We are always trying to get more magnesium into our bodies. Recently, I’ve started using more magnesium oil to spray on my skin, but I wanted to create a recipe that was a body butter but included magnesium oil.
Unlike many other body butter recipes out there, mixing a “water-based” substance, like magnesium oil, into a body butter recipe can be tricky. However, as an avid-soapmaker, I understand how to accurately emulsify a liquid, fat, and solid together and it’s super easy…just requires one extra step (trust me, it’s worth it!).
Whipped Magnesium Body Butter
Makes one luscious cup
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 + 1/8 Cup (3/8ths of a cup) of Coconut Oil (where to buy)
- 1/4 + 1/8 Cup (3/8ths of a cup) Shea Butter (where to buy)
- 1/4 Cup Magnesium Oil (where to buy)
- 1/4 Cup Almond Oil (where to buy)
- 20 Drops of Lavender (where to buy at a discount)
- 20 Drops of Sandalwood, Cedarwood, or Vetiver Essential Oil (where to buy at a discount)
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- Immersion blender
- KitchenAid Mixer with a Whisk Attachment
- Glass Jar to store it in.
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt the coconut oil and shea butter together on LOW heat, then remove. Don’t let it get hotter than 110 degrees. If it does, stick it in the fridge to cool down.
- Mix in the almond oil and allow it to cool to a warm temperature.
- Here’s the extra step: you want your oil/butter mixture to be room temp. Take your immersion blender and turn it on low while slowly adding in your magnesium oil. You will need to mix until you see it completely emulsify together and there is no separation of water and fat. Takes about 1-2 minutes.
- Now, stick the mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes or leave it on your counter for 20 minutes. You want it to begin to harden and become opaque.
- Scoop it into your mixer with the whisk attachment. Add your essential oils and whip it on medium speed until you see it become light and fluffy!
- Scoop it into your glass jar!
- Use at night before bed to help promote a restful sleep!
Note: One teaspoon of this body butter contains around 250mg of magnesium! Check out my Magnesium Deodorant recipe HERE.
This is brilliant! It’s ok to use on kiddos? Ages 9 and 11. Thanks!
YEs it is! One teaspoon is 250mg and your body needs 3-4mg per lb of body weight.
Do you have a recommendation for a substitute for the coconut oil? While I would like to be able to use it, it doesn’t agree with my skin (skin gets all flaky and peely).
Hi! I have 2 questions: First, for someone with a nut allergy, what can be substituted for the almond oil? Secondly, can other essential oils be used? Why did you select the ones that you used?
You can substitute jojoba or avocado oil just fine! Sure, any other oils can be used…these ones are calming oils.
can use olive oil for the almond oil.
You can substitute with olive oil, but be sure you test it first to be sure you are happy with the consistency and aroma.
My husband is allergic to tree nuts, what would be a good substitute for the almond oil?
Try Jojoba oil!
This looks wonderful! I have been searching for a magnesium lotion since magnesium oil irritates my skin (until it’s absorbed, that is). Is there anything that can be substituted for the coconut oil, or a way to use less of it? My skin does not absorb it that well so it just kinda sits there all greasy like. Thanks for the recipe!
You can add a few TB of arrowroot to this recipe to make it less greasy.
Hi there. I found that when I added the arrowroot the butter looked good but when you rub it on your skin it had little sticky balls form. If you keep rubbing it eventually goes but leaves your hands so sticky. So you know what may have caused this. Not mixed properly perhaps. Thank you
Thank you Jackie for this recipe and others, appreciate it and can’ wait to try this and others. Thank you for all your commitment and sharing them with us.
Just followed your recipe and my batch came out grainy. It feels like a exfoliating lotion, not sure where I went wrong ?
Can magnesium flakes be substituted for the oil, that’s what I have on hand.
Thanks
If you make magnesium oil with the flakes.
I made my own magnesium oil using magnesium flakes and water. Would this work okay in this recipe?
You could make magnesium oil with the flakes to use.
I can’t wait to try this! However, you didn’t say when to add the essential oils. Which step would that be?
Oh wow I forgot that! I’ll edit my post but you add the essential oils during the last step of whipping it up!
Is an immersion blender required? I don’t have one or know what that is. I have a regular blender and a food processor.
You might be able to emulsify it with a food processor. Just slowly drizzle in the magnesium oil until it looks creamy and blended.
How long will this keep?
Up to 6 months! I always use it before it goes bad!
HELP!!!
I am currently whipping this up and mine is not becoming fluffy.
What did I do wrong?
Is there a way to salvage this?!
It might not have been cooled down enough. Stick it in the fridge for a few minutes or until it starts to harden and then whip it again.
Wow! Seriously, thank you for this lightning fast reply.
I thought that may be the problem so I put it in the fridge and ran to the computer to see if anyone else was having the same issue.
