Easy Homemade Hand Cream Recipe (Non-Greasy)
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
Looking for an easy homemade hand cream recipe? This one is a keeper. It’s rich enough to deeply moisturize dry hands, but it has a lighter, less greasy feel than many DIY hand creams.
This simple DIY hand cream uses nourishing oils and butters, comes together quickly, and can be customized with essential oils if you like. Even better, it works beautifully as a homemade hand lotion for dry skin, especially in winter.
This recipe is especially great if you have dry hands, wash your hands frequently, or want a natural, non-toxic alternative to store-bought hand creams.
I love making as many of my personal care items in order to cut down on toxins in our home and on our bodies.
I've made Eye Makeup Remover, Alcohol-Free Hairspray, Sugar Scrub, Nourishing Lip Scrub, Hair Rinse, Homemade Body Wash, and more. I've been looking for a homemade lotion recipe that works for a long time, and I finally have it.
I can't stand forking out a ton of money for something when I can make it for a fraction of the cost myself.
This recipe is based off of a recipe that one of my readers shared with me. I liked it a lot, but ended up tweaking it to make it even better.
Why You’ll Love This Hand Cream
This homemade hand cream is
- deeply moisturizing for dry hands
- non-greasy compared to many DIY hand creams
- easy to make with simple ingredients
- customizable with different oils, butters, and scents
- doubles as a hand lotion or body cream
Why This Hand Cream Works Better Than Lotion Bars for Me
I love the concept of lotion bars, but I've found them to be hard to use due to how long it takes for them to soften. When I try to use them before they’ve softened enough, they pull on my skin, which I don’t love.
This hand cream is solid at room temperature, but it isn’t super hard and softens up really quickly in your hands, even in our home in winter, and we don't keep our heat turned up that high.
Why This Hand Cream Feels Less Greasy
The simple step of adding arrowroot powder helps this hand cream feel much less greasy on your skin. So simple!
Arrowroot is a great oil absorber. It can be used for removing oil stains from clothing and it’s also a great ingredient in DIY dry shampoo. In fact, we often use arrowroot on its own as a super quick “I didn’t have time to wash my hair” solution.
Of course, arrowroot doesn’t remove all of the oil in the recipe (that would be ridiculous), arrowroot absorbs some of it so that the resulting lotion is a great consistency and also a non-greasy treat for your skin.
You can also use cornstarch or tapioca starch, and you should get the same or a very similar result.
How to Use This Homemade Hand Cream
You can use this homemade hand cream
- before bed
- any time of day for dry hands
- to soften cuticles
- for rough patches anywhere on hands or body
- elbows/knees if desired
You can simply apply this hand cream anytime, but here are a few ways to make it work even better.
- Use a Sugar Scrub followed with this cream for hands that feel super soft and revitalized. The moisture left from rinsing off the scrub is sealed into your skin by the cream.
- Put this body cream on before bed (misting your body with some water first is best) and wake up to healthy, nourished skin.
Hand Cream vs. Hand Lotion: What’s the Difference?
Hand cream is usually thicker and more concentrated than hand lotion, which makes it especially helpful for dry or rough hands. This recipe has the richness of a hand cream, but thanks to the arrowroot, it feels lighter and less greasy than many homemade versions. So while I call it a hand cream, many people would think of it as a homemade hand lotion too.
How to Customize This Hand Cream for Different Skin Needs
By choosing essential oils for your specific skincare need, you can turn your lotion from being simply moisturizing to something that really addresses what is going on with your skin.
- Dry or aging skin? Try rose or geranium.
- Need to be energized and refreshed? Try lavender, lemon, and grapefruit.
- Troubled skin? Try helichrysum, frankincense, lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, rose or jasmine.
- Want to avoid stretch marks? Try helichrysum, lavender, patchouli, neroli, rose, or geranium.
Recipe Notes
- Essential Oil Options: Use whatever combination you like. I've used orange, which was really heavenly smelling, especially combined with the fragrance of the coconut oil. It smelled kind of like a creamsicle. Lavender would be very soothing as well.
