Are your dry hands in desperate need of moisture and deep nourishment? This rich, non-greasy DIY hand cream is here to rescue them, packed with natural ingredients your skin will love.
Whether it’s the harsh winter months, constant hand washing, or the demands of hands-on work, this homemade hand lotion is designed to restore, protect, and deeply hydrate. It supports your skin’s natural barrier and keeps your hands feeling soft and cared for all day long.
In this info-packed recipe post, you’ll discover the benefits of each ingredient, including the best ones for nourishing and replenishing tired, dry hands, and how to make your own hand cream with my easy step-by-step instructions.
So go ahead, rub your hands, and let’s dive in!
Benefits
- all-natural ingredients—no chemicals!
- intensive care for dry skin
- for all skin types
- antibacterial properties
- nourishing & moisturising for smooth hands
- restores the protective barrier of the skin
- no greasy feeling
Many commercial hand creams include questionable fillers and synthetics, such as petroleum jelly, dimethicone and parabens, that strip away the skin’s protective layer, disrupt your natural microbiome, and can actually leave your hands feeling drier than before.
By the way, many brands use water as a filler, too. While it obviously hydrates, it does little for the thicker skin of our hands. Even homemade lotion recipes often contain this ingredient for a fluffier and lighter texture.
In my opinion, water-based ingredients (like aloe vera gel) are a bit of a waste on your hands, and most importantly, they require additional ingredients such as preservatives and emulsifiers, which can quickly turn an easy recipe into something more complex.
If you want to care for dry hands, the natural goodness of oils and butters is your best choice. And yes, this DIY hand cream recipe will not leave a greasy feeling behind—unless you’re using the wrong amounts! I’ll talk more about that in a bit (see ‘Instructions’ → ‘How to Use’).
Ingredients
- shea butter
- carrier oils
- beeswax (or vegetable wax)
- lavender essential oil, optional
- cocoa butter, optional
- vitamin E oil, optional
(see quantities in recipe card)
Shea Butter
Loaded with fatty acids and skin-loving vitamins, shea butter deeply nourishes and locks in moisture, leaving your skin hydrated, smooth, and soft. It’s a natural emollient that helps soften and soothe rough areas on your hands.
With its anti-inflammatory properties, shea butter can also calm irritation and support the healing of small cuts or cracks, especially around the fingernails. It’s truly an amazing ally for sensitive skin!
If you find shea butter too greasy or your hands aren’t as dry, you can replace this ingredient with mango butter. Its texture is on the lighter, non-comedogenic side when it comes to butters.
Carrier Oils
My favourite oils for this DIY hand cream are olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil because they’re deeply moisturising and ideal for dry skin. Similar to shea butter, these oils contain many fatty acids that help keep the protective barrier intact and provide healing properties.
Coconut oil also has antibacterial properties, turning this natural moisturizer into a mild disinfectant. In combination with certain essential oils (such as lavender or tea tree oil), you may enhance this benefit.
If you prefer a lighter feel on your hands, choose jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Jojoba oil is a very light oil that is similar to the skin’s natural oils, making it a perfect agent for restoring balance. Sweet almond oil is a little richer, and with its high vitamin E content, it may help repair the skin.
Beeswax
Beeswax creates the right texture, so you can carry your homemade hand cream in your bag all year round, without worrying about it leaking from the container. Furthermore, it adds that extra skin barrier protection because it’s a natural humectant, meaning it keeps the skin hydrated.
It comes with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, softens the skin, and soothes irritated, sensitive skin.
As great as this ingredient is, it may not be everyone’s favourite—I get that. If you’re vegan or looking for a more ecological alternative, you can substitute it with a vegetable wax such as soy wax or candelilla wax.
As I don’t have any experience with these waxes, I’m not sure how to adjust the recipe properly. Generally, soy wax is softer than beeswax (you may need to add more), while candelilla wax is harder (you may need to use less).
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter (or cacao butter) adds a richer layer to this homemade hand cream recipe. This ingredient is optional, but I highly recommend it for dry hands because it’s even more occlusive than shea butter, meaning it seals in moisture better. It deeply penetrates and repairs.
Essential Oils
Adding essential oils to your blend is absolutely up to you. This is more for those who enjoy a therapeutic scent (great to calm your nervous system) or would like to enhance the antibacterial properties of their DIY hand cream.
