Cocoa Butter Foot Cream

To make cocoa butter foot cream at home, melt 1/4 cup (about 2 oz, 57 g) of Baraka cocoa butter with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of Baraka virgin coconut oil, stir in 5 drops of peppermint essential oil and let it set in a jar. Many people find cocoa butter a good choice for dry feet and rough heels. It takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work, plus cooling time.

How do you make cocoa butter foot cream at home?

You need three ingredients and a clean jar. This homemade foot cream is a thick, rich balm that melts on contact with warm skin. It is a good choice if you have been searching for a foot cream recipe or a DIY foot cream for cracked heels, because it uses real butter and oil with no water, so it stays rich and it is easy to make.

Ingredients

• Cocoa butter: 1/4 cup, about 2 oz (57 g)
• Coconut oil: 2 tablespoons (30 ml)
• Peppermint essential oil: 5 drops, about 0.25 g

The peppermint is optional. The cream is lovely without it, and it is unscented that way. If you add it, 5 drops is about 0.3% of this batch, which is well under Baraka's recommended limit of 1% for a leave-on recipe. Do not apply to the face of babies or young children. Do not use peppermint in anything made for babies or young children.

Instructions

1. Put the cocoa butter and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. You can also melt them in the microwave in short bursts of 15 to 20 seconds, stirring between each.
2. Stir until the mixture is completely liquid and smooth. Take it off the heat as soon as it melts. Do not let it get hot.
3. Stir in the peppermint essential oil, if you are using it, until well combined.
4. Pour the mixture into a clean, dry jar. Leave it at room temperature until it starts to set, then move it somewhere cool until it is solid.
5. Massage a small amount into your feet, paying special attention to your heels and the balls of your feet.
6. Use it daily, especially before bed.

Buy the ingredients now

This recipe uses two Baraka ingredients. One click takes both straight to checkout.

• Baraka Cocoa Butter, 8.8 oz (250 g): enough for four batches
• Baraka Virgin Coconut Oil, 3.5 oz (100 g): enough for three batches

Buy both now

Peppermint essential oil is not a Baraka product; use your usual supplier.

The cream is ready to use once it is firm, usually within a few hours. Because it contains no water, there is nothing in it that needs a preservative. Even so, make small batches, keep the jar in a cool, dark place, use clean, dry hands or a small spoon, and throw it out if it smells or looks off.

What does each ingredient do in this foot cream?

• Cocoa butter makes the cream rich and firm. It is a hard butter at room temperature, so it gives the cream body and a slow-melting, cushioned feel on dry heels.
• Coconut oil makes the cream soft and easier to spread. It melts at about 76°F (24°C), so it softens the butter and helps the cream glide on.
• Peppermint essential oil adds a cool, minty scent. That is all it is there for. Leave it out if you prefer an unscented cream.

How can you change the texture?

Use this rule of thumb: butters make it rich, oils make it soft and light, wax makes it hold its shape.

• Firmer cream: use a little more cocoa butter, or add 1 teaspoon of grated beeswax. Beeswax is the one that makes a balm hold its shape.
• Softer cream: add another 1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, or use a little less cocoa butter.
• Thicker, richer cream: swap part of the cocoa butter for shea butter. Shea butter is softer and creamier than cocoa butter, so the cream feels less hard.
• Lighter cream: use a little more oil and a little less butter. The cream will melt faster and sink in more quickly.

Change one thing at a time, and write down what you did. If you change the amounts, keep the peppermint at 1% or less of the total weight of the batch.

Should you put cocoa butter on your feet?

Yes, you can. Cocoa butter is a rich plant butter, and it is a popular choice for dry feet. People ask whether cocoa butter is good for feet, whether it suits cracked heels and whether it softens feet. Many people report that a thick butter-based cream leaves rough heels feeling softer and smoother, especially when they use it every night. Cocoa butter is traditionally used as a rich moisturiser, and a layer of butter on the skin helps keep moisture in.

It is a cosmetic moisturiser, not a treatment. This is DIY advice, not medical advice. It does not treat athlete's foot, nail fungus, eczema or any other condition. If you have a skin or nail problem, see a doctor or pharmacist. If your heels are cracked and painful, bleeding, or not improving, ask a doctor or pharmacist as well. This matters most if you have diabetes, because foot care is more important then.

How to use it for the best results

1. Wash and dry your feet well, especially between the toes.
2. Soak your feet in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to soften rough skin, then pat them dry.
3. Take a pea-sized amount of cream for each foot. Warm it between your fingers until it melts.
4. Massage it in, working on the heels, the balls of the feet and the sides of the feet. Keep it off the soles if you are walking on a slippery floor.
5. Put on a pair of clean cotton socks to keep the cream on your feet and off your sheets.

Use a thin layer. A little goes a long way, and too much will leave your socks greasy. Do this every night for a week or two to see how your feet respond.

What is the best foot softening cream?

The best cream for rough feet is the one you will actually use every night. For dry heels, look for a rich cream that is made mostly of butters and oils. This homemade cream is a simple answer: cocoa butter makes it rich, coconut oil makes it soft, and there is no water to make it spoil.

Whatever cream you use, the habit matters as much as the recipe. A regular routine of washing, drying, a short soak and a thick layer of cream before bed is what many people find works best for dry feet. A pumice stone, used gently on damp skin once a week, helps remove dead skin so the cream can do its job. Do not scrape or cut hard skin. Stop if the skin feels sore.

What should you watch out for?

• Slippery floors. Butters and oils make skin slippery. Wipe your hands, and keep your feet off tile and wood floors until the cream has soaked in.
• Clothes and sheets. Wear socks. Cocoa butter and coconut oil can leave marks on fabric.
• Peppermint. Use no more than 5 drops in this batch, and do not apply to the face of babies or young children. Leave it out of anything for babies.
• Persistent problems. See a doctor or pharmacist for anything that does not improve.

Make it your own

These recipes are a starting point, not a rulebook. Use your judgement, be inspired, and don't be afraid to experiment. Everything here is a pure, natural ingredient that blends happily with the others. Start with a small batch, write down what you did, and see how your feet respond. When you find a blend that works for you, make it again.

Baraka is Community Certified Fair Trade. You can read more in our Impact Report.

This Recipe was originally published in Cocoa Butter: The Ultimate DIY Ingredient

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