the swing of the season? Then you’ll love this cranberry body butter in a little travel tin from She Knows! You’ll need:
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of shea butter
- 1 tbsp of frozen cranberries
- 1 drop of orange essential oil (optional, for extra scent)
7. Bronzing whipped body butter
Do you find yourself looking washed out and pale in the winter when you usually prefer to look sun kissed and glowing? Then maybe a body butter that’s also a subtle bronzer, like this one from Free People, is the right DIY recipe for you! You’ll need:
- 1 cup of raw shea butter
- ½ cup of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of cacao powder (roughly- add according to how light or dark you the bronzer to be)
- 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- ½ cup of jobaba oil
- ½ cup of aloe vera gel
- 10 drops of essential oil (lavender works well)
- 1 tsp of vitamin E oil
8. Green tea and oat body butter bars
Adding oats to your soaps or body butter is a great way to stay exfoliated in a gentle, natural way! We also love anything involving green tea, so of course we had to include this recipe from Life Ann Style! You’ll need:
- 2.5 oz of cosmetic/food grade wax
- 2 oz of cocoa butter
- 2 oz of Shea butter
- 1 oz of almond butter
- 1 tbsp of oats
- 1 tbsp of jojoba oil (optional)
9. Whipped peppermint bark body butter
Peppermint will never not remind us of Christmas and the holidays. Of course, we still use it in things during the rest of the year too, but there’s a part of us that will always think of candy canes. That’s why we love this DIY body butter recipe from Fit Fab Living! You’ll Need:
- ¼ cups of cocoa butter
- ¼ cups of shea butter
- ¼ cups of coconut oil
- 2 tbsp of vitamin E oil
- ¼ tsp of peppermint extract
10. Shea body butter
Perhaps your concentration is on the actual hydrating characteristics of the body butter you’re making and you don’t actually want it to have a seasonal scent because you’re very sensitive to strong smells? Then just plain DIY Shea body butter, like this smooth recipe from Love and Cupcakes, will get you through the winter season! You’ll need:
- 1 cup of raw shea butter (organic)
- 1/2 cup of raw coconut oil (softened)
- 1/4 cup of almond oil
- 1/2 tsp of vitamin E oil
- Essential oil in your favorite scent (optional- about 40 drops)
11. Coconut and plum whipped body butter
Are you a huge fan of unique combination smells that you might not see commonly elsewhere? We are too! Coconut and plum wasn’t something we’d heard of before we found this DIY body butter recipe from The Natural Beauty Workshop, but not we can’t wait to make it! You’ll need:
- 2 oz of organic virgin coconut oil
- 2 oz of ultra refined or deodorized cocoa butter
- 1 oz of plum kernel oil
- 1/2 oz of carnauba wax
- 1 ½ tsp of plum jojoba wax beads
12. Whipped coconut cooling lotion
Usually you’d use cooling lotions in the summer to soothe sunburns, but we actually find them useful in the winter too! If our legs or hands are feeling particularly dry or, god forbid, have cracked, we find cooling lotions like this one from Hello Glow, especially soothing. You’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- 2 tbsp aloe vera gel (this is where the cooling action comes from)
- 12 drops of essential oil (for scent- peppermint, lavender and orange all work well)
13. Simple lotion bars
Maybe you’d like to make lotion bars for all of your friends for Christmas but you’re not sure which scents they’d prefer, or whether they’re perhaps too sensitive for any scent at all? Then consider these simple lotion bars from Transient Expression! You’ll need:
- 1/4 cup of beeswax (chopped or grated)
- 1/4 cup of cocoa butter (chopped or grated)
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of almond oil
- 1 tbsp of jojoba oil
14. DIY lavender “sleepy” lotion
Are you looking specifically for a calming lotion that you can put on before bed to not only stay hydrated but also start to feel ready for some down time? Then you definitely need to check out this “sleepy” lavender lotion from Lavender and Lime! You’ll need:
- 1 cup of organic coconut oil
- 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 1/2 cup of cocoa butter wafers
15. Wild chamomile body cream
Chamomile has always had a calming effect on us and it’s actually very good for damaged or sensitive skin. That’s why we recommend this amazing DIY wild chamomile body cream by DIY n’ Crafts! You’ll need:
- 40 g of rosewater
- 20 g of aloe vera gel
- 5 g of glycerine
- 11 g of beeswax
- 1/4 tsp of liquid lecithin
- 60 g of herb/flower infused oil
- 1/2 tsp of vitamin E
- 15 drops of wild chamomile essential oil
