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:

1. I like to start by lining up everything I need. By the stove I place my measuring spoons, glass rod for stirring, oils & beeswax.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Once the wax is fully melted, remove from heat.
5. Add essential oils (if desired), stir in quickly before wax starts to harden.
6. Pour in tubes to top, cover with wax paper & let cool for however long it takes.
7. While cooling create your labels & once cool wipe tubes clean, scrape off top to flatten, cap & slap label on.
8. 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.