The Best Coconut Hand Cream Recipes On The Internet - Guaranteed!

Natasha Bruce-Carline
The Best Coconut Hand Cream Recipes On The Internet - Guaranteed!
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After cleaning, there’s no better treat than a thick, lustrous Coconut hand cream. Packed full of active ingredients and fatty acids,  coconut oil moisturizes dehydrated skin deeply. Providing a protective barrier, it locks in hydration. It absorbs quickly to nourish and soften the surface and deeper layers of even really dry hands and sensitive skin.

Formulate your own coconut oil hand cream recipe to suit your skin needs, and you could even adapt it to create your skincare bases for facial moisturizers, body moisturizers, and body butters too. 

Join me to explore how coconut oil can give you the best coconut oil hand cream you have ever used, and what’s even better is that it's all made with completely natural ingredients.

And this might be my easiest job ever because selling you on the coconut hand cream benefits is a walk in the park. Once you have tried the cream for yourself, you’ll never look at another recipe again.  

Best Ingredients For Coconut Hand Cream

Coconut oil

    • Cleanses the skin and repels daily dirt and grime.

    • Hydrates and moisturizes the skin

    • Protects the skin’s barrier function.

    • Reduces the signs of premature skin aging and hyperpigmentation with antioxidant chemicals to fight free radicals and oxidative stress. 

    • Soothes dehydrated, sore, irritated, and inflamed skin.

    • Penetrating lipids carry nutrients down into the skin to nourish, condition, and strengthen skin from within.

There are a few types of Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) to choose from,

Extra Virgin, Fractionated, Coconut MCT - I go into all the different properties in Coconut Oil As Lotio,n, so no need to extol them again here. But today I’ll use Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in these Coconut Hand Cream recipes. 

It has an amazing fresh coconut aroma, a bit like coconut cream.  It’s not so strong that it will overpower your hand cream and blends beautifully with the fragrances of essential oils.

I like this one because it feels so rich and nourishing, but it does leave a film on the skin. If you do not like that oil feeling, you could use Coconut oil MCT, which absorbs quickly without leaving greasy residue. That said, it is that oiliness that is so deeply nourishing and protective for your skin, so don’t get rid of it all!

Basic Coconut Hand Cream Recipe

Once you have learnt how to make Coconut hand cream,  you can make one great base recipe and then just tweak it to suit your individual needs. This way, you can make a variety of Coconut hand creams to suit friends and family, all from one cost-effective base.

It is easy to make adjustments to suit individual preferences. Add more wax to make it harder and therefore, more waterproof and protective, for example. This can be great if you have your hands in water or oil all day, or even in the garden.

You could also make it thicker and unctuous by adding an extra dollop of cosmetic butter like Shea Butter. Butters will soften, moisturize, and nourish the skin.

Naturally, you can swap and change essential oil blends to suit your needs entirely. Add in an extra layer of active constituents to address issues like arthritis, stiff joints, and eczema. Just remember to check the Safety Synopsis and IFRA safety data to make sure you are within skin-safe limits. Both of these can be found on the essential oil webpage under the DOCUMENTS tab. How To Find Safety Information On The VINEVIDA Website.

Just this one great base offers you so many versatile options. You have all the scope you need to make this your own and tailor make Coconut hand cream to your specific needs.

You Will Need:

    1. Double Boiler

    2. Protective heat mat

    3. Hand, Stand Mixer (or Hand Whisk, though it is not ideal).

    4. Large mixing bowl

    5. Measuring jug and spoons

    6. Stainless steel spoon

    7. Jar funnel

    8. 120ml Jar and lid (Allows for recipe variations)

    9. Oil and waterproof label 

Ingredients:

    1. Makes approximately 100ml

    2. 6 tsp of Aqueous Cream (Various ingredients)

    3. 3 tsp of Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)

    4. 2 tsp of Beeswax (Cera alba)

    5. 3 tsp of Extra Virgin Coconut Carrier Oil (Cocos nucifera)

    6. 2 tsp of Rosehip Carrier Oil (Rosa Canina)

    7. 2 tsp of Avocado Carrier Oil (Persea gratissima)

    8. 2 tsp of Glycerine (Glycerol)

Optional: Preservative of choice, follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Safety:

    • Not suitable for people with nut allergies.

