DIY Winter Hand Cream for Dry, Cracked Skin
Last winter, I remember sitting at my kitchen table with my hands wrapped around a mug of warm tea, noticing how dry and tight my skin felt.
Between the cold weather, constant hand washing, and the cold season, my hands were just… tired.
That’s when I decided to whip up a little batch of this nourishing DIY winter hand cream, and I’ve been making it every winter since.
This recipe is simple, soothing, and completely customizable. It’s a gentle way to bring moisture and healing to dry winter skin, using ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Benefits of the Ingredients
I always love to share some of the benefits of each ingredient. While there are no herbs, these are some of my favorite nourishing ingredients:
- Cocoa Butter: Deeply moisturizing, rich in fatty acids, and helps create a protective barrier on the skin to lock in hydration.
- Tallow: A nourishing, vitamin-rich fat that closely mimics the skin’s natural oils. It deeply moisturizes, supports skin repair, and creates a protective barrier without clogging pores. My favorite ingredient; I try to use tallow in as many recipes as possible.
- Jojoba Oil: Lightweight and balancing, jojoba oil closely resembles the skin’s natural sebum. It provides lasting hydration, absorbs easily, and helps soothe and soften skin while boosting the cream’s spreadability.
- Arrowroot Powder: Gives the final product a silky finish and reduces that greasy feel some balms leave behind. You can substitute with cornstarch if needed.
- Essential Oils (optional): Lavender is calming, frankincense is skin-rejuvenating, and helichrysum is especially healing for damaged skin. Just a few drops go a long way.
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DIY Winter Hand Cream Recipe
This makes about 4 to 5 ounces.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cocoa butter
- ¼ cup tallow
- 2 tablespoons carrier oil (like jojoba or sweet almond)
- ½ tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 8 drops essential oil (optional, I used lavender)
Instructions
Melt the cocoa butter and tallow together in a double boiler until fully liquid.
Remove from heat and place the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the mixture begins to harden but isn’t completely solid.
While it cools, mix your essential oils into the carrier oil.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the hardened oils until fluffy.
Slowly drizzle in the carrier oil blend while continuing to whip.
Sprinkle in the arrowroot powder and whip again until everything is well combined and smooth.
Spoon your hand cream into a clean jar or tin and keep it close by. I like to keep one in the kitchen and one in my purse during the winter months.
Notes
- You can use shea butter if you don’t have cocoa butter.
- If you don’t have tallow, you can substitute with coconut oil as well.
- Any essential oils work. I like lavender for simplicity, or a fun Winter Essential Oil Blend.
Winter Hand Cream
Materials
- ¼ cup cocoa butter
- ¼ cup tallow
- 2 tablespoons carrier oil (like jojoba or sweet almond)
- ½ tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 8 drops essential oil (optional, I used lavender)
Instructions
- Melt the cocoa butter and tallow together in a double boiler until fully liquid.
- Remove from heat and place the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the mixture begins to harden but isn’t completely solid.
- While it cools, mix your essential oils into the carrier oil.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the hardened oils until fluffy.
- Slowly drizzle in the carrier oil blend while continuing to whip.
- Sprinkle in the arrowroot powder and whip again until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Spoon your hand cream into a clean jar or tin and keep it close by. I like to keep one in the kitchen and one in my purse during the winter months.
Notes
- You can use shea butter if you don't have cocoa butter.
- If you don't have tallow, you can substitute with coconut oil as well.
- Any essential oils work. I like lavender for simplicity, or a fun Winter Essential Oil Blend.
Final Thoughts
Caring for your skin in the colder months doesn’t have to be complicated. This hand cream is a small, nourishing ritual that reminds your body it’s loved.
Whether you’re new to making your own products or have been doing it for years, I hope this DIY hand cream recipe helps you feel confident and cared for.
If you’re curious about more ways to care for your skin naturally, my Tallow Recipe eBook is a great next step. It’s full of gentle, herbal-infused recipes perfect for all seasons.
More Christmas Content:
- Christmas Sweater Bath Bomb
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- Christmas Simmer Pot Kit
- Pine Simmer Pot
- DIY Diffuser Ornaments
- Christmas Room Sprays
- Christmas Tree Bath Bombs
- Snowflake Sugar Scrub Bars
- Gingerbread Sugar Scrub
- Christmas Candle
- Sugar Cookie Lip Scrub
- Sugar Cookie Lip Balm
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