Also, I want you to know how much I LOVE all that you so unselfishly and willingly share with us all 🙂
It has tremendously helped my husband and I on our journey of being a “Holistic, Hippie, Paleo” couple
Thank You Thank You Thank You
Awwww, thank you Micah! I love doing this! I hope you enjoy the Magnesium body butter!
Is there a specific purpose of the sandalwood or vetiver? Or can I just sub an oil that I like the scent of? Thanks for the recipe!!!
They are great oils to help you sleep! But if you don’t like them you can sub them out!
question..my Ancient Minerals magnesium spray says to rub in, then wipe/wash off after 20 minutes. You obviously can’t do that when it’s mixed in the butter. Will there be any problems with that? Thanks!
Nah there shouldn’t be. I usually leave the spray on too. It’s optional to wash it off.
I have been reading a lot about magnesium and bought some oil, but it makes me itch like mad! I am excited to try this recipe, but have found a few places that say that oils interfere with the magnesium absorption. Do you know of this is true? I’m hoping not!
I have never heard of that!
I have heard the more deficient you are in magnesium the more you will itch. Try using a smaller amount and working up to larger quantity. Sorry I can’t remember where I read this but I did itch a lot when I first started using magnesium oil, now I don’t notice it. Hope that helps.
Do you know if the magnesium flakes would dissolve in the oil so we can skip the water?
I would recommend you either use the magnesium oil or make your own and use the exact amount the recipe calls for.
Do you also take oral magnesium? I’m just wondering if this can act as a substitute.
I don’t anymore cause I was having a hard time digesting it. I use this instead. 250mg is in one teaspoon and most people need about 3mg per pound of body weight.
I have some autoimmune problems caused by RA and Lupus. My skin is so itchy, dry and bumpie (almost wart-ie, which is gross). I am constantly having to have places frozen off by derm…Since getting involved with doTerra oils, I have been mixing oils with other good brand body butters. I am so grateful I found your site. I have been using cinnamon oil mixed with coconut oil into a lemon body butter that I found. This helps but I have ordered the coconut oil, the shea butter to mix the Mg Body Butter according to your receipe. Any other recommendations?
I would try lavender and melaleuca! I have a great Healing Salve recipe up on my blog too that sounds like it would really help you: https://thepaleomama.com/2014/01/purpose-healing-salve/
I just ran across your blog tonight and am new to all of this, but want to learn more. What are the benefits of added magnesium?
It’s good for so many things…like sooooooo many! https://thepaleomama.com/2014/02/magnesium-calcium-key-healthy-bones/
Not gonna lie, this was a pain to make because I had to whip it by hand, but oh does it feel nice! I love that it stays soft when it’s cold out so it’s much easier to smooth into skin. Yay, thanks for this!
Oh your poor hand but I’m so glad you are enjoying it!!!
This looks AMAZING!! But – can I use it while pregnant????
You might want to run it by your doctor or midwife, but I would use it if I was pregnant. Nothing in it is concerning to me personally.
Coconuts are not Tree Nuts & don’t fall into the same category (for allergies). Coconuts are technically a fruit.
So this is just really greasy. I haven’t ever used body “butter” before so I assume that it’s normal to be greasy? I put some arrowroot in it and it seems to have helped a bit but at the end of the day, it’s still greasy. Is this normal and what you would typically get with a body butter from anywhere else? Thanks so much!
I usually put it on at night before bed and it is all absorbed by the morning…so I don’t notice it being too greasy for me. How much arrowroot did you put in? That usually helps to cut the greasy feeling if you don’t like it!
Night time would definitely be best, agreed. I would be concerned about sheets and such if there weren’t pajama pants and socks and long sleeve involved. 🙂
I actually put quite a bit of the powder in… Probably 3Tbs. Made a bit of difference but greasier than I would probably use. I might just stick to lotion. Haha – Very cool recipe though… thanks so much for sharing!
Will it look exactly like the picture?
It should look similar, but I can’t promise that. Too many variables.
What is a immersion blender and where do you get one?
Here’s a link to the one I use:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ARQVM5O/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ARQVM5O&linkCode=as2&tag=thpama01-20&linkId=BT4TRSUZC7VMOC4V
Would it be okay to substitute cocoa butter instead of shea butter?
Yes, I think that would work fine.
I recently (1 week) starting using ancient minerals magnesium oil for my restless legs and it is working great. However I hate the way it feels and leaves a white film on my skin. I usually wash it off after 20 minutes. I have all the ingredients to whip up this body butter tonight except the almond oil and a kitchen aid mixer. Can it be done without the mixer. Could I use olive oil instead of almond oil?
You can try either a blender or an immersion blender.
