If you love mangoes, brace yourself—this new series will have your mouth watering and your skin feeling all kinds of mango-themed love. This creamy, dry-touch-finish body butter smells so much like mangoes (naturally!) that your mouth will start to water. The oil and butter blend comes together to create a body butter that melts easily when massaged into the skin and vanishes without even a hint of greasiness. Add in a cheery orange colour and we’re off to the races with this beautiful Mango Mango Body Butter!
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Back when I ordered mango butter for the first time I was really, really hoping it would smell like mangoes. I mean, cocoa butter smelled beautifully of cocoa, so there was at least a chance that mango butter could smell like mangoes, right? Nope. While mango butter is a stunning, super lightweight creamy butter with an enviable dry finish, the scent is pretty much non-existent. It’s a great canvas for other scents, but if you were hoping to smell like some kind of tropical cocktail scented butter, you’re out of luck.
This is where Essential Wholesale’s natural mango fragrance oil comes in. I was a bit skeptical (could it really capture all that mango-y wonderfulness I’d been missing?), but dang—this natural fragrance is stunning. It is tangy and fruity and juicy and positively mouthwatering. It smells better than any mango themed fragrance oil I’ve ever come across.
With this stunning mango scent and gorgeous mango butter in my pantry, I knew what I had to do. I had to create that body butter I’d wanted all those years ago, when I dreamed of mango butter smelling of mangoes.
Sea Buckthorn Fruit oil is seriously dark!
Our base is mostly mango butter, of course! Not only for the mango-y theme, but also because it’s a beautiful dry-touch finish butter. Unlike heavier butters (shea being the first one that pops to mind for many) it sinks into the skin in a flash without any heaviness or oiliness. I’ve softened the mango butter with some lightweight liquid oils—silky, super-fast-absorbing camellia seed oil and gorgeous golden jojoba oil. For that juicy orange colour I’ve included just a wee bit of sea buckthorn fruit oil. My sea buckthorn fruit oil is absurdly pigmented—it looks straight-up red in the dropper—but once diluted in the rest of the butter it contributes a beautiful orange colour that really ties the whole project together.
To keep things silky smooth we’ll be bringing this butter to trace in an ice bath before letting it set up. I’ve been finding that butter blends that don’t contain anything quite firm (like cocoa butter or a BTMS) go a bit funny and mealy if they finish setting up in the fridge (while the ones with firmer ingredients do that if they don’t set up in the fridge), so after the ice bath trace and the transfer to the container, just let the butter set up on your counter. You’ll be rewarded with a sunny, Mango Mango Body Butter that leaves your skin thinking it’s already summer. Swoon!
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Mango Mango Body Butter
Heated phase
27.5g | 50% mango butter (USA / Canada)Cool down phase
15.125g | 27.5% camellia seed oil
11g | 20% jojoba oil (USA / Canada)0.55g | 1% sea buckthorn fruit oil
0.275g | 0.5% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
0.55g | 1% mango natural fragrance oilPrepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the mango butter into a small heat-resistant bowl—the sort of thing you can comfortably stir in. If you don’t have a small bowl, a heat-resistant glass measuring cup will work. Place the bowl in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
While the heated phase melts, prepare an ice bath. Take a bowl that is large enough to accommodate the container the heated phase is melting in, and fill it about halfway with ice cubes and cold water.
Once the mango butter has melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the camellia seed oil and jojoba oil. Then place the bowl in the ice bath and stir constantly for about one minute, until the mixture has cooled a bit but hasn’t noticeably thickened or started to opacify. Weigh in the sea buckthorn fruit oil, vitamin E, and mango fragrance oil.
Stir to combine, and then continue stirring the mixture in the ice bath until you reach “trace”—the mixture should have enough viscosity that a small amount drizzled over the surface of the mixture leaves a “trace” for an instant. The mixture should also appear a bit hazy. If you’re a soap maker you’ll be familiar with this—we’re looking for a very light trace. Refer to the video to see it in action!
When you have reached trace, transfer the mixture to a 60mL/2oz tin and leave to set up for at least six hours (though I found it will continue to set up/mature for about a day. Do not refrigerate. That’s it!
To use, massage into your skin. Enjoy!
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this balm is 100% oil based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 55g, which will fill a60mL/2oz tin nicely.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this recipe, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there!
- Please don’t substitute the mango butter or the natural mango fragrance oil. If youhave to use a mango fragrance oil instead of the natural mango fragrance oil that’s ok, but if you use something other than mango butter that will dramatically impact the end feel and absorption speed of the final product.
- If you want to substitute the camellia seed oil or jojoba oil please choose other relatively fast-absorbing oils that don’t have a strong scent. Check out the encyclopedia posts for both oils for some ideas.
