Monday, January 4, 2016

How to make lip balm - easily and cheaply

Our family of five goes through a lot of lip balm in the winter. We heat our house with a wood stove, which makes for cozy and warm, but very dry living quarters. Add to that hours of playing in the cold and snow outside, which chaps lips even more, and you got some dried out skin!

Since I don't feel like buying lip balm at $3 a pop, I make my own for a few pennies per stick of balm.

Here is a nice recipe I like to use. It makes 20 sticks, so if you don't want that much at a time, cut the recipe in half. But, hey, these handmade lip balm sticks make nice presents, and they keep for a long time in a cool place, so why not make a whole batch?

You need a mixture of oils and solids that will be spreadable but not liquid. If you like your lip balm firmer, use more beeswax, and if you like it softer, use less.



Directions:

Put the following ingredients into a pyrex mixing bowl with a spout, or into any container that's heat proof.



Set this bowl into a pan (larger than your bowl) filled with a few inches of water to make a double boiler. Make sure no water gets into the bowl with the oils, beeswax and essential oils.


Now heat the water in the double boiler on medium-high and watch the ingredients melt slowly. Stir them often to help melt everything evenly.

When everything is melted and blended completely, pour the mixture into containers. You can use a bigger container and just scoop the goop out with your fingers, or you can divide it into smaller lip balm containers, which you can order online or buy from craft supply stores.


When you pour it into little containers, it's nice to have a container with a spout and a steady hand. I carefully pour and stop just before it spills over, then top off the rest with a eye dropper.



Let everything cool, then use liberally and be ready for moisturized, soft, beautiful lips (and a happy pocket book, because you just saved a bunch of money)!






A word of caution: clean up the pyrex bowl right away, otherwise the beeswax will harden and be impossible to clean up. Or reserve this bowl for lip balm making only, and then it doesn't matter.

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8 comments:

  1. Hi Corina ^_^

    Where do you buy your empty balm containers btw?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amelia,

      Just do a google search for empty lip balm containers, and lots and lots of options will come up!

      Delete
  2. This is so great. You just read my mind. My sister and I have a joke called "she who dies with the most lip balm wins" so I think I have enough lip balm for the rest of my life BUT I was thinking I wonder if I could make lip balm, too. I bet! This is because recently I ran out of my favorite foot balm from Carol's Daughter and the dimwits have chosen to discontinue it. Argh! So I read the ingredients on the jar, went to the store(s) and made my own. It doesn't smell quite as good but it really does the job. Yes, making your own emollients is tres, tres easy! Tell your readers they don't have to use tubes. They can also use empty Carmex (or anything small) jars. Love it.

    Oh also love that pic of you guys. Would make a great marketing image for your product.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you can totally put it in other (recycled) containers.
      Also, foot balm sounds good. My poor feet definitely could use some attention...

      Delete
    2. Essentially the same recipe base: coconut butter, beeswax and olive oil. I added shea butter. For the essential oils I used tea tree for medicinal, sage, rosemary and peppermint. I find you have to try a bit more, a bit less of this and that and that as it "cures" it's gets more solid. Is that what you find?

      Delete

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