In this article I will show you how to make your own sustainable and eco friendly lip balm & I will show you where to purchase some items from to make them.
I’m not sure about you but I find that I like to have lip balm around easily & readily & I like to keep it around all over the house, in several drawers, in multiple purses & even in the car. But I also get tired of buying a lip balm, spending at least several dollars on it, using it a few times & then misplacing it. Right, haven’t you ever found yourself in the the same boat? Then one day I thought, “Hmmm… I really like this balm. What are the ingredients?” So, I started to get creative. I researched a few blogs on how to craft your own lip balm, reviewed a few recipes online & in some books I had on hand & then I ordered some oils & essential oils. Here is a link to a few places I like to shop from, maybe you have heard of them?
Bulk Apothecary – I get most my oils & essential oils from here. The essential oils are fantastic & what I love best about them is that they provide a wide variety of quality & sizes that will fit anyone’s pocket book. They use to offer a 22 lb yellow beeswax but I do not see that as an option any more, maybe they will offer it again (that’s what I got & I’ve had it for years & have hardly put a dent in the bag)
Mountain Rose Herbs – Here is where I buy most my herbs (if I do not have them in stock from wild-harvesting on my own). This vendor is totally reliable, very trustworthy & the products are top quality. In fact, I know the farmer Nate Johnson, who provides a lot of their herbs personally 😉 and he is one hell of a guy & completely trustworthy.
Amazon – Look for tubes & containers – I use to buy them at Specialty bottle but then found out I was paying way too much for shipping. I added the link to Specialty Bottle in case you wanted to check them out. Even though the shipping is high, I still find lot’s of unique items you can purchase from them that you can’t really find anywhere else. Amazon was not my first choice to shop from for a long time, but I have gotten over that & have accepted that they really do have tons of items for much cheaper, especially if you are paying for the Prime membership.
What you’ll need & your Organic Ingredients
- Beeswax 1-2 tbsp ( I prefer yellow but people with allergies may want to choose white as the pollen has been removed)
- Oils; coconut, jojoba, hemp & avocado oil; 1 tbsp each
- 20-30 drops organic peppermint essential oil
- Lip balm tubes or tins – If you have the tube holder (below) be sure that your tubes are a match cause I’ve bought tubes that were on sale & when they showed up, they did not fit in the tube holder I have. To avoid that issue you may want to purchase your tubes & container at the same vendor, like Specialty Bottle (listed above)
- Lip balm tube holder & scraper – I’ve added a link to one on Amazon, I did not purchase this one but this is what I have & it works perfectly for crafting.
- Wax paper
- Small sauce pan or double boiler
- Glass mixing straw or rod
- Stickers for labels & something to mark them ( I either use the printer labels or I use stamps to mark the first link with. I really like the brown labels as they look so much more natural & I just secure them with a piece of scotch tape & no one ever notices).
Steps:
- I like to start by lining up everything I need. By the stove I place my measuring spoons, glass rod for stirring, oils & beeswax.
- Place tubes or tins in another area & have wax paper (or cookie sheet) underneath to catch drips. Have an extra piece of wax paper to place over tubes while cooling so no contaminates get in.
- Turn on burner to a low temperature so that the wax will melt but not simmer or boil. Place oils & beeswax in pot & keep a close eye on it.
- Once the wax is fully melted, remove from heat.
- Add essential oils (if desired), stir in quickly before wax starts to harden.
- Pour in tubes to top, cover with wax paper & let cool for however long it takes.
- While cooling create your labels & once cool wipe tubes clean, scrape off top to flatten, cap & slap label on.
- Enjoy & gift out to your friends & family they will be so tickled that you thought of crafting them your own personal lip balm!
This balm is fun especially around the holidays makes a great stocking stuffer & is great for the entire family, all lips & every occasion. I usually make a few varieties of balm, bound together with cord & then hand out or sell as gifts. They are always a huge hit. Here’s a picture from a Holiday party last year where I sold my lip balm tubes.