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3 Simple Homemade Lip Balms – Your Lips’ve Never Been Yummier

crunched by on February 3, 2011
filed under Natural Beauty Recipes, Skin

Yummy Homemade Lip Balm

Three Amigo Lip Balms

Waiting for a homemade lip balm to set up is a little like developing a Polaroid.

You stand there and watch. And then you touch. And then you curse, because it wasn’t quite dry and you screwed up the pristine look.

And then you watch. And touch. And do it all over again two more times.

So my first recommendation when making your own homemade lip balm: Pour it in your container and walk away.

Seriously. Walk away. And don’t look back for 3 hours.

These are the three homemade lip balm recipes that I’ve enjoyed the most over the past couple of years.

One is made with lavender essential oil, one has a main ingredient of coconut oil, and the last … well, it’s peppermint-chocolatey goodness.

Luscious Lavender Lip Balm

Now, with all these recipes, you can substitute whatever essential oils you have on hand (or prefer). So, for instance, this recipe calls for lavender essential oil: Feel free to leave it out completely or substitute it with a soothing essential oil like rose, sweet orange, chamomile, vanilla, or carrot seed.

This recipe uses honey, which gives the balm a heavenly taste. Just be careful not to lick your lips TOO much. That’ll just dry ‘em out, which just so happens to be the opposite of what we’re going for here.

Note: This lip balm is relatively soft, but I think it would hold up just fine if you wanted to pour it in a clean lip balm tube. Just be sure to clean the old balm out well (unless you get your hands on brand new, never used lip balm tubes somewhere) and sterilize the tube in boiling water for a few minutes.

Luscious Lavender Lip Balm Recipe

  • 4 Tbsp jojoba, almond, or olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax pearls
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (or 3 punctured, squeezed out liquid vitamin E capsules)
  • 7 drops lavender essential oil (or other essential oil)
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp colored, natural lipstick (optional, if you want it to have a hint of color)

Warm the oils, beeswax and honey in a small, stainless steel pot or bowl. Be sure to warm it on VERY low heat. (You can use a double boiler, if you’d like.) Stir until the beeswax is completely melted. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the essential oil, vitamin E, cocoa powder, and colored lipstick. Place the bottom of the bowl into a shallow pan of ice water and continue whisking quickly as you add the honey. Once the honey is incorporated, quickly transfer the balm into your lip balm container (tube or tin) and allow to set for 3 hours.

More About the Color

As you can see, my lavender lip balm is kind of a dark aubergine color. It actually turns out a very light mauve when I use it on my lips.

I don’t particularly think the color is necessary, but it gives the lip balm a little fun twist.

I would recommend the lipstick I used to turn it this color, but I have an issue. The labels on the lipstick are completely worn off, and I have no clue what the brand was. Here. My cat would like to show you:

If you recognize the tube shape, then maybe you’ll know. It might have been Kiss My Face, but I’m not 100% sure. The guy who sold them to me last year at the little store looked like Santa, though, if that helps.

Anyway, I mixed the two colors to come up with the color for my lip balm. That’s part of the fun. Mixing things until they’re wholly and completely “yours.”

Coco-Rosey Homemade Lip Balm

I made this for a second time tonight, because I had the itch to experiment.

Before, I didn’t bother with “other” ingredients. It was just coconut oil, cocoa butter, and vitamin E. This time, I wondered what would happen if I steeped some rose petals in the oil for a while before finishing the balm.

It was lovely! Roses, in particular, are super soothing. But you could use any kind of dried herb or flowers you’d like.

Most effective (in terms of soothing your lips) would be: Rose, chamomile, calendula, green tea, lavender, or even hibiscus. In fact, if you used hibiscus, you’d end up with a beautifully pink lip balm. (Wish I would have thought of that before I started dumping in the roses!)

You know what else? This is a PERFECT lip balm for this time of year. The cocoa butter and rose is so very reminiscent of Valentine’s Day.

Make it as a gift to your hubby or significant other. Only you’re the one wearing it. Catch my drift?

One more thing about this particular lip balm! Any lip balm you make can be used as a hand salve, too, but this one, in particular, makes a fabulous moisturizer for any part of your body. I had a bunch left over, and I immediately coaxed Fiance into giving me a foot rub.

(I got a Valentine’s Day present out of it too, huh?)

Coco-Rosey Lip Balm Recipe

  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp grated cocoa butter
  • 1 Tbsp dried rosebuds (or any dried flower, green tea, etc.)
  • 1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (or 3 punctured, squeezed out vitamin E capsules)
  • 3 drops rose essential oil (optional, or substitute lavender, vanilla, or sweet orange)

On very low heat, melt the coconut oil in a small stainless steel bowl or pot. After the oil is liquid, add your roses (or other dried flowers) and stir well. Allow to steep (again, on very low heat) for 1 hour. Strain oil into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Wipe out your original heating pot/bowl, pour oil back in, and return to heat. Add cocoa butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat, add vitamin E oil and essential oil and stir well. Transfer to a small container and let set for 3 hours (or until completely set).

