Did you know you can apply raw mango butter directly to your
skin as a rich moisturizer or whip it with carrier oils for a lighter,
spreadable body butter? Ever wonder how it’s made? We’ve dug into the process commercially
as well as how to use, scent and package your own mango body butter at home.
Whipped mango butter is a light, deeply moisturizing skin
and hair product made from the fat extracted from mango seeds.
Benefits for Skin and Hair
Skin Moisture: Melts quickly into skin to relieve dry
patches, eczema, and psoriasis without feeling too greasy. Rich in Nutrients:
Contains natural vitamins A, C, and E to support collagen production and a
healthy glow.
Hair Care: Softens hair strands, locks in moisture, and helps define curl
patterns when applied after washing
Direct Application
• Warm a small amount: Scoop a dime-sized amount of raw
mango butter and rub it between your palms until it melts from your body heat.
• Massage into skin: Gently apply it to damp skin right
after a shower to lock in deep hydration for dry areas, elbows, or heels.
• Do a patch test: Test a 1-inch area on your inner arm for
24 hours before full application, especially if you have sensitive skin.
DIY Whipped Body Butter
• Chop and soften: Cut raw mango butter into small pieces.
• Mix with oils: Combine with skin-safe carrier oils like
jojoba, sweet almond, or grapeseed oil.
• Whip until fluffy: Use an electric hand mixer on
medium-high speed until the mixture achieves a light, creamy texture.
Storage Tips
• Keep cool: Store your raw mango butter in an airtight
container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Refrigerate if needed: If your room temperature rises
above 75°F (24°C), place it in the refrigerator so it does not melt.
Raw mango butter typically has a shelf life of 1 to 2 years
when stored properly.
Because it is a natural, unrefined product without added
artificial preservatives, its lifespan depends heavily on how it is handled and
stored.
Signs of Expired Mango Butter
Before applying it to your skin, check for these signs that
the butter has gone bad:
• Rancid Odor: A strong, sour, or playdough-like smell
replacing its natural, slightly sweet aroma.
• Texture Changes: Excessive graininess, hard beads that
won't melt, or a sticky texture.
• Mold Growth: Dark or discolored spots, which usually
happen if water gets trapped inside the container.
How to Maximize Shelf Life
• Keep Water Out: Always scoop the butter out with a clean,
dry utensil or dry hands. Moisture is the leading cause of mold and bacterial
growth.
• Seal Air-Tight: Keep the lid tightly closed when not in
use to prevent oxidation, which causes the fats to go rancid.
• Store in the Dark: UV rays from sunlight degrade the
beneficial vitamins and fatty acids, shortening its lifespan.
Raw mango butter does not smell like mango fruit. Instead,
it has a very mild, neutral, and slightly earthy or fatty scent on its
own.
Because it is extracted from the hard seed kernel inside the
pit rather than the sweet juicy flesh, it lacks any tropical or fruity
aroma.
Scent Characteristics
• Subtle and Imperceptible: The natural aroma is very faint.
Many people describe it as a light, clean, or slightly leafy scent that
dissipates quickly once rubbed into the skin.
• Blank Canvas for DIY: Unlike raw shea butter (which has a
strong, smoky, nutty aroma) or cocoa butter (which smells strongly of
chocolate), mango butter is prized by DIYers because its neutral base won't
clash with or overpower added essential oils.
• Ideal for Sensitive Noses: If you are sensitive to strong
fragrances or prefer unscented skincare, raw mango butter can be used
completely as-is without any added oils.
Note: If your raw mango butter ever develops a sharp, sour,
or playdough-like smell, it has gone rancid and should be thrown out.
How should you scent your mango butter?
True, natural "essential oils" do not actually
exist for mango fruit. However, when you see products labeled as "mango
oil," they are almost always made from the seed (kernel), or they are a
formulated fragrance oil.
The differences dictate what you are actually buying:
1. Mango Seed Oil (From the Seed)
• What it is: A deeply hydrating carrier oil (or a melted
down liquid fraction of mango butter) pressed directly from the hard pit/kernel
inside the mango.
