A simple lip balm recipe with only 3 natural ingredients: shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil! The best part is it holds up well during the summer months yet goes on smoothly at winter. Make a bundle with your favorite essential oils for a lovely gift.
Did you know that it's incredibly easy to make your own lip balm for pennies on the dollar?
So easy indeed with only 3 simple ingredients: shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil.
How to Make Lip Balm
What's even better is that these homemade lip balms are so awesome that they make a lovely gift when wrapped in a bundle of three and gifted in a pretty muslin bag!
Homemade Lip Balm Recipe
This DIY lip balm recipe 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.
Step 1
Weigh out all ingredients first. To make the best lip balm, you want to have the most accurate measurements of the ingredients. The best way to do that is by using a kitchen scale. This is the one I have had for years and love it.
Step 2
When shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil has been weighed, transfer that to a double boiler and set over medium-high heat. Melt all ingredients fully.
Step 3.
Remove mixture from heat but keep over the double boiler.
If desired, add 6-10 of your favorite essential oils to the mixture and stir quickly. My favorites to use are lavender, peppermint and grapefruit.
Step 4.
Using a pipette or medicine syringe, carefully fill the lip balm tubes with the melted mixture. Having a tray such as one in this kit helps to hold up the tubes. You want to work quickly to fill all the tubes as the fats will start to harden.
If the pipette or medicine syringe is clogged with the hardened fat, run it under hot water to loosen the oils then shake off excess water. Try to avoid doing this however, as water may harbor bacteria.
Alternatively, you may want to have a few extra pipettes or syringes ready. If working quickly, one medicine syringe should be sufficient to fill all 8 tubes. If using a pipette, you may need a few extras since they have a much thinner opening than a syringe and may get clogged quicker.
Set the tray with the filled lip balm tubes aside and away from heat. The lip balms will harden and set within an hour. Close the lip balms with caps and they are ready to be used or wrapped in muslin bags as gifts.
DIY Lip Balm
To make this DIY lip balm, follow these simple tips. For your convenience, I've also included links to the products I typically use to make homemade lip balms.
- Be sure to weigh out all ingredients for precise measurement. I use an inexpensive kitchen scale such as this one to do the job.
- Make a simple double boiler without the extra equipment: take a small saucepan and place a rimmed glass bowl over it. No need to buy a special double boiler just for this purpose. Check out the video to see what I use.
- This handy Lip Balm Kit comes complete with lip balm tubes and a tray to make the transferring of the mixture easy.
- Medicine syringes like these can easily be found at your local pharmacy. Just ask the pharmacy counter and they'll usually supply free of charge.
- These lip balms hold up to heat very well but as with all lip balms, keep away from direct heat and sunlight. If keeping one in the car, store lip balm upright so the shape doesn't get distorted when under heat.
- Throw three to a bundle of these lip balms into a muslin bag that makes a lovely gift.
- Ingredients for the DIY Lip Balm:
How to Make Lip Balm
How to Make Easy Lip Balm
Ingredients
Lip Balm Ingredients
- 24 grams shea butter
- 12 grams beeswax pellets
- 6 grams coconut oil
- 6-10 drops of essential oils optional
Additional equipment needed
Instructions
- 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.
- Remove pan from heat but keep the boiler over the hot water to keep the mixture liquid.
- Add your favorite essential oils to your liking and stir to combine well.
- Using a pipette or medicine syringe, fill the lip balm tubes. 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.
- Let lip balm tubes set at room temperature for at least an hour before capping them.
Video
Notes
- Work quickly to fill the lip balm tubes with the oily mixture as the fats will start to harden. If the pipette or medicine syringe is clogged with hardened fat, run it under hot water to loosen those oils then shake off excess water. You want to avoid doing this, however, as water may harbor bacteria in your lip balms.
- Ideally, have a few extra pipettes or syringes ready at hand. If working quickly, one medicine syringe should be sufficient to fill all 8 lip balm tubes. If using a pipette, you may need a few since they are much narrower than a syringe.
- Medicine syringes like these can easily be found at your local pharmacy. Just ask the counter and they'll usually supply free of charge.
- These lip balms hold up to heat very well but as with all lip balms, keep away from direct heat and sunlight.
If you liked the post above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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This DIY recipe was originally published in 2016 but has been updated and republished in December 2019.
Michelle says
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Raia says
I love making my own lip balm! So simple and clean! Thanks so much for sharing these at Savoring Saturdays!
