Easily make your own lip balm with 3 simple ingredients. This nourishing balm will protect your lips throughout all seasons. You can customize your lip balm by adding in other ingredients for scent, color, and shine.
The Necessity Of Lip Balm
It’s currently mid-March here on the little suburban farmstead, and that means the Spring chore list is a million miles long! There is so much new life between animals and plants, and we always seem to be maintaining or repairing a building or piece of equipment. In a nutshell, we are outside ALL DAY LONG. Rain or shine, heat or cold, this time of year will not let you wait for the ideal sunny and 65 day to get it all done.
Being in the elements can have it’s challenges, and one of the biggest ones (second only to the sore muscles) is taking care of your skin. You’ve seen a gardener’s hands, right?! We’re always rubbing lotion on at the end of the day. And part of that nightly routine is the passing of the lip balm tube. We call it the “sneak attack” in our house.
Y’all, when you have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, the lip balm tube doesn’t stand a chance. I give it less than 2 minutes before it’s poked, smashed, bitten, rubbed into the carpet, and then lost forever until I find it in the dryer. UGH! Needless to say, we need about 500 lip balms in our house to make it through a season of weather. This is when I decided to just make my own for a fraction of the cost.
Name Brand Lip Balm Ingredients
When I decided to craft my own lip balm, the main reason was being able to save money while having a large quantity available to me (and my sticky-fingered children). But, once I realized that making my own lip balm only consisted of 3 main ingredients, I decided to research what other ingredients the other name brands had in them. As a family, we strive to live naturally, simply, and sustainably. It doesn’t happen overnight, but we are slowly making little changes. This is one of those little changes after seeing these few ingredients:
Petrolatum
Petrolatum is a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It acts as a skin-conditioning agent and protectant, as well as a UV absorber. There are moderate concerns of non-reproductive organ toxicity, and high concerns of contamination related to this ingredient.
Phenoxyethanol
This ingredient is a preservative that is commonly used in cosmetics and personal care items. It also acts as a fragrance ingredient. There are also moderate concerns of non-reproductive organ toxicity, as well as high concerns of skin, eyes, or lung irritation.
Octinoxate
Octinoxate is a common sunscreen ingredient that has been shown to have hormone-mimicking effects in laboratory animals. It has moderate concerns over endocrine disruption, and high concerns over biochemical or cellular level changes.
*All of these descriptions and information were collected from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website found here.*
What Do You Need To Easily Make Your Own Lip Balm
I was surprised to discover that I had more than half of the ingredients in my pantry for this easy DIY lip balm! Here is the list of essential ingredients you’ll need. I will list later on, the ingredients that add a custom touch.
- Lip balm tubes or tins
- Beeswax pellets
- Coconut oil (food grade)
- Avocado oil
In addition to these ingredients, you will need to set up a double boiler system. That would include a pot of water boiling with a heat-proof bowl set on top of it. A small spatula is also needed to stir the mixture.
How To Easily Make Your Own Lip Balm
I prefer to set up a double boiler system instead of using a microwave. To set up a double boiler, simply add a few inches of water in the bottom of a saucepan and then rest a glass bowl on top of the saucepan. Add your beeswax pellets, coconut oil, and avocado oil to the bowl and turn up the heat. While waiting for the water to heat up, set up your tubes or tins because the mixture will cool and harden very quickly once it has come away from the heat.
Gently stir the contents of the bowl, and once it has melted completely, remove it from the heat. This is where you add your essential oils, beet root powder, and/or castor oil to the mixture if desired. I then pour the mixture quickly into the tins/tubes. If you find that your mixture has hardened before getting it into the tin/tube, set the bowl back on the saucepan to re-melt.
Once your tins or tubes have been filled up, let them cool for about an hour before using.
Tips And Add-Ins For Easily Making Your Own Lip Balm
Like I said, the mixture cools quickly, so having the boiling water still hot helps if you need to reheat your mixture. Set everything up in advance to prevent fumbling around and wasted time when getting the mixture into the containers.
If you prefer a thicker lip balm, add more beeswax. If you prefer a creamier lip balm, use less beeswax.
Castor Oil
If you choose to add castor oil for added shine, replace the original amount of avocado oil for 2 Tablespoons of avocado oil plus 1 teaspoon of castor oil.
Beet Root Powder
Beet root powder will give a pink tint to your lip balm. You can add this ingredient (up to 1 Tbs.) in after the 3 main ingredients have melted over the double boiler,
Essential Oils
This is my favorite thing to add in. I use approximately 12 drops of essential oil per recipe. Some of my favorite ones to use are peppermint, lavender, lemon, and rosemary. You can try combos as well, such as peppermint + lavender, and lemon + rosemary. Just be sure to make sure the oils are safe when applied near the mouth.
Recipe For Making Your Own Lip Balm
Easy Homemade Lip Balm
Easily make your own lip balm with 3 simple ingredients. This nourishing and protective balm will have your lips feeling revived in the harshest of seasons.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. Coconut oil
- 2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Avocado oil
- 4 Tbs. beeswax pellets
Instructions
- Heat water in a saucepan and set a glass bowl over the top of it to create a double boiler system.
- Prepare your tins or tubes to fill.
- Add coconut oil, avocado oil, and beeswax pellets to glass bowl.
- Once mixture has completely melted, add in any additional ingredients such as essential oils, beet root powder, or castor oil.
- Pour melted mixture into tins or tubes. If mixture hardens, set over boiling water again to re-melt.
- Let cool for about 1 hour before using.
Notes
Optional Add-Ins:
- Essential oils (about 12 drops per recipe)
- Beet root powder (up to 1 Tbs.)
- Castor oil (replace original avocado oil for 2 Tbs. avocado oil PLUS 1 tsp. castor oil)
To clean the dishes from beeswax, simply pour boiling water over them to melt the beeswax away.
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Enjoy Your Homemade Lip Balm
I hope you enjoy this method to easily make your own lip balm. They make great gifts, and if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy finding one in every pocket and bag that you own. Drop a comment below if you choose to make this, or let me know of other handmade beauty products that you’ve tried. I’d love to hear about it. As always, sign up for our Sprouting Community newsletter to stay in touch and receive free recipes, ebooks, and inspiration for simple, natural, and sustainable living.
Thanks for spending time with me, and I’ll see y’all later!
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