Lip balm makes lips super soft, but it is generally quite expensive. Plus, as if that weren't enough, it often contains questionable ingredients. If you want to save money or don't want to run the risk of applying harmful substances to your lips, you can create an excellent lip balm at home by personally selecting each ingredient according to your tastes and needs.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Make a Standard Lip Balm
Step 1. Pour 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of a carrier oil of your choice into a heat resistant container
Olive oil and coconut oil are excellent and easy to find products. Other viable options are: apricot oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and sunflower oil.
- If you want to put the lip balm in a jar instead of a tube, add another tablespoon (15 ml) of the selected oil.
- If you want lip balm to make your lips shiny as well as hydrated, replace half a tablespoon of the chosen oil with half a tablespoon of castor oil.
Step 2. Add one tablespoon (15g) of solid butter
Cocoa and shea butter are great options. Alternatively, you can use mango or kokum butter. Coconut oil cannot be considered a butter, even though it is solid.
Do not use cow butter. Due to the texture and taste, it is unsuitable for making a lip balm
Step 3. Add a tablespoon (14g) of beeswax in drops
It is preferable to use white or ivory colored wax. If you can't find it, pale yellow is fine too, but keep in mind that the lip balm will be the same shade as it.
If you follow a vegan lifestyle, you can use half a tablespoon (7g) of candelilla wax as a substitute for beeswax. Be careful not to exceed the indicated amount, as it is very dense
Step 4. Put the container in a pot with water
Pour a few inches of water into the bottom of a pot, then place the small container in the center. The water must be at the same level as the ingredients in the jar, so add more if you need to.
Step 5. Heat the water until the ingredients have dissolved
Turn on the stove over medium-low heat and wait for the oil, butter and wax to blend together. Stir the ingredients periodically to help them dissolve, but be careful not to get water into the container.
The time it takes to melt the butter and wax depends on the heat of the stove and the type of solid butter
Step 6. Remove the container from the pot and add about 5-10 drops of essential oil
Mint essential oil and vanilla oil are two great options. Possibilities also include lemon, lime, orange and mandarin essential oil. You can use just one or combine different types of oils to give your lip balm a unique fragrance and taste.
- If you want to make sure your lip balm lasts a long time, use 4 drops of rosemary essential oil along with 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Do not add the essential oil until you have removed the container from the boiling water, otherwise the heat will destroy its properties.
Step 7. Add 5 drops of Vitamin E oil if desired
Vitamin E will make the lip balm even more nutritious, it will also act as a preservative and make it last longer. At this point, mix the ingredients thoroughly to make sure they are well blended.
You can buy Vitamin E oil in bottles or capsules
Step 8. Pour the lip balm into the tubes or jars
In both cases, you will need 7 or 8. Fill them carefully with the hot mixture. You can use a small stainless steel funnel which will ensure you don't waste a single ounce of lip balm. If the funnel gets clogged, you can free it with a toothpick or skewer.
- If the container is still wet on the outside, dry it with a cloth to avoid getting water into the lip balm.
- You can try decanting with a large dropper, but bear in mind that you will struggle to clean it if it becomes clogged.
Step 9. Let the lip balm cool before using it
It should have cooled completely after an hour. If you can't wait to try it, you can put the tubes or jars in the refrigerator for a few minutes. When the burrocaao is cold, put the lids on the packages. If you wish, you can create custom adhesive labels.
Method 2 of 2: Make a Multicolored Lip Balm
Step 1. Melt the beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter
Pour half a teaspoon of beeswax droplets into a heat-resistant glass container. Add a teaspoon of coconut oil and a teaspoon of shea butter. Melt the ingredients over medium heat in a saucepan with a couple of inches of water in the bottom.
- You can use any variety of oil, including olive oil.
- You can also choose the type of butter as you like, for example you can use cocoa or mango butter. Don't use cow butter.
Step 2. Add 2-3 drops of an essential oil of your choice (optional)
Use a food oil formulated to flavor candy. Do not use an extract, as it will not blend well with the lip balm base.
Step 3. Place a very small cookie cutter in the jar that will contain the lip balm
If you prefer, you can use a small clay or plasticine mold or an eraser with a particular shape, but keep in mind that it won't be easy to remove.
The mold can have the shape you prefer. The most classic choice is the heart shape
Step 4. Pour the melted lip balm around the cookie cutter
Be careful not to fill it to the brim. Stop when you have almost reached the edge and set the remaining mixture aside. You will need to add color and aroma.
Step 5. Allow the lip balm to harden before removing the cookie mold from the center
You can let it cool for about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, you can put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, speeding up the time. When it has hardened, remove the cookie pan in the middle.
Don't worry if the remaining lip balm hardens in the meantime
Step 6. Reheat the leftover lip balm before customizing it with the color and flavor of your choice
Take the container you set aside and reheat it as you did before. Add bits of lipstick to color the lip balm. If you have not already done so, you can add an essential oil suitable for flavoring the candies to personalize the taste as well.
Do not heat the lip balm that is already in the jar
Step 7. Pour the colored lip balm into the hole in the center of the one you have already cooled down
If you want to get a perfect result, use a small funnel, syringe or dropper. Fill the empty space completely and immediately wipe off any smudges.
When the section in the center has also hardened, you will have obtained a beautiful two-tone lip balm with a decorative design in the middle
Step 8. Place the lip balm in the refrigerator so it hardens quickly
Don't leave it at room temperature for this last step, or the hot portion in the center could melt the one around it. When the lip balm has hardened in the refrigerator (this should take a few minutes), you can apply the lid and use it as you wish.
Advice
- Make sure all containers and utensils are clean and disinfected.
- Make sure the beeswax and oils are for cosmetic use. Look for them online or in food and health food stores.
- Be careful not to overheat the ingredients. If in doubt, set a lower temperature if you use the stove or shorter time intervals if you use the microwave.
- You can buy jars and tubes online for your lip balm. Even in home improvement stores, you may find plastic containers of the right size.
- You can melt the ingredients using the microwave instead of the stove. Heat them at intervals of 30 seconds until they are completely melted.
- If you don't have a microwave, put the ingredients in a heat-resistant jar, place it in the center of a pot you've poured a couple of inches of water into, and turn on the stove over medium-low heat. Stir it periodically until the ingredients have dissolved completely.
Warnings
- Don't use citrus lip balm if you're planning on going out in the sun, as the essential oils extracted from this fruit variety increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight.
- Do not add essential oils while the mixture is still on the stove, otherwise they will overheat and lose their beneficial properties.