Erin - Suburban Simplicity says
I really want to try and make these! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I use essential oils, so I feel the possibilities for combinations are endless. Hopefully you'll come link these up at #WelcomeHomeWednesdays tomorrow. I'm a new co-host! 7 blogs, great exposure.
Anya says
Thanks Erin. I just linked up 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Julia says
I want to make some for my daughters! What a fantastic tutorial!
Kim says
Just ordered these ingredients to make body butter so I'll be making some lip balm too. Seems easy and so much better than the processed lip balms
Leigh says
I've never tried to make homemade lip balm but this looks intriguing. Thanks for the how-tos!
Erin - Suburban Simplicity says
Thanks for linking up at #WelcomeHomeWednesday!! We hope see you next week!
Deborah Davis says
I only use a DIY lip balm similar to this recipe on my lips. It is so important to help consumers make more healthy, green and natural lip balm choices. Knowledge is definitely power! Thank you for sharing this valuable and informative homemade lip balm recipe at the Healthy Happy Green Natural Party! I'm Pinning and sharing this!
Anya says
Thanks Deborah 🙂
Jenn says
I am helping my students make lip balm at a homeschool co-op class I am teaching on homesteading next month! Great recipe, and I may just use it. 🙂 Thanks for linking up to the Homestead Blog Hop last week!
Jess says
Absolutely love this, what a good idea! Totally pinning 🙂 xo
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
Love this recipe and how diverse it is! Thanks so much for sharing with us at the Healthy Living Link Party! We hope to see you back tonight 🙂
Alicia Owen says
I need to get motivated to try this out. We've only tried making lip balm once and it didn't really set right. I hardly ever use lip balm, but my 3 year old loves it (thanks a lot, grandparents!) and I would much rather her use something homemade!
Anya says
The key is to use enough shelf-stable solid fats like beeswax and shea and very little coconut oil. Hope you get to make some soon. 🙂
Mia says
I totally had a reaction to the eos lip balm! It was the worst! The only thing that helped was my mom had made her own chap stick that she let me use. Saved my life! Thanks for the recipe!
Anya says
Yikes! So sorry Mia you had a reaction to EOS, but sadly you're not the only one. Glad your mom's chapstick worked out well. 🙂
Sam says
I'm looking for a simple recipe for men that will smell like nothing. I'm thinking this might be it with a little bit of an earthy oil. I haven't made a lip balm in years so here I go.
Thanks
Anya says
You can completely omit any essential oils. Or cedarwood has a very earthy scent to it.
Anna says
Great tutorial. I haven't made lip balm yet. I have only made salves. I like that you added shea butter.
Danielle says
How much grated bees wax would be used in this recipe instead of pastilles
Anya says
Hi Danielle,
It's best to weigh out all the ingredients for the lip balm. You would need 4 grams of beeswax for the lip balm. 🙂
Lea says
I've never tried coconut oil, but use sweet almond oil instead. I will have to try this recipe as I LOVE coconut oil. Thanks for sharing!
Crystal Matta says
Thank you so much for putting the weight in your recipe I just bought a kitchen scale because I am starting my own small business and have been itching to use it and I love this recipe the only thing I did different was I added 3-4 drops of vitamin E oil to the mix to dilute the essential oil a bit and added mica powder for fun colors as to I made them for a group of children but anyways thanks again!
Anya says
That's a brilliant idea! The Vitamin E should also act like a preservative, giving it more shelf life. The mica is a great choice! Thanks Crystal for your suggestions.
gail says
I was confused about the proportions. I weighed out 2 grams of coconut oil which looks under 1 teaspoon....not the 1 tablespoon. Is this correct?
Anya says
Hi Gail,
I'm sorry about that - I will retest the recipe tonight and update but I'm thinking 1 teaspoon. Will report back.
Anya says
Hi there again, Gail!
I fixed the recipe card to reflect the weights only and not measurements. I will have a video up soon that shows how it's made so that should be helpful. 🙂
Bella says
Should there be zeros on those weights?? It only adds up to 12 grams so there is way to much essential oil for 12 grams! Enough balm for one tube maybe, not 12.
Anya says
Hi Bella,
The recipe makes enough for 8 lip balm tubes. Feel free to use as much or as little essential oils that you feel safe to do. Enjoy!
gail says
Thank you.! I was just looking at some measurement conversion chart and it didn't jive. I'd prefer weights anyway since I use block wax and not pastilles and just shave off what I need...it's just easier using weights so thanks again!
Anya says
I agree - weights are easier for precise amounts such as lip balms. You're very welcome, Gail!
Swim says
How many chapsticks does this make?
Anya says
If using the weights in the recipe card, you will end with 8 tubes.