- You could use a different orange oil (sea buckthorn seed and buriti are good options) or an orange mica to get the orange hue. You could also replace it with more of one of the other liquid oils in the recipe, but then the end product will (obviously) not be orange.
Gifting Disclosure
The natural mango fragrance oil was gifted by Essential Wholesale. The sea buckthorn fruit oil was gifted by SIBU.
I absolutely adore Mango Butter, so last year I created my own balm recipe using equal amounts of Mango Butter, Jojoba oil, Camellia seed oil AND Macadamia nut oil, all set together with beeswax.
The results were a phenomenal multipurpose balm that moisturizes without the heaviness or greasiness. So fast absorbing & versatile!
That sounds stunning—there are so many oils I downright love in that blend 🙂
Well I learned about a new ingredient. I never heard of Sea Buckthorn fruit oil. It is very pigmented.
Isn’t it pretty?! I’ve detailed both the seed and the fruit oil in the Encyclopedia-you should check them out!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. Brilliant. I cant wait to try this one.
Thanks so much, Zanzi! Happy making 🙂
I just got a sampler set from Essential Wholesale and it had their mango scented conditioner. Was thinking I needed to grab a bottle of that fragrance oil and now your recipe has convinced me! Mango, along with pineapple, is one of my top favorite scents that essential oils can never recreate.
I like their concept of “natural” fragrance oils – just read Essential Wholesale’s blog post on them because I was about to ask you what exactly it meant for a fragrance oil to be “natural” :]
Oooh lala! Their passionfruit natural fragrance is also flat out amazeballs 😀 It might even be better than the mango one! And don’t forget to look at their selection of hydrosols—SWOON!
Mmm, now I’m picturing a passionfruit-mango tropical extravaganza! Maybe, for science, it would be necessary to get one of each of the fragrance oils… :]
Of course… for science 😀
OMG will you look at that stunning color!! I’ll have to check out essential wholesale haha Thanks Marie for all the work you do! I’ve definitely learned a lot
Thanks so much! I’m sure you’ll find all kinds of goodies—don’t forget to use my coupon code, too!
Love SIBU Products. Their oils are expensive but the best you can buy! I’ve started using mango butter in my lotion bars as it just absorbs a whole lot better and no greasiness. Thank you for this recipe, looks absolutely decadent!
I’ve been so impressed with the SIBU products I’ve tried (and I love how their seed oil doesn’t dye my skin!).
Once you go mango butter it’s hard to go back to anything heavier, eh?!
Hi Marie, wow, this body butter looks amazing! I ordered some mango butter an mango fragrance, and can’t wait to make this, thank you!
OOoh, I hope you love it as much as I do! 🙂
Hi Marie, I love this idea, but don’t love the $60 USD price to get a bottle to Canada. Is there a work around or another source for this product?
I’ve afraid I don’t know of a different source for that product, but as noted in the substitutions list you could use a mango fragrance oil instead of that particular natural fragrance oil 🙂 New Directs has a few mango type fragrances!
Hi Marie! Greetings from Finland! I’ve been following Your blog for years… Made dozens of your wonderfull recipes for me and My family, we love them! Conditioning sugar plum body butter is our latest favourite, also without plum, with rose wax + mint eo or jasmine wax + plum oil…(it’s all about the colors now :)). I just bought myself a copy of Make IT up! and it certainly feels like it’s Christmas again or something! Thank You so much for everything!
Hello to Finland! Thank you so much for reading and following 🙂 I’m so thrilled to hear you’re loving the conditioning body butters—that conditioning note is SO divine, SWOON! And a massive thank you for buying my book! Happy making 😀
Not only my favorite color but the perfect flavor to perk me up this cold winter.
I’ve been gathering some of your recipes, ordering bottles, oils, waxes and preservatives and getting ready to create my own natural products for me and other friends going throu Chemo. Not only will they will lift our spirits but keep us healthy too! . Your book should arrive Monday! Your site and content is award winning.
I have searched your blog and can’t locate two areas of information.
How to thoroughly clean my new jars?
What iPhone app can I use to know my current supplies on hand? I’ve ordered duplicates these past weeks ♀️
Thank you for and help you can provide!!!!
Good morning Sharon!
Making your own products is insanely fun and will for sure lift your spirits and of all those around you. If you are new to the craft, be sure to check out Marie’s beginner recipes, and don’t use anything too expensive the first time or two you make something for the first time just so you can see how everything pulls together. That way, if you make a mistake or forgot something, it is not an expensive mess!
To answer your questions; 1) containers, and 2) I wish! There is not actually a phone app or a program for hobbyist makers where you can keep track of what you buy. I created my own type of spreadsheet to keep track of what I have and what I need to order. It’s kind of like baking. You want to bake some oatmeal raisin cookies, but find out that you have bought way too much oatmeal and no raisins!