Method:

Melting Butters and Waxes

    1. Always melt your waxes and butters over the lowest heat setting possible. Just be patient, and it will preserve the integrity and nutrients of your ingredients. 

    2. Set your double boiler to pre-warm over a low heat.

    3. Meanwhile, gather your equipment and measure out all of your ingredients and place them to hand so you can work quickly and efficiently.

    4. Once the double boiler is warmed through, add the Beeswax. You can stir to help it along if you wish. 

    5. As soon as it is ¾ molten, add the Shea Butter and stir to help it melt.

    6. When the Shea is mostly molten, add the Extra Virgin Coconut oil, and as soon as everything is melted, remove it from the heat.

Cooling Down & Mixing

    1. Separate the double boiler for the hot water in the bottom pan and set it aside on a protective heat mat for a few minutes to cool a little. 

    2. You are looking for a sweet spot where it is cooling but not setting. As it gets to this point, pour it into the mixing bowl.

    3. Turn the mixer on and start mixing, and add the Aqueous cream one dollop at a time, allowing it to incorporate before adding the next. You can alternate with the Glycerine and Avocado carrier oil if you wish (Not the Rosehip, though).

    4. Once it is all mixed, let it cool down to room temperature and then add your chosen essential oils and/or fragrance oils diluted in the Rosehip carrier oil.

    5. Mix for a couple of minutes until everything is evenly incorporated.

    6. Cover with a soft, clean cloth and allow it to fully cool. This way, you can assess the consistency before it goes in the jar and make any changes. 

Jarring and Labeling

    1. Make sure the Coconut Hand Cream mix is fully cooled before you put it in the jar and seal it. Warmth and moisture encourage the formation of mold and bacteria, so keep it cool! 

    2. Use a jar funnel and decant into your jars, clean the rim meticulously of any drips or spills, and seal tightly.

    3. Add an oil and waterproof label, listing all ingredients and any safety cautions. Date it and add an expiry date of 3-6 months, unless you used a preservative. 

How To Use:

    1. Always do a 24-48 hour patch test.

    2. Apply liberally to hands as needed, work into the skin, paying attention to the webbing between the fingers and the nail beds. I like to work it under my fingernails too to keep my fingers and fingernails in tip-top condition.  

    3. Use up to 4 times daily. 

Ingredients That Make Your Coconut Hand Cream Even Greater!

Coconut is a great ingredient for hand cream because it has a solid structure and it has amazingly nourishing properties. But, add some more ingredients and you can really create something wild! I’ve made DIY recipes at the end for you, but these are some of the things I think can transform a basic coconut hand cream into something really fabulous.  

Castor (Ricinus communis) and Avocado (Persea gratissima) support the skin’s barrier function, which is intrinsic to healthy-looking skin. They are both quite thick and unctuous, and they make the cream feel even more luxurious.

Rosehip (Rosa Canina) is packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, and help to reduce the signs of aging. Marmol (2017) shows Rosehip to be a powerhouse of potentiality and can be utilized in a variety.

A dash of skin softening Argan oil (Argania Spinosa) and highly antioxidant Vitamin E (Tocopherol) can add nourishing hydration to dry skin and really dry, dehydrated hands. 

A combination of Rosehip and Vitamin-E oil makes an ultra-hydrating hand cream with coconut oil. 

Beeswax

A good quality beeswax will add body and structure to your coconut hand cream, as well as some other wonderful qualities.

    • Hydrates and moisturizes the skin to lock in moisture and provide a protective barrier.

    • Creates a breathable and somewhat water-repellent barrier to protect the skin.

    • Shields the skin from environmental irritants and stressors.

    • Protects from inclement weather like wind and rain.

    • Soothe inflamed and irritated skin (Nong, 2023).

Beeswax offers you a highly effective, 100% natural, and supremely gentle ingredient for your skincare products. Adding Beeswax to your Coconut hand cream gives you a myriad of compelling qualities to improve the quality of your skin.

Cosmetic Butters

Cosmetic butters transform the body and structure of coconut hand creams, as well as providing a powerhouse of extra nourishments, like essential fatty acids, triglycerides, antioxidants, and Vitamins. 

Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao) supports the skin's elasticity and has constituents to reduce the signs of skin aging. 

Unrefined Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) contains stearic acid, stearates, and Linoleic Acid (Vit F), which moisturizes the deeper skin layer to plump and smooth the skin. They are also demonstrated to support healthy skin cell repair. 

