Whit this natural hand cream recipe you’ll create a wonderful hand cream that spreads and absorbs easily. It leaves your hands soft and nourished but not greasy, which is essential in a hand cream formula.

To me, a hand cream recipe that smells wonderful is a requirement, a way to easily sparkle joy to your senses every time you need it. It reminds me those vintage perfumed writing papers and stationery that we used to smell from time to time when we were kids. Well, this is not something happening so frequently now, as handwritten letters have been replaced by emails, but it has been a pleasure for centuries…
In this case, I opted for a caramel fragrance because I formulated it for a friend that loves it.

To achieve an inviting yellow, I used a few drops of carrot oleolite, which is a natural alternative to classic colorants. I've been using it a lot lately and I like it. It’s perfect for both emulsions and anhydrous cosmetics.

This handmade hand cream formula contains a good dose of glycerin and lots of emollient oils and butters to maintain hydration and achieve smooth, soft skin without dryness or cracking.
Regarding the cosmetic actives, panthenol, calendula oleolite, aloe vera and allantoin are soothing and anti-redness. Dry Touch (dodecane) helps to remove the greasy effect as well.

Keep in mind that the final texture is obtained the following day (let it rest at least 24 hours before using it) and is great: thick, firm and very pleasant to the touch. You’ll love it!

Hand cream recipe ingredients

Water phase

• Water: 52.4 g
• Glycerin: 10 g
• Allantoin: 0.3 g
• Xanthan: 0.2 g

Oil phase

• Cocoa butter: 3 g
• Mango butter: 3 g
• Jojoba oil: 0.5 g
• Coconut oil: 4 g
• Macadamia oil: 3 g
• Rice bran oil: 2 g
• Fractionated coconut oil: 1 g
• Vitamin E (tocopherol): 1 g
• Beeswax: 1 g
• Xyliance (emulsifying wax nº2): 6 g

Oil phase 1

• Shea butter: 5 g

Cooling down phase

• Panthenol: 1 g
• Calendula oleolite: 2 g
• Aloe vera gel: 2 g
• Dry Touch (dodecane): 1 g
• Aroma Zone caramel extract: 1 g
• Benzyl alcohol, Dehydroacetic acid preservative (Cosagard, Isocida or similar): 0.6 g
• Carrot oleolite: q.s. for coloring

How to make a caramel hand cream

• Pour the allantoin into the warm water and stir until it dissolves.
  
  
• Put glycerin and xanthan gum in a beaker and pour the water and allantoin solution slowly stirring until it forms a gel.
  
  
• Heat the oil and water phases ingredients in a double boiler in two separate beakers.
  
  
• Once the oil phase has melted completely, add the Shea butter, which should always be added at the end to prevent lumps.
  
  
• Combine the two phases when they have reached the same temperature, checking with a thermometer. They should reach about 75 Celsius degrees.
  
  
• Blend for 2 minutes with an immersion blender (for best results use this one) being careful not to let air in.
  
  
• Transfer to a cold water bath and continue stirring with a spatula until the cream reaches less than 40 Celsius degrees.
  
  

• Add the cooling down phase ingredients one by one, mixing thoroughly each time.
  
  

• Give a final whisk and measure the pH, which should be between 5 and 5.5. Adjust it if necessary.
  
  

• Your homemade natural hand cream recipe is ready!
  
  

Notes and substitutions

• Oils and butters can be substituted with others that have similar properties. As an example, you can avoid Mango butter and use Shea butter only. Check the oils and butters chart for more info.
  
  
• Allantoin and panthenol are soothing, but if you do not have them, you can use just one of the two. Check the cosmetic ingredients chart for more ingredients with similar properties.
  
  
• Use the aroma extract, fragrance or essential oils you want, but please check the recommended doses before (check the essential oils dosage chart). Choose one that could bring joy to your senses every time you smell it during the day. This is a hand cream recipe little secret!