QUICK SUMMARY
How do you make natural hand cream? A natural hand cream is made by melting deeply moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, and sweet almond oil, then adding skin-supportive essential oils such as myrrh and cedarwood after the mixture cools slightly.
This homemade hand cream creates a protective, nourishing barrier for dry, cracked, hard-working hands without synthetic fragrance, parabens, petrolatum, or harsh chemicals commonly found in store-bought lotions.
It is especially helpful after gardening, handwashing, dishes, cleaning, outdoor work, or cold weather. The result is a rich, non-toxic hand cream that makes a beautiful self-care staple or handmade gift.
Your hands work hard.
They plant seeds, wash dishes, prepare meals, fold laundry, care for children, serve others, and create beauty in your home. They deserve a little nourishment at the end of the day.
This homemade hand cream with essential oils is rich, simple, non-toxic, and deeply moisturizing. With shea butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, myrrh, and cedarwood, it protects dry skin while giving you peace of mind about what you are putting on your body.
Healthy living does not have to be complicated. Sometimes it looks like a small jar of hand cream beside the sink, ready to bless your hands after a day of faithful work.
Table of Contents
Why Make Homemade Hand Cream?
Spending time in the garden is excellent for the soul, but it can be rough on the hands, even if you wear gloves.
My Homemade Hand Cream with Essential Oils keeps your skin moisturized with plant-based ingredients and no toxins needed. Whether your skin is dry from gardening, handwashing, dishes, cleaning, cold weather, or household chores in general, you are going to love this remedy.
Gardening is such a rewarding experience. There is something special about carefully tending seeds and seeing the fruit of your labor. Our garden plays a vital role in our diet, herbal remedies, and even the overall aesthetic of our home.
But hard-working hands need support.
This hand cream is thick, rich, protective, and deeply nourishing. It is an excellent treat for yourself or a luxurious gift for a friend.
Over the last few years, the need for frequent handwashing and sanitizing has increased for many families. While this can help keep germs at bay, it can also strip moisture from the skin. Dry skin can crack, creating opportunities for irritation and infection. When the skin barrier is compromised, hands may feel itchy, uncomfortable, tight, rough, or painful.
The solution is not to stop washing your hands. The solution is to restore moisture and protect your skin barrier.
A good homemade hand cream can do both.
This recipe came from our Essential Oils Revolution co-host Jill Winger of The Prairie Homestead. The best part about this DIY is that it uses natural, non-toxic ingredients. While your skin is being nourished, it is not absorbing a long list of questionable chemicals.
Toxins in Store-Bought Hand Creams
Many hand creams on the market contain ingredients we prefer to avoid. This is especially important because hand cream is often applied multiple times a day, sometimes over cracked or irritated skin.
Here are a few of the top offenders.
1. Parabens
Parabens are added to cosmetic products to increase shelf life, but the side effects are not worth it.
Research has raised concerns about parabens because they can mimic estrogen and have been investigated for endocrine-disrupting effects. Parabens have also been detected in human breast tissue, which has led researchers to continue studying their role in hormone-related health concerns. (1)
Put simply, we do not want hormone-disrupting preservatives in products we rub into our skin every day.
2. Synthetic Fragrance
Most hand creams use synthetic fragrance to appeal to buyers. But synthetic fragrances can make dry skin worse for sensitive people.
Many people react badly to synthetic fragrance, whether that reaction shows up as headaches, respiratory irritation, skin redness, itching, or rashes. Fragrance formulas can include many undisclosed chemicals, and some fragrance-related compounds have been flagged by toxicology and cancer-risk agencies depending on the specific ingredient and exposure. (2)
You do not have to give up lovely-smelling products, though. Essential oils make this hand cream smell heavenly while offering plant-based skin support.
3. Petrolatum
Petroleum-based ingredients are commonly found in moisturizers. They can create a barrier on the skin, but they may also feel heavy and do not provide the same plant-based nutrients as ingredients like shea butter, almond oil, and beeswax.
We prefer natural barrier ingredients that nourish and protect at the same time.
Beeswax, shea butter, and plant oils create a rich hand cream that helps seal in moisture without relying on petroleum-based ingredients.
Gardener’s Hand Cream Ingredients
You may be asking what ingredients are safe to use in beauty products.
You will be pleased to know that you have many great options when it comes to natural moisturizers. Here are the ingredients we are using today.
Unrefined Shea Butter
Shea butter is one of my favorite moisturizers.