Shea and cocoa butters are suitable for all skin types and are gentle enough for even sensitive skin. Find out more in Shea Butter vs Cocoa Butter: Which is Best for Your Skin & Hair?

Glycerine

My favorite friend, glycerine, is a humectant, which means it attracts moisture.

Adding glycerine to your coconut hand cream will:

    • Retain moisture to keep skin supple, smooth, and soft.

    • Support the skin’s barrier function, protecting the skin against harsh weather conditions, environmental pollutants or skin irritants, and stressors. 

    • Support the skin's healing process to reduce the appearance of scars. 

    • Calm inflamed, irritated, and sore skin and reduce redness. 

You could also add an equal measure of Aloe Vera gel to moisturize dehydrated skin.

Best Essential Oils For Coconut Hand Cream

Now, in my opinion, it makes no sense to go to the trouble of melting, pouring, and washing up if you don’t really aim for the very best coconut hand cream recipe you can design. So that, for me, will, of course,  include essential oils, so we can really leverage some of the skills of those active ingredients.

So before you embark on making your Coconut hand cream, ask yourself, “What do my hands need?”

Are they parched and dry? 

Sore and inflamed? 

Are they covered in cuts and abrasions from your work or gardening? 

Perhaps you have psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis? 

Considering these questions will enable you to formulate your best Coconut hand cream recipe and tailor it to your own skin’s needs. 

Skin Softeners and Anti-Agers

Coconut oil is luscious and has deeply emollient properties, meaning it hydrates and moisturizes..But don’t make the mistake of thinking this is only for dry skin. Even normal or oily skin types will benefit from how it helps the skin to “drink moisture”. 

The best essential oils for dryness are: 

    • Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens) delivers intense hydration and cools, soothing inflammation and skin irritations. Aromatherapists tend to add geranium essential oil to creams that are for itchy and irritated skin conditions like dermatitis and eczema. 
    • Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) supports the elasticity of the skin,  helping the skin to appear smoother and more refined. Frankincense essential oil has demonstrated remarkable potential in promoting wound healing...[it].. ‘reduces oxidative stress, and creates an environment conducive to tissue regeneration’. Venkatesan (2025). It is one of the best essential oils for fighting the signs of premature skin aging.
    • Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) soothes inflamed skin and draws nourishment down into the deeper layers of skin. Patchouli is also great for soothing red, sore, and inflamed skin, like sunburn and insect bites. 

Coconut oil is packed with antioxidants to fight free radicals and signs of premature skin aging. You might have noticed some of these fine lines,  wrinkles, hyperpigmentation,,n and dark spots on your hands? If so, adding any of these essential oils will add to the skin softening actions of your Coconut hand cream.

Skin and Wound Healers

If your hands look a bit battered, too, this is a great time to tailor your coconut hand cream, like I did last week, when my hands got covered in nicks in the garden. My husband was cutting the hedge, and the trimmer was getting a bit too close for comfort to my rose. I rushed out to hold it out of he way, and even despite wearing leather gloves, a thorn still found its way into my hand! I don’t know how I do it, but I manage it every time. 

It did work out rather well, though, because when Bluebell, my cat, hurt her leg later in the week, my pot of cream was close at hand. I just added a couple of drops of Tea Tree to stop potential infections and a dash of Helichrysum for its skin-healing, anti-inflammatory constituents. Now the cat’s crehas has also become an even more super-dooper scratch balm! That’s how versatile essential oils can be.

So, if you work in an environment that is rough or too damaging to your hands, why not add essential oils like:

    • Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), renowned for its ancient skin healing qualities and for reducing inflammation from scratches, cuts, and skin nicks. Batiha (2022) 

    • Helichrysum (Helichrysum splendida), dubbed by Liz as ‘for the wound that will not heal’ (Ashley, 2017) because of its resilient healing, helichrysum is marvelous if you repeatedly break the skin or knock the scabs off. 

Soothers

My hypersensitive skin means I am occasionally prone to dermatitis on my hands. I’ve worked really hard over the last two years, finding skin and hand care that suits me and my sensitive skin. 

If this is also you, the most productive adjustments I have found are to avoid household cleaners and to swap to more natural, gentler alternatives. I wear rubber gloves to wash up, clean, and garden, then I also use Coconut hand cream blended with essential oils that are soothing and gentle.