- Butter/Oil Options: This recipe is very versatile. I've used extra coconut oil and shea butter when I was out of cocoa butter, and it still turned out great.
- Container Size: This makes a small amount: just enough for small canning jars like these.
- Solidifying Problems: Please note that some (including me) who have made this have had issues with it not solidifying. I suspect it has to do with the type of shea butter used. It seems that if you use a raw shea butter, the resulting product is not as firm. Even if your hand cream is more liquid, you can still use it. In fact, you could put it in a pump bottle and use it that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this as hand lotion?
Yes. This recipe is thicker than a typical hand lotion, but it spreads easily and works beautifully as a homemade hand lotion.
Why is this homemade hand cream non-greasy?
Arrowroot powder helps absorb some of the oils, so the finished cream feels less heavy and greasy on the skin.
Can I make this hand cream without shea butter?
Yes, but the texture may change. You can experiment with more coconut oil or another butter, though the finished cream may be softer or firmer depending on what you choose.
Why didn’t my hand cream solidify?
Different brands and types of ingredients can affect texture. If your cream stays softer than expected, you can still use it in a jar or pump bottle.
Can I use cornstarch instead of arrowroot?
Usually yes. Tapioca starch may also work similarly.
More Homemade Personal Care Products You'll Love
- Homemade Shea Butter Lotion – non-greasy and great for all skin types, including aging skin and acne-pron skin.
- Homemade Lip Scrub – so healthy you can literally eat it!
- Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse – makes your hair super healthy!
- DIY Sugar Scrub – get spa results without the spa prices
- Black Cumin Face Oil Blend – get amazing skin without paying a hefty price
Nourishing Hand Cream (Non-Greasy)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/8 cup shea butter
- 1/8 cup cocoa butter
- 1 tablespoon carrier oil of choice
- 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 5-10 drops essential oils (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter over very low heat until melted. A double boiler works well for this.
- Remove from heat.
- Combine the carrier oil, arrowroot, and essential oils (if using) in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Store in container of your choice. I like these small canning jars.
- Add the carrier oil mixture to the melted butters. Mix well with a fork or hand mixer, but don't over-whip. Allow to cool in the fridge.
Not Wanting To DIY?
If you aren't really in the mood to make your own lotion, or just are out of time, you can buy clean lotions too. I'm really careful to avoid using anything with artificial fragrances.
Poofy Organics has a lot of great options at a reasonable price. Their Skin Hero lotion is fantastic. Use code WNM to get 10% off your first order.
Have you ever made your own homemade hand cream?
Photo credits – Naomi Huzovicova
What about omitting aloe all together? I would think it would still be emollient enough without? Also, seeking preservative ideas? I have had this problem with some
Of my home made lotions in past.. They did mold after a few months. But now I realize it’s because of the water.
It is an option but would change the texture. I have heard of several preservatives but I am no expert on that. I’m talking w/ a skincare expert about that now so hopefully we will have more info on the blog soon :). Even if you can’t see it there could be mold there.
I made this today and my concern was that it would be too solid, so I whipped it up using an immersion blender just as it was starting to solidify. The consistency turned out really nice, not too solid but not liquidy at all
So great – good improvising!
This looks very simple! I will definitely try it, but I was wondering does it matter what liquid oil you use? Is one better than the other or does it matter. Thank you!
Hi Kassie. I would think any of them could work but I am not sure. I would do a small batch to see. Several people have had it not work out and I’m not sure why. Hope it works!
My daughter and I spent lots of money on this recipe…it turned out nothing like the photo. It was greasy and liquidy, never solidifying. Also, it would have been nice to know the info about the aloe juice spreading mold before using. We were so disappointed.
Hi there. I’m sorry this happened to you. Did you make any substitutions? Water and aloe are both mold issues. I never had mold grow in mine as I make it in a small batch and use it quickly. I wonder if the quality of the ingredients could be the problem?
we used the recommended brands on the website and followed the recipe. is there anything at this point to add to make it more lotion-like? And how did you get yours to look like the photo?
