BEST ever DIY Lip Balm!

Today I have something extra special for you!!! 

     I know there are tons of recipes like this on the web right now, but seriously, this one is the best. How do I know? Because I tried it of course. I also had my friends and co-workers and families try it. I've adjusted and readjusted the recipe until I came up with the perfect lip balm.

And I'm super picky about my lip balm.

It's smooth, moisturizing, long-lasting and actually helps your lips heal and moisturize themselves. Plus, it's extra shiny. Like, wear over your lipstick, lip gloss shiny. I would say that it's non-addicting, but if you love the way it feels on your lips as much as I do, you won't want to stop using it. And most of the ingredients you can find locally. And because I'm nice and love you all so much, I'm going to share the recipe with you!!

Holly's super shiny, better than basic lip balm recipe

Ingredients:

2 parts Organic beeswax.

1 part Organic Coconut Oil.

3 parts Vitamin E Oil.

3 parts Castor Oil.

2 drops Peppermint Oil (per 1/8^th teaspoon.)

2 drops Rose hip Oil (per 1/8^th teaspoon.)

3 parts Lanolin

Lip balm tubes.

Other items you will need:

Small sauce pot

Small metal or glass dish

Toothpicks or other small item to stir with

Measuring spoons

Napkins or paper towels

Knife and cutting board

     I like to use “parts” as a measuring tool because I can easily size up or down the recipe depending on how many tubes I want to make. If each part is only 1/8^th teaspoon, the recipe will make 2 tubes. If using 1/4^th teaspoon parts, the recipe will make a little over 4 tubes, etc. The least math I have to do the happier I am.

     On to the making! Fill your little sauce pot with about a ½” to a ¾” of water and place your small dish inside. You don't want too much water or your dish will float. You don't want your dish to float. Unless you were lucky enough to get beeswax pellets, you will need to break up the stick into much smaller pieces. I found the easiest way to do this was to use a big ol' knife and slice it up. Then you can break up the slices into smaller chunks. Add the beeswax first and continue to add the remaining ingredients until everything has completely melted. Stir well to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

    While your mixture is melting, go through your lip balm tubes and make sure they are wound down to the very bottom. You don't want to start filling them and realize there is only room for half a tube. You can also use this time to cut out any washi tape or other sticker type labels or decoration you want on your tubes. You can apply them now but I like to wait until I am completely done.

    After all ingredients have melted you can check your formula by dipping the end of a small spoon or other non-porous item into the mixture and letting it cool. Now rub it on your lips. Too firm? Too soft? Not shiny enough? If you want more shine, add more coconut oil. If it's too firm, add a little more of the Vitamin E or Castor oil. If too soft, add a little bit more beeswax. Remember a tiny amount of beeswax will go a long way in stiffening up your formula and if it's not completely cool when you check it, you won't get a realistic result.

   Once you've decided the formula is to your liking, carefully pour your mixture into the empty lip balm tubes. I like to fill the tubes up so they mound slightly at the top and then very gently and carefully tap them on the counter to dislodge any air bubbles that may have been caught. Now let them cool. After cooling you can clean up any spills from the outsides of the tubes and label them. And that's it! You're done!!

     Now what if you want to substitute something? I would say that the Beeswax is pretty hard to find a good substitute for. I really like using lanolin, but there are people who are allergic to it or don't want to use it because it comes from sheep. If you are allergic to it then you definitely should not be using it. If you are on the fence, think about it. I would say to do some research on it.

     Lanolin is great because the texture is similar to a thicker vaseline, nice and creamy, but has some key properties vaseline doesn't. I don't use anything with vaseline in it as lip balm anymore because it doesn't actually change anything about your lips. It will keep in whatever moisture is already there, which is great, but it does not allow outside moisture back in. This is great if you are out in the snow for instance, but for regular use I don't feel that is is very beneficial. Lanolin forms a similar protective barrier, but it allows outside moisture from the air to be pulled into your lips while retaining the moisture that was already there. Pretty great right?

   What other flavors do you like? I love banana, coconut and lime. If you opt for a fruity or bolder flavor, I would leave out the peppermint. It makes for an odd combination. Rose hip oil has great healing properties as well the Vitamin E. The Vitamin E also acts as a preservative, very crucial. You could substitute it for say, sweet almond oil, which contains a very high concentration of vitamin E. You can also use Lavender Oil or another essential oil. Add bits of lipstick for a light tint. Play around! Experiment! Making lip balm should be fun!

     Tracking down and purchasing the ingredients are what typically takes the longest. I found the beeswax at a local natural food store. Coconut oil is practically everywhere. Castor oil can be be found in most stores near the stomach medicines, and the Vitamin E will either be near the lip balms or vitamins. Rose Hip Oil was in the organic section of my Fred Meyer and the Peppermint oil is a flavoring in candies so I found it at my local Wal-mart. Joann's or Michael's also carry them. The little metal cup you see in my pictures was from a set of 4 condiment cups from the kitchen section of Wal-mart. I bought my Lanolin in the baby section of Wal-mart. The lip balm tubes may be the hardest. I did not purchase them locally, I ordered them online off eBay from a great seller called “imstepmom”. I'm sure you could find lots of these things at other places as well, especially online, so shop around!

What did you think? Any favorite oils you like to use or substitutions you made?