Homemade Lip Balm Recipe

A basic lip balm recipe that can be used as a black canvas to create more tailored ones, with your favorite essential oils. 

A new class action suit filed in California last month against the popular lip-balm manufacturer, EOS wants the company to include a warning label on the product’s packaging.  Los Angeles resident, Rachael Cronan among other plaintiffs allege that they “experienced devastating adverse reactions to the product, consisting of mild to severe rashes, dryness, bleeding, blistering, cracking, and loss of pigmentation, lasting from a few days, to a few months.”  (source)

EOS (Evolution of Smoothness) is known for their spherical, bright-colored lip balms that claim to be “99% natural” and “gluten-free” (source) making them one of the lesser villains of the cosmetic industry.  For the sake of full disclosure, I have never used EOS lip balms myself so I have no personal experience with this product.

The reality is, many of those in this class action suit, very well may have had an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients contained in the EOS balms and without extensive testing, it’s really hard to say with certainty which ingredient was the culprit.  With the exception of a few, most ingredients in these “natural” balms were those you would find in any homemade lip balm so it’s important to avoid allergens if you have any sensitivity to it.

But whether or not you feel that this lawsuit has any merit, I think we can all agree that making lip balms yourself trumps over anything bought in stores.  The latter gives you full control over what you put on your body.  And for the record, I stand behind small businesses who use exceptional practices to create healthy and safe formulas for hair, body and skincare.  And I’m happy to see more and more options for those who would much rather purchase instead of doing a DIY session.

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DIY Lip Balm

But for those who want to give these a try, this is a simple 4-ingredient recipe that can be whipped up fairly quickly and gives you the flexibility to add your favorite essential oils.  With beeswax as the active ingredient, this lip balm recipe holds up well in my car on a hot summer’s day….in California. However, I do like to stand it upright in a small compartment so if it does slightly soften, the shape isn’t distorted much.

The Addition of Essential Oils

I love adding essential oils into natural beauty products but I go easy on them.  They are incredibly potent and I don’t want it to overpower the natural fragrant aroma of beeswax and shea butter.  Lip balm is an individual thing.  What oil works for one person won’t work for another.  That’s why I like using these ratios as a framework for more creative formulas. You can add clementine and lemon essential oil for a citrus fusion.  Or tea tree and clove oil for a blend to ward off cold sores.  Or perhaps, a romantic combination with jasmine, vanilla and frankincense is your cup of tea.  You can get pretty creative with the oils, just don’t get out of control.  Though peppermint is a popular essential oil in lip balms including popular brands like Burt’s Bees, I actually find that it dries my lips fairly quickly causing me to reapply more often.  For this reason, I actually avoid adding peppermint in my lip balms.

Note: I have included weight measurement in tablespoons as well as the mass weight in grams.  I have really become fond of my kitchen scale and use it regularly so if you have that option, I would go with the grams ingredients to get a consistent product.  Keep in mind, the listed ingredients makes approximately 12 tubes and if you’re making this for the first time, start with that to make sure you’re happy with the texture, flavor and consistency before doubling the recipe. 

Homemade Lip Balm Recipe

Homemade Lip Balm Recipe

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 12

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Ingredients

Lip Balm Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons 4 grams beeswax pastilles (my pick)
• 3 tablespoons 8 grams* shea butter (my pick)
• 1 tablespoon 2 grams coconut oil (my pick)
• 6-20 drops of essential oils optional (I love this brand)

Additional equipment needed:

• 12-14 lip balm tubes my pick
• Filling Tray similar to this one not essential but does make the job go smoother OR
• Plastic transfer pipettes also not essential but makes the job easier

Instructions

1. In a double boiler or small glass bowl (I used a glass measuring cup) over a small pot of boiling water, melt beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil.
2. Remove pan from heat but keep the boiler over the hot water to keep the mixture liquid.
3. Add your favorite essential oils to your liking and stir to combine well. (I used a craft stick)
4. Using the pipette, fill the lip balm tunes. Or if using a tray, pour straight from the boiler or measuring cup into the tubes. This step must be done quickly as the oils will start to harden.
5. Let lip balm tubes set at room temperature for a few hours before capping them. Enjoy them indefinitely. Store away from heat.

Recipe Notes

*Shea butter is denser than beeswax therefore the weight is greater.

Have fun with different variations of essential oils.  Let me know in the comments what your favorites are!

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