Note: Because this is predominately coconut oil, DO NOT put this in a lip balm tube, and do not keep it in your pocket. Coconut oil liquefies rapidly with just a small amount of heat, and if you keep it somewhere warm (like next to your hot little body), it’ll leak all over.

Minty Chocolate Homemade Lip Balm

This super fun (and very firm) lip balm is adapted from this recipe at From Nature With Love.

I made it last year for Christmas for the chicas in my family. And then I kept 3 tins for myself.

However, of all the recipes I’ve given here, this one lends itself VERY well to being more of a “tube” lip balm. It’s very firm and almost a little difficult to apply from a tin. It takes some patience to rub your fingers around it until it’s soft enough to transfer to your lips.

Surprisingly, the cocoa powder doesn’t give it much color at all. It turns out a very light tan hue. However, the smell with the mint is out of this world.

Yet again, no matter how heartbreakingly tempted you are to lick your lips when you wear this – don’t do it! It’ll be a fleeting moment of deliciousness followed by an hour of feeling dry. Totally not worth it. (Okay … maybe a little worth it.)

Minty Chocolate Lip Balm Recipe

  • 1 Tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax pearls
  • 1/8 c. coconut oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp shea butter
  • 1/2 Tbsp cocoa butter
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp vitamin E oil (or 2 punctured, squeezed out vitamin E capsules)
  • 3 drops peppermint essential oil

Place the shea and cocoa butters in a small pot or double boiler, and add the coconut oil. Heat over VERY low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Try not to let the mixture go over 175 degrees, or the shea butter could end up a little gritty.) Add the beeswax and stir well. After the beeswax has completely melted, remove the mixture from the heat and add the essential oil, honey, vitamin E, and cocoa powder, whisking well the whole time. After everything is incorporated and smooth, transfer to a lip balm tube or tin and allow to set for 3 hours.

Ready To Make Your Own Lip Balm?

What do you think? Super easy, yeah? The hardest part is getting hold of the ingredients (of which you can find all at stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, or any natural grocery store).

The one I’m planning to video tomorrow is even easier on the ingredients, too. I’m super excited to try it. If I don’t eat all the chocolate chips first …

Do you have any homemade lip balm recipes you’d like to share?

Feel like you’re ready to try this on your own now?

While it’s so easy to just run out and buy a tube of balm, it’s so gosh-darned satisfying and empowering to just make your own. (And give extras away.)

Do you have any other questions about making your own lip balm? I’ll try to answer ‘em as best as I can.

Big love!


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    ← Older Comments
    • Runningtindera

      neat site!

    • Amanda_rae5679

      How do you transfer it from the pan to the small containers without getting it absolutely everywhere? I am about to try this but want to be prepared for those things that might not be mentioned, so I can make this easier. (I will be working with my 4 yr old ;)

    • Anonymous

      I tried the first recipe! I don’t have essential oils… So used vanilla essence instead! It is sooo yummy!!! I am definitely going to make more! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe! Keep it goin’… :) ^_^

    • Syl

      Can you post on pinterest?

    • Pam

      Your old tubes with the worn off labels look like they could have been Burt’s Bees :)

      • Megan Clark

        I agree, definitely Burt’s Bees tubes. I own both colors :)

    • Shelby

      How did you manage to get the beewax pearls to melt down if you used them? I have it in a double boiler type set up on low heat for about 40 mins now and they are still tiny balls. Any thoughts?

    • Kayla-Marie

       Those tubes look an awful lot like a favorite of mine — Savannah Bee Company’s lip tints.

      http://allthingsfadra.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/photo-2-e1309065297174.jpg (That picture is not mine. I’m just too lazy to make my own.)

      I think Savannah Bee Company might be somewhat regional though (of course, we have it here in Georgia.) But the resemblance is striking.

    • Sarah Bradley

      I made this for my mom on mother’s day. I kind of improvised since I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand… I used petroleum jelly (vaseline) and melted it, added red and blue food coloring to make purple, and added jasmine extract. It turned out WONDERFULLY. I’m only 12 yrs old so I was glad that this recipe was simple. My mother LOVED it.

      • sur

        sooo sweet u r…cutypie

    • http://thismasterofnone.wordpress.com/ Lytlejoc

      I scalded my lip today on steaming hot tea. Even though I was told it was really hot. Why do we do that??? Anyway, I was feeding my baby some avocado and I rubbed a chunk of it on my sore, burning lip and let it sit there while he ate. We matched. When I licked it off, my lip felt better! Accidental discoveries are awesome.

    • Anna1717

      I love these lip balms.

    • Sarah Fitzpatrick

      Hi,
      When I was making your last lip balm (minty chocolate) I found that when i put the honey in to the mixture it seperated could this be because of the type of honey I’m using ?