I am wanting to make a reef-safe sunscreen stick. I have tried a solid body butter with shea/coconut/olive oil and did find that it was a tad greasy feeling. To discover that mango butter has a drier after-feel gets me wanting to revisit this project. I do want to add beeswax to harden the stick and provide some water resistance, so I am very interested in LadyBudd’s comment above, combining mango, camellia, jojoba, macadamia and beeswax. I’d be interested to know what proportions would work (I did take a look at the beeswax and oil ratio guide; 1:4 seems like the sweet spot (pun may or may not be intended). Then further complicated by the addition of zinc oxide at 20%. I’ll be experimenting, but if you get there before me, please let me know the results! 🙂
Hey Leanne! Please give this post a read 🙂
So good to know! Thank you for setting me straight!
No worries—happy making!
Hey Marie, just made the Mango Mango Body Butter. You were so right about Essential Wholesale’s mango natural fragrance oil – it smells divine. Juicy is the best description! It’s setting up now – can’t wait to use it! I also grabbed the passionfruit natural fragrance oil. It smells soo good. Can’t wait to see how we use this one.
Thanks!
OOOOh I have the passionfruit one as well and SWOOOOOOOON. It might even be better than the mango one, I can’t decide! They are both beyond divine 😀 I’m so glad you’re loving them, too!
If I replace the sea buckthorn fruit oil with an addition to the jojoba oil or camellia seed oil, do I add this at when I add the majority of the oils? Are you adding the sea buckthorn fruit oil after it cools down because it is heat sensitive?
You’d just add it with the majority of the other oils 🙂 It is a fairly precious oil, so I figured if we could avoid heating it we might as well!
Hello Marie, I love your recipe and have made a quite few products of them which I am really happy to use.
I am living in India, very hot place compare to where you are living. Recently body butters I have made with your recipe are getting melting if I put them out of my fridge. So can you give me some idea for keeping them solid, should I put more butters and waxes than your instruction and if so, how much percentage should I put more?
thank you so much!
Hey! I’ve got an FAQ on this 🙂
Hello,
I was wondering if I could substitute the camellia seed and jojoba oils for coconut oil or if that would make the product too soft. I want to combine the scents of coconut oil and the mango fragrance oil.
You can try it, but my concern would be the product would be too hard as coconut oil is typically solid at room temperature while camellia seed and jojoba are liquid. If you live somewhere warmer than I do it should work well!
Hi… I’ve recently found your page and am ecstatic to be able to follow a channel that actually knows the science and chemistry when creating bath products. I would like to know if there’s a substitute for Poly 80 when making bath bombs and bubble bars??
Welcome, Crystal! For substitutions definitely look up Polysorbate 80 in the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) 🙂 I also have a whole page on solubilizers that you’ll probably find helpful. Happy making!
Is Seabuckthorn Berry Oil (Certified Organic) the same as sea buckthorn fruit oil?
It should be, yes 🙂
Why not “whipped” mango butter. Is your formula better than “whipped” butter?
It’s not a matter of “better”—whipped vs. non-whipped body butters are different styles of formulations, and this is a non-whipped one 🙂 That’s sort of like asking “why chocolate instead of vanilla?”. It’s a preference, and they’re different—it’s not a better/worse thing. Happy making!
Instead of the camellia oil can I substitute it with vegetable glycerin?
No.
i made two batches of this recipe, for my christmas gifts. The first i placed it in an ice bath, but the second i forgot and i only “whisked” it with my hand mixer, so it created a nice body lotion, with no greasiness! SO thrilled with your recipes, actually work so fine, even here with warmer clima! i loved your “summer margarita” scrub and the other with the poppy seeds!!! Greetings and Love from Greece!
I’m so thrilled you’ve created something you love ❤️ Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
I did the mango butter and it smells divine but for some reason its still runny. I followed the recipe as well as I could and I think I got it to light trace point, but it didn’t set up as in the pictures or video. Its not too hot inside around 22 C, so I’m amazed how this happened. Also. is there anything I could try to make it set up more?
I’m quite new at this diying, but I checked how hard mango butter should be, and in one source it said that is should be harder than shea, but mine is much softer than shea! Now I understand why it didn’t work for me. Is there anyway I can make this recipe work for me with my soft mango butter? I know its not recommended to swap mango butter away, but it’s hard to use a runny version of this body butter…
You might just live somewhere hotter than I do? In any event, please read this, this, and this 🙂 Happy making!
Edit: I see that it’s not super hot where you are, but either way, these links will help. Happy making!
Thanks for the links!
Hi, I love the look of this so much. really want to try with what i have to hand first. Could I replace the Camellia, sea b and FO with apricot oil? So just had mango butter, apricot, jojoba oil and vit e?
That should work, though you will lose the colour and the scent 🙂 Happy making!
The ingredients and shipping are ridiculously overpriced. 20 dollars to ship a few samples? nope.