Lip balm is a simple recipe if your are new to making salves or balms.

It does not have to be very fancy you can make a simple recipe with Coconut oil, Shea butter,  Bees wax, and some of your favorite Essential oils. Once you have a basic recipe figured out, you can add all kinds of oils, butters and wax. Then the fun begins! 

As a kid I would go visit my grandma and play in her yard, me and my cousins would make a "mud pie" or  "leaf soup" for dinner.  We used what we had "rocks, dirt, sticks, moss, flowers, water, leaves. Of course the boys had to try it for us at least they pretended too, on our "stick spoons".  Lol !  Those were the good old days! 

Now as a grown up I realized that we do the same thing, whether you are building a company, website, house, farm, road. There are rules, order of things that have to been done, the basics. Then the rest is up to your artistic view.  Use what you have and create some thing new. This is what makes the world beautiful!  

Lets talk about what you want to use and why. 

Bees wax draws moisture into the skin and locks it in. Beeswax also contains natural Vitamin A, which plays a vital role in skin repair and regeneration. This makes it helpful not only in preventing dryness but also in healing cracked or damaged lips.

Candelilla Wax is a plant based alternative to bees wax making it a vegan and cruelty-free potion for lip balm. It is a very hard wax, it does not take much to harden a lip balm . Although it does provides a gloss finish and adds thickness and stability to lips makes for a smooth application .

Shea Butter is my favorite butter to use in every lip balm!  Packed with stearic and oleic acids that strengthen the skin barrier. Keeping lips hydrated in the harsh weather like winds and cold. Shea butter has anti-inflammatory due to its high content of Vitamins A, E, and F which can help soothe and repair sun-exposed skin. 

Cocoa Butter is one of the best ingredients for healing extremely dry, "flaking" lips. Rich in antioxidants cocoa butter improves skin elasticity and tone. It from a protective layer, shielding lips from the cold wind and sun damage .

Mango Butter provides the creaminess of a butter without the heaviness. As it contains natural traces of salicylic acid which gently exfoliates dead skin cells, keeping lips smooth. High in Vitamin C Mango butter brightens the lip area and boosts collagen production.

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid " known for its antimicrobial properties " making it great for minor cuts or cold sores. Coconut oil also has a SPF of 4-7 . It also penetrates deeply  to provide instant cooling and softening to "tight" feeling lips.

Sweet Almond oil is extremely gentle for sensitive skin. High in Vitamins E and K.   Sweet almond oil protect lips from harsh UV light– preventing them from getting dark. 

Jojoba Oil molecular structure is nearly identical to human sebum "natural skin oil" meaning the skin "recognizes" it and absorbs it deeply without irritation . Jojoba oil also helps maintain the natural moisture balance of the lips so they don't become "addicted" to lip balm. 

A basic recipe for a firm, creamy balm is:

• 1 Part Wax (Beeswax or Candelilla)

• 1 Part Solid Butter (Shea, Cocoa, or Mango butter)

• 1 Part Liquid Oil (Coconut, Sweet Almond, or Jojoba oil)

• 0.03 parts  Essential oils  Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense 

• Glossy Finish: For a high-shine finish, a small amount of Castor Oil (about 5-10% of your liquid oil portion) works wonders. 

  Preparation & Sanitize

Cleanliness is vital for shelf life. Wipe down your containers, stirring spoons, bowls and beakers with

70% isopropyl alcohol Put on gloves and make sure the area is well-ventilated. Spray with enough isopropyl alcohol to make it wet. Wipe the surface or object with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove any dirt or debris. Let the surface or object air dry completely before touching or using it.

Star San sterilizer is my favorite sanitizer. It works great and is very concentrated, you fill a sink full of water and add a small amount. I will keep a sink of sanitizer ready while I am making my project.  You can find it on amazon https://amzn.to/3NShosG   

Use a paper towel to dry all the utensils. Moisture is not your friend here! Pro tip save the used paper towels for cleaning the oil off of containers to trow in the trash, "this will save your sink from clogging"!

Put the tubes on your lip tube tray, or use a rubber-band to hold them together so they don't tip over during the pour..

 The Gentle Melt

Using a double boiler (or a heat-safe glass bowl over a pot of simmering water), combine your wax and solid butters. 

• Temperature Control: Keep the heat low. You want to heat it till it is barely melted .  Overheating beeswax can lose its natural aroma, and Shea butter can become "gritty" if heated too high for too long.

• The Liquid Oil: Once the solids are roughly 80% melted, add your liquid oil. Stir gently until the mixture is completely clear and uniform.

   

   "Spoon Test"

  Before you add the final ingredients, check the final consistency:

  • Dip a metal spoon into the hot mixture and put it in the freezer for 1 minute.

  • Test the hardened balm on your skin.

  • Too hard? Add a splash more liquid oil.

  • Too soft? Add a few more beeswax pellets

    Additives & Flavor

    Remove from heat before and cool for 3-5 minutes before adding heat-sensitive ingredients.

    • Essential Oils/Flavor: Use about 1-2% of your total weight  Pro tip addding oils when the base is too hot can degrade their aromatic properties

    • Vitamin E: Adding 0.5% Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant to prevent the oils from going rancid

    • Colorants: If using mica or natural powders whisk them into a small amount of your liquid oil first to create a "slurry" before adding it to the main pot. This prevents clumping.

   

  The Pour

  Pour the mixture while it is still warm and fluid.

  • • The "Top-Off": Lip balm shrinks slightly as it cools, creating a "sinkhole" in the middle. Pour until there is a tiny dome (meniscus) at the top of the tube.

    • Let it Set them sit undisturbed at room temperature for 2 hours! Before you put on the caps and label them. Moving them too early creates ripples or cracks in the finish.
      

  Grainy Shea? If your Shea butter feels grainy, it's because it cooled too slowly. To fix this, flash-cool your finished balms by putting them in the refrigerator immediately after pouring.