    • Violet Leaf (Viola ordorata L.) is perfect if you have hyper-sensitive skin; it is super gentle and packed with soothing constituents.

    • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is Gentle,  soothing to both skin and mood.

    • Chamomile essential oils, Roman (Anthemis nobilis L.), and German (Matricaria chamomilla L.) are lovely for irritated skin, especially if it is itchy and driving you nuts! 

    • Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Roseum X Asperum) and Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens) are soothing and cooling to inflamed, sore skin.  ‘Rose Geranium essential oil is a useful anti-inflammatory agent for the prevention and treatment of acute or chronic inflammatory skin diseases. ’ Boukhatem (2013)

Anti Inflammatories

It is easy to turn a ‘beauty’ hand cream into a cream that targets more specific issues. 

    • Juniper (Juniperus communis) has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Raina (2019). For me, its most impressive action is how it seems to break down the uric acid crystals that contribute to the knobbled fingers of arthritic hands.  

    • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil is well known for its soothing anti-inflammatory actions, delivered in a kind and gentle way.  Linalool in Lavender essential oil is “successful in decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Pandur (2021).. It is soothing, calming,g, and anti-inflammatory. 

    • Chamomiles: After investigating just how it is that chamomiles are such an effective anti-inflammatory medicine, De Cicco (2023) concluded that chamomile essential oils exerted their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity by “modulating macrophages and CD4+ T cells-mediated immune response”.

Try German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), which is bright blue, thanks to an anesthetic-like constituent called Azulene, and is useful for painful hands. Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis L.) also contains effective anti-inflammatory constituents.

Gardeners Coconut Hand Cream

We get asked all the time how to make an extra-tough Coconut hand cream for gardeners, so I am going to share one of my best recipes with you. 

I have my hands in the soil a LOT, so I know that you need a Coconut hand cream that will hydrate and nourish damaged, dry hands. You will find this super rich and a bit heavier, giving you an ultra-hydrating hand cream that forms an effective and protective barrier against dirt and soil-borne nasties. 

We are going to make this richer and more protective by adding extra Beeswax and uber-nourishing cosmetic butter. I’ve added Tea Tree and Thyme essential oils for their antibacterial and antimicrobial properties to bust those soil-borne microbes! 

Extra Ingredients:

To The Base Coconut Hand Cream Recipe, Add:

    • 1 tsp of Beeswax (Cera alba)

    • 1 tsp of Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)

Essential Oil Blend for Gardeners Coconut Hand Cream:

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy 

    • Not suitable for people with nut allergies.

    • Always do a 24-48 hour patch test. 

Ladies Coconut Hand Cream

Use this recipe when you want to make coconut hand cream for dry hands, with a distinctly feminine aroma. This is rich in ingredients and essential oils that will leave your hands feeling beautifully supple, velvety soft, smooth, and deeply moisturized. It will absorb quickly and leave you with radiant skin, glowing with health and vitality.

I’ve swapped the carrier oils about, adding Argan oil, and I have added more moisture-loving Glycerine.

Extra Ingredients:

To The Base Coconut Hand Cream Recipe, Add:

    • 2 tsp of Argan carrier oil (Argania Spinosa) instead of the Avocado oil 

    • An extra 2 tsp of Glycerine, making 4 tsp altogether. 

Essential Oil Blend for Ladies Coconut Hand Cream:

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy 

    • Not suitable for people with nut allergies.

    • Always do a 24-48 hour patch test. 

Men’s Coconut Hand Cream

It can be challenging when we first learn how to make Coconut hand cream to give it a more masculine scent, but there is no secret to it. You just need to get the essential oil blending right and balanced between scent and purpose. 

We still want Coconut hand cream that nourishes and hydrates and acts as an effective moisturizer, leaving us with wonderfully hydrated hands and skin glowing with health.

I’ve used an aromatic essential oil blend that I first developed for my beloved uncle’s Christmas soap. It is heavy in Cedarwood and Gingergrass aromas, and they have proven quite synergistic and long-lasting. Frankincense and Myrrh bring their undercurrent abilities to support skin and wound healing. 

Extra Ingredients:

To The Base Coconut Hand Cream Recipe, Add:

I’ve not made any changes here, but if you work with your hands in oil, water, or environmental pollutants, add 2 - 4 tsp of beeswax for added protection and water repellency. 

