What is in the solid body butter – and why

The solid body butter is made from six raw materials. This post goes through them one by one: what each does in the formula, why there is no water in it, where the scent comes from and how tin, refill and travel size belong together. It is for everyone who wants to know exactly what is in the tin.

The formula at a glance

The full list of ingredients is on the product page of the Solid Body Butter - Beeswax & Aloe Vera (40 g, €9.90). It has six entries. The order follows the quantity: what comes first is what there is most of; ingredients below 1 % may appear at the end in any order. How to read such a list is explained in the guide How to Read an INCI List.

Raw material	Name on the list (INCI)	Role in the formula
Cocoa butter	Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter	Plant butter in first place. Solid at room temperature, softens at skin temperature.
Olive oil	Olea Europaea Fruit Oil	Liquid plant oil. Makes the butter supple and easy to spread.
Beeswax	Cera Alba	Gives the piece its hold; a thin film stays on the skin. Brings the scent.
Sunflower oil	Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil	Second liquid plant oil.
Shea butter	Butyrospermum Parkii Butter	Second plant butter. In hardness it lies between oil and wax.
Aloe vera leaf extract	Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract	Plant extract; it is the last entry on the list.

These details reproduce the list on the product page, as of October 2026. For your own item, the list on the packaging applies.

Two butters, two oils, one wax: the framework

Five raw materials make up the main part. The two oils are liquid at room temperature. The two butters are solid and soften at skin temperature. The beeswax only melts above 60 °C. The ratio determines how firm the piece is and how easily it gives on the skin.

Cocoa butter comes first. Because it and the shea butter soften in warmth, the body butter gets softer in summer. After melting and cooling, pale dots can form. These are usually fat crystals and not spoilage. More on this in the guide Storing solid cosmetics: heat, summer and winter.

Olive oil comes second. This calls for an honest note: in a small trial with 19 adults, pure olive oil, applied to the forearm twice a day for weeks, reduced the integrity of the stratum corneum and led to mild redness. Sunflower oil did not. What was studied was pure oil. Blends in which olive oil sits alongside butter, wax and a second oil were not tested; whether the finding carries over to such a formula is an open question. The details and the source are in Olive oil and sunflower oil on the skin.

More on the other raw materials: Shea butter: composition, origin and refining and Beeswax in skin care: composition and role.

What is not in it, and why

In most creams and lotions, “Aqua” is first on the list. Water and oil do not combine by themselves, so such a cream needs an emulsifier. And because germs need water to grow, it usually needs preservation as well.

The body butter contains no water. That is why its list includes neither an emulsifier nor a preservative. The background is explained in the guide Preservation and Water in Cosmetics.

This has a limit, too. A water-free butter keeps moisture in the skin but brings none of its own. It spreads most easily on warm, still slightly damp skin. It does not keep indefinitely: plant oils can turn rancid over time. And “without water” does not apply to our whole range. The bar soaps and the aloe vera serum contain water.

Where the scent comes from

The list contains no “Parfum” and no essential oil, and no individual fragrance component is named at the end. The body butter is not odourless, though. It smells of its raw materials, above all of beeswax. The honey scent that many people notice comes from the wax. Why that is so is explained in the guide Why does beeswax smell of honey, and why does the scent change?

Our beeswax comes from northern Germany and is from organic beekeeping with Bioland certification. Wax, butters and oils are natural raw materials. So a new tin can smell slightly different from the previous one.

The fact that no essential oil is added says nothing about whether every skin tolerates the butter. According to the product page it is for external use only and does not belong on injured or irritated skin. If your skin reacts, stop using it and seek medical advice.

Tin, refill, travel size and set

The body butter is a solid piece of 40 g in a metal tin. You keep the tin. The same formula comes in three further forms:

• Solid Body Butter Refill - Beeswax & Aloe Vera, 40 g, €7.90: the piece without a tin. According to the product page you put it into the empty tin or warm it briefly in a water bath to do so. Make sure no water gets onto the butter.
• Solid Body Butter Mini – Beeswax & Aloe Vera, 8 g, €5.90: in a small metal tin for on the go.
• Body Care Set – For Dry, Tight Skin (2× Body Butter), €16.90: one tin and one refill, 80 g in total.

How refilling works step by step is described in the guide Refillable Hand Cream: How the Refill Works. The same look into the formula exists for the foot cream: What goes into the solid foot cream – and why.

Frequently asked questions

Does the body butter contain perfume or essential oils?
No. The ingredient list includes neither “Parfum” nor an essential oil. It smells of its raw materials, above all of beeswax.

Why is the body butter solid?
It contains no water. Cocoa butter, shea butter and beeswax are solid at room temperature and hold the two oils in the piece. On warm skin the surface softens.

Does the body butter sink in?
The oils spread as you massage them in; butter and wax remain on the skin as a thin film. How long you feel it depends above all on the amount. A little is enough.

Can I also use it on my hands and feet?
Yes. On the face it is at most something for single dry patches, and only after a test on a small area. It is not meant for the lips or the eye area.