I recommend tea tree, chamomile and lavender essential oils because they soothe tired, overworked hands, have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and promote circulation, improving the absorption of your beautiful hand lotion.
Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil is rich in antioxidants, replenishes dry skin, and acts as a light natural preservative, extending the shelf life. If your hands are in dire need of some extra care, vitamin E oil is the perfect addition in this DIY hand cream recipe!
Instructions
How To Make
Prep. Have a clean container ready to pour the oil-wax mixture into. To prepare the glass jar, tin tub, or container of choice, boil some water to sterilise it. Tip out the hot water after 2-3 minutes.
Step 1. In a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl over a pot), melt the shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil and cocoa butter (if using), occasionally stirring the mixture as it heats up.
Step 2. Remove from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes, but don’t let it solidify. Keep the top of the double boiler or the bowl over the steaming hot water! Stir in the olive oil, essential oils and vitamin E oil (if using) and mix well. You can add the essential oils in the next step as well.
Step 3. Pour the hand cream mixture into your prepped container and seal it with the lid. Let it cool down to room temperature—you can also refrigerate to speed this up.
For a fluffier texture, resulting in a soft hand cream, you can whip the mixture. Instead of pouring it into the container, place it in a large enough bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Then, use a hand mixer to whip until fluffy.
How To Use
We need to rethink our application here a little bit, so we avoid that greasy feeling. As my formula doesn’t include any fillers or fluff, we’re actually applying pure goodness. This is why we only need to use a pea-sized amount for this blend to deeply nourish our skin.
- Scrape out a small amount of the hand moisturizer and place it on your palm
- Rub your hands to create some heat (this melts the cream)
- Spread the cream all over your skin
- Massage your hands for about a minute to spread it evenly
- Apply more if needed
I find that, doing it this way, your hands feel soft rather than greasy. They may have a shiny look afterwards, but this is only temporary until all the ingredients are absorbed into the skin.
Using this DIY hand cream at least once a day, you should feel the difference. Over time, the skin softens and repairs itself, and you may find that you could use less of it, or less frequently.
Storage
Store your homemade hand lotion in a dry, dark place, ideally out of direct sunlight. I generally prefer using amber glass jars for storage, especially when using essential oils, for extra protection.
The shelf life of this DIY hand cream is about 12 months, depending highly on the expiry date of the ingredients. Please make sure they’ll last for at least a few months before you use them in this recipe!
My Top Tip
This amazing recipe is a true all-rounder! You can use this cream for several other body parts, too. Like your feet! In this homemade foot cream recipe, I give you some tweaks to make it extra nourishing for cracked heels.
You can also use it on your face, if you have dry and sensitive skin—I love doing this during the cold winter months!
And, it’s ideal for dry, brittle hair! I love rubbing and melting a small amount of the cream in my hands, then massaging it into the tips of my hair the night before I wash it.
Warnings & Safety
It is always recommended to do a patch test before using any of my recipes to avoid skin irritation or any potential health risks. Beeswax and certain essential oils may cause skin irritations in some individuals.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 1 60ml/2oz. glass jar (or container of choice)
Ingredients
- 30 g shea butter raw, unrefined
- 30 ml jojoba oil see notes for alternatives
- 5 g beeswax
- 7 g cacao butter raw, optional
- 1 tsp pure vitamin E oil optional
- 7 drops lavender essential oil or tea tree or chamomile oil, optional
Instructions
- To prepare the jar, tin, or container of choice, boil some water to sterilise it. Tip out the hot water after 2-3 minutes.
- In a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water), melt the shea butter, beeswax, and cacao butter (if using), stirring occasionally as they heat up.
- Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes but not solidify. Keep the top of the double boiler or the bowl over the steaming hot water! Stir in the jojoba oil, essential oils and vitamin E oil if using and mix well.
- Pour the cream mixture into your prepared glass jar or container and seal it with the lid. Let it cool down to room temperature—you can refrigerate to speed this up.
- Alternatively, you can whip the mixture for a fluffier texture. Instead of pouring it into the glass jar, place it in a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Use a hand mixer to whip until fluffy.
How To Use
- Scrape out a small amount (about pea size) of the hand cream and place it on your palm.
- Rub your hands to create some heat (this melts the cream) and spread the cream all over your skin.
- Massage your hands for about a minute to spread it evenly. Apply more if needed.
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