Essential Oil Blend for Men’s Coconut Hand Cream:

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy 

    • Not suitable for people with nut allergies.

    • Always do a 24-48 hour patch test. 

Sensitive and Soothing Coconut Hand Cream

We have so many customers who want to know how to make Coconut hand cream for sensitive skin, and so I have really pulled out all the stops on this one for you.

I have taken the recipe down to just about the bare minimum I can. I suggest that if your skin is hypersensitive to patch test every ingredient individually before you mix them all together. This way, you can quickly identify any allergens that you need to avoid. You can make substitutions that suit your skin, though you may have to be prepared to do a little experimentation here. 

This coconut oil hand cream recipe relies on unrefined and organic ingredients to create the purest product possible. It makes for wonderful hand and skincare for all skin types.

Ingredients:

    • Makes approximately 100ml

Simply follow the basic recipe method given above 

    • 6 tsp of Organic Aqueous Cream (Various ingredients)

    • 3 tsp of Unrefined Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii).. You can use Cocoa butter as an alternative if it suits you better. 

    • 2 tsp of Unrefined Beeswax (Cera alba)

    • 3 tsp of Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Carrier Oil (Cocos nucifera)

    • 2 tsp of Unrefined Rosehip Carrier Oil (Rosa Canina)

    • 2 tsp of Coconut MCT Carrier Oil (Cocos nucifera)

    • 2 tsp of Vegetable Glycerine (Glycerol)

Optional: Organic preservative of choice, follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Essential Oil Blend for Sensitive & Soothing Coconut Hand Cream:

You don’t have to add the essential oils,s, but it is well worth it, as they are full of skin-soothing and calming actions. 

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy 

    • Not suitable for people with nut allergies.

    • Always do a 24-48 hour patch test. 

Can I Use Fragrance Oils In My Coconut Hand Cream?

The  VINEVIDA Soaps & Candles Fragrance Oils are designed to be used for those products to be used topically, including the Coconut hand cream.  That said, I would avoid adding fragrance oils if your skin is broken and leverage the skin-healing abilities of essential oils. 

To use fragrance oil, you may find you need to check the IFRA maximum skin safety dilutions. You can find these in the safety data in the DOCUMENTS tab on the fragrance oils' individual webpage. 

The category that applies to hand creams is 5C for Hand Cream.

Newest Releases & Spring Inspired

Why not try some of our newest releases in your Coconut hand cream, inspired by the joyful and hopeful days of Spring? 

Sophisticated Florals

Go for all-out florals, who doesn’t love a floral-scented Coconut hand cream? Go for deeper, fruitier notes with NO. 1201 or light and bright with NO. 3109.

Woody & Spicy

Go for more masculine aromas and try some of these deeply delicious, resinous, woody scents in your Coconut hand cream. 

Fresh, Lively & Green

At this time of year, I can’t get enough of the fresh green scents that emulate the abundant new growth happening outside. Create more refreshing and invigorating Coconut hand creams. 

The Final Word

Now you know just how easy it is to make Coconut Hand Cream!

We can pack it with active ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, and glycerine. Harnessing these ingredients means we can use them to moisturize, nourish, and hydrate dry skin. We can create an ultra-hydrating hand cream that will absorb quickly, packed with constituents to improve hydration, lock in moisture to deeply moisturize, nd provide a protective barrier.

If you have really dry hands or dehydrated skin, use one of our simple Coconut hand cream recipes. They will leave your skin soft and smooth with supple, radiant skin and an even skin tone. You can have wonderfully hydrated hands, whether you have normal skin or the most sensitive skin. We want to help you create really gorgeous hand creams that are a delight to use and make effective and versatile skincare for all your individual needs and skin types.

Try our Basic Coconut Hand Cream recipe and make your own bespoke hand cream to suit your hands. If you have your hands in soil all the time, try our richer Gardeners Coconut Hand Cream with its extra tough love and care. Go all out feminine with our floral Ladies Coconut Hand Cream. Turn things deeper, more resinous, and woody with Men’s Coconut Hand Cream. For all my hypersensitives out there, like me, try this super pure and gentle Sensitive and Soothing Coconut Hand Cream. However,r you make your own Coconut Hand Cream, enjoy the process and proceeds of your work! Your hands will thank you.

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