Hi Anni. I simply used the products that I had in my home. Mine turned out to be a hard lotion type that was solid at a cool temperature. I would have to try it again to see what happens. I’m really perplexed about this but I can send it to a skincare expert to see what she has to say. Thanks!
If you put the mixture in the fridge for around 20 minutes it will start to solidify. Then whip it up with a beater to a creamy consistency. It should stay like a body butter.
I made today, doubled recipe, left out aloe juice no water, used Argan oil with tocopherol (vitamin E) as a preservative and geranium essential oil. Followed Gipsi’s recommendation of cooling in fridge until it begins to solidify. It took longer than 20 minutes for mine, in fact I thought it was going to remain liquid. Whipped with electric hand mixer. Put back in fridge and after about an hour it began to thicken. Whipped again till creamy. It filled one small canning jar and It is very much like body butter. My fingers crack in the winter especially around holidays because they are constantly washing dishes. I applied today and already roughness on fingers is gone!! Can’t wait to use on body because I think I will love….thank you Adrienne!
Great!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
What if you leave the Aloe Vera juice out all together?
I think water could be used.
Hi! I want to make this however I was wondering the shelf life since it doesn’t have preservatives and contains aloe Vera. Do you store it in the fridge and have you ever had a problem with bacteria growing?
I haven’t kept mine in the fridge but I haven’t ever made a huge batch either. I have never noticed anything growing there but I haven’t tested it either. I hope that helps. Please do not make a huge batch – you are right that aloe can be an issue.
Hi! Great question. I have my own body care business and hope to help you. If you add Aloe Vera juice, you will definetly want to use up your product within a week or so. Tiny microbes/mold spores can grow on your product and get you sick if you continue using it past that time. Aloe Vera juice is usually made with a lot of water and water in any product equals the need for a broad-spectrum preservative. You can omit the aloe Vera juice and not have to worry about it then. There are different places online that sell aloe-infused oil so you don’t have to worry about the spoiling and yet you still get the benefit of the aloe. Also, in regards to this product not solidifying, this is probably due to the aloe Vera juice because, once again, it has a high water percentage and water and oil/water and butters will NOT evenly emulsify without some sort of emulsifying agent or wax. It has nothing to do with the Shea butter or beeswax unless the ratios are off (wax to oils). Hopes this helps!
Hey Jen, Just started a body care business and would be grateful if you could advise on one or two issues. My email is jumalexis@yahoo.com. Thanks.
Hi there. Sorry but I don’t have time to work as a consultant for free to companies. Sorry for the delay in responding–I’m weeding through a ton of old comments.
I hope you got what you needed.
Add a little bees wax to solidify it a little. Too much and it will be a brick.
Hi All, when one cleanses and purifies one’s mind, might as well stop putting poisons on one’s body. For the first one, try out the (free online version) of Beatha Breathing by Laura Knight-Jadczyk at Eiriu-eolas.org). For the second, thank you for providing such a wonderful recipe. Here I want to share my homemade face oil-recipe:
– 1- 1.5 tablespoon arghan oil
– 40 drops lavender essential oil
– 30 drops frankincense essentail oil
You could put in 0.5 jojoba oil as well and then only 1 tbsp of arghan oil
I use this every morn and eve, my face loves it and really radiates, it minimizes pores, it evens the skin tone and my dry skin feels fully nourished throughout the day and the night. That means domething as i am living in a desert climate and have the aircon running all night!
Hope this simple formula works for you as much as it does for me!
Cheers
Thank you for sharing! I can’t believe I missed this comment. Sorry for the delay in responding!
I’m definitely going to try this out! Just a couple of questions, if the lotion is somewhere that gets warm, will it turn liquidity because of the coconut oil melting? Also, do you think it’d be okay to use aloe gel (from the plant) instead of juice? Thanks so much for posting this recipe! 🙂
Hi there. I think it would get soft – I think it would be OK to use the gel but it will result in a different consistency. I haven’t made this in awhile so sorry I can’t answer more definitively about the warmth issue.
No worries! Thanks so much! 🙂
Can you use raw aloe Vera in this recipe
What would you be subbing it for?