• The Scent: It has the same mild, neutral, non-fruity scent
as raw mango butter.
• Use: It is used directly on the skin or hair for its fatty
acids and vitamins.
2. Mango Fragrance Oil (Recreated Fruit Scent)
• What it is: Because the juicy fruit flesh is mostly water
and cannot be steam-distilled into an essential oil, companies create fragrance
oils to mimic the smell.
• The Scent: This is what gives you that sweet, tropical,
juicy fruit aroma.
• Use: These are used strictly to add a pleasant scent to
candles, soaps, or body creams. They can be synthetic or naturally derived from
other plant isolates.
Shopping Warning
Be careful when looking at bottles labeled "100% Pure
Mango Essential Oil" that claim to smell like fresh fruit. This is a
common marketing trick. If it smells intensely like a sweet mango fruit, it is
a synthetic or blended fragrance oil, not a pure essential oil.
You can add a fruity mango scent to your DIY body
butter or you can add a different natural essential oil like
lavender, citrus, or vanilla.
To keep your batch safe and effective, stick to a safe
dilution rate of 1% to 2% essential oil relative to your total mixture.
For every 4 ounces (approx. 115g) of whipped body butter,
you will want to add approx. 24 to 48 drops of your chosen scent.
Here are the best skin-safe options categorized by the vibe
you want to achieve:
Fruity & Tropical Vibes
• Mango Fragrance Oil: Look specifically for cosmetic-grade,
skin-safe mango fragrance oil. It will give you that sweet, classic tropical
fruit smell.
• Sweet Orange or Grapefruit Essential Oil: These are 100%
natural and give a bright, uplifting, and sweet citrus scent.
• Note: Use "distilled" citrus oils if you plan to
wear the butter in the sun, as cold-pressed citrus oils can cause sun
sensitivity.
Calming & Floral Vibes
• Lavender Essential Oil: A classic choice that promotes
relaxation. It blends beautifully with the natural, neutral scent of mango
butter.
• Geranium or Ylang Ylang Essential Oil: These offer rich,
luxurious, and slightly exotic floral scents that linger beautifully on the
skin.
Sweet & Cozy Vibes
• Vanilla Oleoresin / Extract: Gives your body butter a
warm, comforting, "sugar cookie" or bakery aroma.
• Cocoa Butter Blend: If you melt down a tiny bit of raw
cocoa butter into your mango butter, it will naturally give the entire batch a
subtle chocolate scent without needing extra oils.
How to Mix It In
• Melt or Soften: Melt your raw mango butter alongside your
chosen carrier oils (like jojoba or almond oil).
• Cool Slightly: Let the liquid mixture cool down until it
is opaque but still soft (putting it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes helps). Do
not add oils to hot, melted butter, or the heat will destroy the scent and
therapeutic benefits.
• Add and Whip: Drop your essential or fragrance oils
directly into the cooled mixture, then whip everything with your hand mixer
until fluffy.
Google recommends AKARZ Mango Essential Oil as a popular
choice for DIY beauty projects, and its product description notes it is sourced
from mango fruit extracts in India to provide a rich, tropical fragrance.
Before you mix it into your raw mango butter, keep these
factors in mind:
What to Expect From This Oil
• The Scent Profile: Unlike raw mango seed butter (which is
scentless), this product is formulated as an aromatic essence oil. It is
designed specifically to give your DIY creams, soaps, and candles that sweet,
fruity, and tropical mango aroma.
• Texture Notice: This is a liquid, aromatic oil. It will
easily stir and blend into your whipped body butter without changing the creamy
texture, as long as you follow safe dilution rates.
Your Custom Mixing Recipe
To add a sweet mango scent to your raw mango butter using
your 10ml (0.34 fl oz) AKARZ bottle: [2]
• For a 4 oz Batch of Body Butter: Add 24 to 48 drops of the
AKARZ oil.
• For an 8 oz Batch of Body Butter: Add 48 to 96 drops of
the AKARZ oil.