I went ahead and tried it with olive oil instead of almond oil. I don’t have a kitchenaid mixer with the whip attachment so I used my regular handheld mixer. I used lavendar and cedarwood essential oils. I ended up with more of a body pudding instead of body butter. I scooped it in a jar and just applied it to my legs. It’s kind of oily but I don’t mind since I usually use baby oil on my legs after I shower anyway because my skin is so dry. I’m sure my skin will drink it up. Here’s hoping my legs let me sleep tonight! Thanks!
Magnesium spray is great for varicose veins.
Yes!
I spray mg oil on my arms and legs at night. Would smoothing this butter on work instead and can I eliminate having to wait 20 minutes and wash off?
Thanks for the information and recipe.
I think this works great, and you do not have to wash it off.
Mine was in the fridge for a long time (40-60 min) compared to the 10-20 minutes mentioned, and never started to get solid. I finally gave up, dumped the runny mess into a jar and went to bed. In the morning, it had indeed turned into a solidified “butter” that I was able to whip up just fine.
Hello! Some people use beeswax in their recipes.. Pros/Cons? where do you get your butters and oils?
Thanks!
Can i use this on my 16 mon old daughter? Does the same 3-4mg rule apply?
This is safe for toddlers, but if you are concerned you could blend it with some FCO to dilute it some.
ive been trying to formulate the perfect magnesium body butter recently. I was considering a combination of cocoa butter and apricot kernel oil with the homemade magnesium oil. My goal is a body butter that will absorb quickly and deeply. Any advise or thoughts on my chosen oils/butters? Thank you.
Hi there, thanks for the recipe, but mine “broke” during the 2nd whipping; is there any way to salvage it? I made my own magnesium oil from flakes.
Thanks,
RoseMarie
Can I use apricot oil instead of almond oil?
Do you typically put this all over your whole body, or just one good absorption areas (like feet, back of neck, behind the ears, etc)?
I only ask because I don’t want to use TOO much if it’s not necessary.
Hi there! I’m excited to try this. I live on a small tropical island and my coconut oil is liquid (very warm here). In the past I have whipped up coconut oil but then it just melts, I wonder if the shea butter would hold it together? Normally I use bees wax to hold it together but that makes it thick and sticky. Maybe I will half the coconut oil and do shea and cocobutter to see if it will keep its whipped look and feeling.
Did you try with the shea and coconut butters? Wondering how it came out for you 😉
I have made several creams before. I understand that using the liquid magnesium can be tricky. I have made the your cream and used the immersion blender to emulsify and it is now in the fridge trying to come together. Is there some magic point with the blending process with this? I used the blender and it seemed like it was enough to bring the oil and water together, it was over 7 minutes mixing. I see you aren’t using bees wax. I am hoping mine comes together like yours. 🙂
Hi! I can´t get flakes where I live, would it be OK to dissolve epsom salts in water and use instead? Thanks!
Where is the best place for application and maximum absorption.
Are the measurements for the coconut oil and Shea butter melted or dry?
dry
I wish you had a shop!
I made this about three weeks ago and love it – in fact, I am almost out and am getting ready to make another jar. I did have a problem with my shea butter getting gritty but I have since read that shea butter is prone to doing that. Several sites have suggested slowly melting it for 10-15 minutes to eliminate the majority of the problem. Thank you for all your research and hard work and for sharing your recipes. People like you are such a blessing!
Where is the best place to rub the cream??
I rub it anywhere I have dry skin **not my face though – too greasy.
It is a bit greasy but my skin is painfully dry this winter so I’m OK with it. It doesn’t seem to bother or stain my clothes. Also, after using this almost every day for a few weeks, I had my first crampLESS cycle and I had no PMS!
That’s so great to hear Julie!
I’ve been told that this really needs a preservative due to the fact that I made the magnesium oil from distilled water and flakes. I added Optiphen plus after I had whipped the butter and it is now curdled. Questions: Does it really need a preservative to extend the shelf life? How do I fix the curdled butter? I loved the result before I added the preservative and now wish I had left it as it was. 🙁
It doesn’t *need* a preservative, but yes, it would extend the shelf life. We usually don’t keep it around for more than a month or so. You could also stick it in the fridge in between uses.
Thanks for your reply. I refrigerated the butter and re-whipped it and got rid of the curdles, but it’s got more air in it than I wanted. I’ll skip the preservative next time and refrigerate. Thanks again!
I made this today with the magnesium flakes that has been sitting around because they were singing my skin. With the oils, it doesn’t sting except on cuts. I gave my 9 yr old a massage with this and he started napping midway. He doesn’t like to nap 😅 Thanks for the recipe! I always wondered about trying to add oils, but now I know it works.
Not sure if you realize this but magnesium oil contains water. So you would need an antimicrobial to make it save for batches larger than what you would use up in a couple days. Naticide is a good natural one you can get on Amazon, there are other natural options as well.