Lip Balm Tutorial

I am a lip balm addict.  Have been since I was in high school; I remember the smell of Carmex.  God I loved that stuff.  Somewhere along the line I got over liking the smell of Carmex and realized that I preferred something with fewer chemicals.  I tried everything I could find and they were all too waxy or too oily.  So one day I decided to figure it out for myself, and it couldn't be easier.

So here we go.  Gather up your supplies.  You'll need some natural beeswax.  Find out who makes honey in your area and get it from them.  I got this one pound block for about $5 about 6 years ago and you can see how much I've used.  And I go through a lot of lip balm!

In addition you need some kind of natural oil.  I've tried almond, grapeseed, and jojoba and I have decided I prefer jojoba.  I also like to add a little vitamin E oil because it's good for your skin.  Tea tree oil is antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial.  Peppermint essential oil gives the balm a good smell and it is cooling on the lips.  Have handy a little jar for mixing, melting and storing.   I use a candle warmer to melt the wax.  Oh, it's not in the picture, but you should have a toothpick or something to stir with.

You don't have to measure; I usually don't; I just fiddle with it until I get it right.  But if you want to, put about 4 grams of beeswax in your jar.  Then add 3-4 grams of jojoba oil, a few drops of vitamin E oil, and a couple drops each of peppermint and tea tree oils.

Put this on your warmer and let it melt.  Stir it with your toothpick.  After it is melted and mixed, take the balm off the burner and let it cool and harden.  After it's cooled, check to see if it is the consistency that you like.  I find that I tend to make it a little harder (more wax) in the summer, and softer (more oil) in the winter.  So add a tiny bit more wax or oil and remelt and mix.  When you have it the consistency you like, melt it again and then pour into a tube if you like.  You can purchase these new on Etsy, or just recycle an old one you have.  If you want to give them as gifts, you'll probably want to use a new container;)  When I'm refilling mine (I have a tube in each room of the house, plus one for my purse!)  I always scrape out whatever is in there so the new stuff will hold in the tube better.

If you want to get fancy, you can print labels or wrap a pretty piece of paper around the tube and add a ribbon.  I am not fancy.  I just did this for the picture:)

Have fun making lip balm!  Let me know how it turns out.