How to Blend It
• Melt your raw mango butter with your choice of carrier
oils (like jojoba or sweet almond oil).
• Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes
until it looks opaque and semi-solid but still soft.
• Drop the AKARZ oil directly into the cooled butter
mixture. Avoid adding it while the butter is hot, as heat can degrade the
fragrance.
• Grab an electric hand mixer and whip the mixture on
medium-high speed until it turns into a light, fluffy cream.
 |
| Mango pit and the hidden kernel inside. |
The industrial journey
To make mango butter, producers take the large, fibrous
endocarp (the woody outer pit) that you scrape your spoon against when eating
the fruit, and carefully pry it open. Hidden inside that tough husk is a soft,
bean-shaped mango seed kernel.
Once extracted, these raw kernels are dried and
cold-pressed. This releases the nutrient-dense fats inside, which solidify into
the creamy, smooth raw mango butter used for skin care.
The commercial extraction of raw mango butter from those
tiny seed kernels is a clever process of upcycling. Because mangoes are
massively processed for food (like juices and dried snacks), cosmetic
manufacturers collect the discarded seeds so they don't go to waste.
1. Cleaning and Sun-Drying
First, the massive, hairy outer husks (the mango stones) are
thoroughly washed to remove any sticky leftover fruit pulp. They are then laid
out to sun-dry for several days. Drying shrinks the inner kernel slightly,
making it much easier to separate from the shell.
2. Cracking the Husk
Once dry, the tough outer husks are fed into mechanical
cracking machines. These industrial hullers carefully snap open the woody outer
shell to release the soft, pale inner seed kernel without crushing it.
3. Hydraulic Cold-Pressing
This is the most critical step for skincare quality. The raw
kernels are placed inside a massive hydraulic screw press.
• The machine applies immense mechanical pressure to squash
the kernels.
• This pressure forces out the dense, nutrient-rich fats
inside.
• No high heat is used during this pressing. Keeping the
temperature low prevents the beneficial vitamins and fatty acids from breaking
down or oxidizing.
4. Filtration and Settling
The freshly squeezed liquid fat is pumped into large tanks
where it decants (settles) for several weeks. It passes through fine,
chemical-free filters to screen out any lingering microscopic bits of kernel
husk.
As the pure, filtered oil cools down to room temperature, it
naturally solidifies into the smooth, firm, and creamy raw mango butter you buy
in jars.
If you want to see this mechanical process in action, you
can check out a factory demonstration video on YouTube.
Mango Body Butter Recipe to fill a 4 oz jar.
The Ingredients
• 2.75 oz (77.5g) Raw Mango Butter
• 1.25 oz (35g) Carrier Oil (Jojoba, Sweet Almond, or
Grapeseed oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder (Optional, to reduce
greasiness)
• 24 to 48 drops AKARZ Mango Oil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Melt ➔ Step 2: Cool ➔
Step 3: Add Scent ➔ Step 4: Whip
• Melt the Base: Place your raw mango butter and carrier oil
in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir gently until completely melted
into a golden liquid.
• Flash Cool: Remove from heat and place the bowl in the
refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. It is ready when it turns opaque,
semi-solid, and soft enough that pressing your finger leaves an indentation.
• Add Scent & Powder: Stir in your AKARZ mango oil drops
and the arrowroot powder.
• Whip Until Fluffy: Use your electric hand mixer starting
on low, then moving to medium-high. Whip for 3 to 5 minutes until it forms a
bright white, fluffy cream with stiff peaks.
Scoop it into your clean 4 oz glass jar and it is ready to
use!
Related Articles:
Hawaiian Lavender
Hawaiian Healing Herbs and Teas - Hibiscus
Coconut Plumeria Bath Soaps
Hawaiian Healing Herbs: Nature's Medicine for Body Mind & Soul
Hibiscus Oil: A Hawaiian Elixir for Beauty, Balance, and Aloha Healing
Hawaiian Herbal Body Products: Mother's Day Gift Ideas
Mango Bath & Beauty in Hawaii