It comes from African shea tree nuts and is deeply hydrating. Shea butter is rich, creamy, and protective, making it perfect for dry, rough, overworked hands.
One reason I love shea butter is that it can be whipped or melted into so many DIY skincare recipes. I use this ingredient in many of my homemade body care products.
Shea butter helps create a luxurious texture that feels like a true hand treatment, not a watery lotion that disappears in seconds.
Beeswax Pellets
Beeswax creates a protective layer on the skin and is an excellent alternative to petroleum-based ingredients.
Adding beeswax to a product helps firm it up and gives your skin a water-resistant barrier. This is especially helpful for gardeners, homesteaders, busy moms, nurses, cooks, and anyone who washes their hands often.
If you are vegan or allergic to beeswax, you can use candelilla wax or bayberry wax. Keep in mind that vegan waxes may change the final texture, so you may need to adjust the amount.
Sweet Almond Oil
Almond oil is an emollient, which means it smooths and softens the skin. (3)
Hands are often one of the first parts of the body to show age because they are constantly exposed to water, sun, soil, cleaning products, weather, and daily wear.
Sweet almond oil is lightweight enough to absorb nicely but nourishing enough to support dry, tired hands. Plant oils like almond oil can help support the skin barrier and improve moisture retention. (4)
Myrrh Essential Oil
Myrrh essential oil is a beautiful oil for skin-supportive recipes.
Myrrh is rich in plant compounds that have been traditionally used for skin, oral health, and wound care. It is also deeply meaningful in a biblical health home. Myrrh was one of the gifts given to Jesus at the time of His birth, and it has been treasured for centuries.
In this hand cream, myrrh brings a warm, resinous aroma and supports rough, dry, and mature-looking skin.
Cedarwood Essential Oil
Cedarwood essential oil is calming, grounding, and woodsy.
It pairs beautifully with myrrh and makes this homemade hand cream feel earthy, peaceful, and garden-inspired. Cedarwood is also used in outdoor and skin-supportive blends, making it a natural fit for a gardener’s hand cream.
If you do not have cedarwood on hand, you can customize this recipe with your favorite essential oils. I love using peppermint and orange essential oils because the blend makes me feel wide awake.
No matter what you choose, use only 20 drops of essential oil total in this recipe.
Best Essential Oils for Dry Hands
Myrrh and cedarwood are the featured oils in this recipe, but homemade hand cream is easy to customize.
Here are some of our favorite essential oils for dry hands.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is one of the best all-purpose oils for skin. It is calming, gentle, and helpful in blends for irritation, redness, and rough skin.
Use lavender when you want a softer, more relaxing hand cream.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense is wonderful for mature skin, dry skin, and skin that needs extra care. It has a grounding aroma and pairs beautifully with myrrh, lavender, and orange.
Use frankincense when you want a more luxurious anti-aging hand cream.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree is a cleansing oil with well-known antimicrobial properties. It is useful when your hands are exposed to dirt, garden soil, or frequent washing.
Use tea tree sparingly because its aroma is strong.
Orange Essential Oil
Orange essential oil smells cheerful and bright. It pairs well with cedarwood, frankincense, lavender, and peppermint.
Use orange when you want a happy, uplifting hand cream.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint feels cooling and refreshing, which can be wonderful after a long day of work. It is strong, so use only a few drops and avoid applying near the eyes.
Use peppermint when you want an energizing hand cream, but avoid it for very sensitive skin or young children.
Mama Z’s Pro Tip: Add essential oils after the melted oils and wax have cooled for 5 to 10 minutes. Heating essential oils can change their chemistry and impact their benefits.
How to Make Non-Toxic Hand Cream
This DIY is as easy as melting butter on the stovetop.
Within minutes, you will have the perfect addition to your pampering routine.
Homemade Hand Cream With Skin Healing Essential Oils
Quantity
Ingredients
- 1 cup unrefined shea butter
- 1 tablespoon organic beeswax pellets, yellow OR white*
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil**
- 10 drops myrrh essential oil
- 10 drops cedarwood essential oil
Supplies
- Salve container OR glass jar for storage
Instructions
- Set a glass jar in a saucepan filled with an inch of water.
- Place the shea butter, beeswax, and sweet almond oil in the jar and melt slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once everything is melted, remove the jar from the pan and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the essential oils. Transfer to your container of choice. Allow to harden completely (this usually takes several hours, but refrigerating can speed up the process).
- Apply this cream to your dry hands as often as needed - especially after a long day of working outside or playing in the dirt.
Step One: Prepare Your Double Boiler
Create a double boiler by placing a glass jar in a saucepan filled with about an inch of water.
This allows the ingredients to melt slowly and prevents overheating.
Step Two: Melt the Moisturizers
Place the shea butter, beeswax, and sweet almond oil in the jar and melt slowly over low heat.
Stir occasionally until everything is fully melted.
Step Three: Add Essential Oils
Once everything is melted, remove the jar from the pan and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the essential oils and allow the mixture to harden completely.
Transfer to your container of choice. This can take several hours, depending on your climate. If you would like to speed up the process, place your jar in the refrigerator.
To use this homemade hand cream, apply it to dry hands as often as needed. It comes in handy after a day of playing outside, gardening, cleaning, or washing dishes.
Recipe Tips & Variations
This homemade hand cream is simple, but you can customize it depending on your skin type, climate, and texture preference.
Make It More Like a Lotion Bar
If you want this DIY to feel more like a lotion bar, add a little more beeswax.
Melt the base ingredients and cool a small amount on a glass plate to test the hardness. Keep adding beeswax until you get the texture just right.
Do this before adding essential oils.
Make It Softer
If your hand cream is too firm, melt it again gently and add a little more sweet almond oil.
This creates a softer, more spreadable texture.
Make It Vegan
Replace beeswax with candelilla wax or bayberry wax.
Because these waxes behave differently than beeswax, start with a smaller amount and test the texture as it cools.
Make It Extra Soothing
Add lavender and frankincense essential oils for a more calming, skin-loving blend.
A beautiful combination is:
- 8 drops lavender
- 6 drops frankincense
- 4 drops myrrh
- 2 drops cedarwood
Make It Energizing
For an uplifting hand cream, try:
- 10 drops sweet orange
- 6 drops cedarwood
- 2 drops peppermint
- 2 drops frankincense
Use caution with peppermint if you have sensitive skin.
Package It as a Gift
This hand cream makes a beautiful homemade gift.
Pour it into small glass jars, add a handwritten label, and pair it with garden gloves, herbal tea, or a packet of seeds.
Homemade Hand Cream FAQs
What is the best homemade hand cream for dry hands?
The best homemade hand cream for dry hands includes a rich butter like shea butter, a protective wax like beeswax, a nourishing carrier oil like sweet almond oil, and skin-supportive essential oils such as myrrh, lavender, frankincense, or cedarwood.
Can I use this hand cream on cracked hands?
Yes, this hand cream can help moisturize and protect dry, cracked hands. Avoid applying essential oils to deep open cuts or actively infected skin. For severe cracking, bleeding, or infection, seek medical care.
Is homemade hand cream better than store-bought lotion?
Homemade hand cream lets you control every ingredient and avoid synthetic fragrance, parabens, petroleum-based ingredients, and harsh preservatives. It is also richer than many lotions because it contains butters, oils, and waxes rather than mostly water.
Why does this recipe use beeswax?
Beeswax helps firm the hand cream and creates a protective barrier on the skin. This is especially helpful for gardeners, cooks, nurses, moms, and anyone who washes their hands frequently.
Can I make this recipe without beeswax?
Yes. You can use candelilla wax or bayberry wax if you are vegan or allergic to beeswax. Start with less because vegan waxes can create a firmer product.
What essential oils are best for hand cream?
The best essential oils for hand cream include myrrh, cedarwood, lavender, frankincense, tea tree, orange, and peppermint. Use 20 drops total in this recipe.
Can I use coconut oil instead of almond oil?
Yes, but coconut oil may make the final product firmer, especially in cooler climates. Fractionated coconut oil will keep the texture softer and more liquid.
How long does homemade hand cream last?
Because this recipe does not contain water, it can last several months when stored in a clean, dry container away from heat and moisture. Use clean hands or a small spatula to avoid contamination.
Why is my hand cream grainy?
Shea butter can sometimes become grainy if it cools slowly. To help prevent this, cool the melted mixture quickly in the refrigerator after adding essential oils.
Can I use this hand cream on my feet?
Yes! This recipe works beautifully on dry heels, elbows, knees, and rough patches. Apply before bed and cover with cotton socks for a richer overnight treatment.
Resources & References
- Darbre PD, Harvey PW. Paraben esters: Review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. Journal of Applied Toxicology. 2008;28(5):561-578. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484575/
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs. https://monographs.iarc.who.int/agents-classified-by-the-iarc/
- Ahmad Z. The uses and properties of almond oil. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2010;16(1):10-12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20129403/
- Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2018;19(1):70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/