    • Katherine

      People, who have tried these recipes.. Which one is has been your favourite?

    • catslover

      The first one looks great! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
      Betty, you rock! :)

    • lampshade

      Betty, You rock!

    • Gypsy

      How long will these balms stay good for?

    • Gypsy

      What is the shelf life of these lip balms?

    • Joey

      I’m fairly certain that those are Burt’s Bees lip colors. I sell them in my store and they look almost identical… just saying lol

    • Christina Jenkins

      Does the vitamin e act as an emulsifier? I didn’t have any and when I added the honey it just beaded up at the bottom.

    • Nickie

      I have a question – where do you get the tins to put the balm in? I have all the ingredients but nowhere to put the balm…

    • Alexandria
    • lillschoolgirl

      For the minty choco wonderfulness does the pepperment essential oil work as a lip pumper?

    • ry

      How long should I steep the dried herbs for? I’m gonna try with rosmery and jasmine possibly? I dunno for sure but I was looking at a chart for EOs you put on a post and seeing the health benifits.

    • Danielle

      Made the first one. It’s super thick and greasy, but I also haven’t let it set yet. I incorporated the honey during the ice bath, and hopefully that was the correct way (there is a typo in the directions, which have you add the honey at 2 different points). Everything cooled and thickened immediately in the ice bath, so I’m not sure what kind of setting it really needs to do at this point…wait and see!

    • SueW

      This may be a little late on the subject of containers but I use the little round pots you can get at Jo Ann’s Fabrics or Michael’s Craft Store, in the beading section. They are just small round,clear plastic pots with screw on lids. They work great and don’t leak in your purse. They are usually sold in packages of 12 or 24. You will find them on the shelf with containers for bead storage.
      As for the lip balm recipes, I love the homemade formulas! They feel fantastic on the lips and aren’t so waxy and hard like the manufactured types. And I love the control you have over the ingredients added.

      • Lily Nelson

        I also found great little tins at the Container Store. Type in the search:” shallow, seamless tins. Cheap and the perfect size.

    • rylee

      Do you think I could make the chocolate mint one without beeswax?

    • Kiah

      I’ve made chapsticks before, and I was tired of the same recipes. Yours were new and yet easy. Thanks for sharing!!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/serfmunke Corrie DiStefano

      I am so happy I found you. For one, you are funny, I feel like we are chatting and I like it. I am not a big fan of chatting but feel I could with you;) Also your recipes are easy and very helpful to encourage me to experiment. THANKS!

    • http://www.facebook.com/serfmunke Corrie DiStefano

      Hi, just curious, have a question. I just made a lip balm recipe that called for vegetable glycerin. What benefit would VG give our lips? I am still learning about ingredients and their benefits. Thanks!

      • Velour

        Vegetable glycerin is a humectant, like honey. Humectants attract moisture.

    • Kiah

      Thanks for this recipe!! I was looking to sell chapsticks, and these turned out awesome!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/sarah.e.bradfield Sarah E. Bradfield

      I’ve been mixing up homemade recipes for a while now, and I haven’t been able to find an easy way to transfer the mixture from the pan to the bottle without losing a fair amount that just solidifies quickly. I work with essential oils and I worry that if I reheated it I would lose them. I tried using a small ladle, and that’s helped, but I still lose some. Anyone have ideas and/or thoughts on equipment or method?

    • Angela

      I just made my first batch of homemade lip balm/gloss. I used vaseline & cocoa & vitamin E oil as a preservative. Darn, I wish I had thought to use Coconut oil! I’m so glad I read your post as I didn’t realize it needed to “set”. I put mine in the containers & let them sit in the fridge but didn’t really think about how long they needed to be there. Thanks for the great recipes!

    • Emily

      Thanks for the recipes! Quick question, I am confused as to when I’m supposed to add the honey. In the beginning or the end? Thanks!

      • Emily

        …for the Luscious Lavender recipe.

    • http://www.facebook.com/ACHIM2012 Tasneem Bhatia

      Yummy lip Balm :)

    • http://www.facebook.com/ACHIM2012 Tasneem Bhatia

      Yummy lip Balm :)

    • Jennifer

      My sister makes her own lip balms – they can be found here: Sniff! Scents You could ask where she gets her containers from. I love her products – they are made with organic materials (except the flavoring) and they work GREAT!

    • Donna

      Can you use maple syrup in your first recipe (Lusicious lip balm)? If so, how would you recommend incorporating it?

    • jacks

      do each of these recipes only make one tin/tube of lip balm?

      • Amina

        In my experience they make many standard-sized tubes — about 15. I just made a quarter recipe (but added extra mango butter, so it made a bit more) and it made 5 tubes. Those tubes fill up quickly and a little goes a looong way. It’s also super easy. I just made a batch while waiting for my dinner to finish cooking (about 7 minutes).

    • Elizabeth Leon

      I’ve only made the lavendar lip balm so far but its awesome. Very rich and nurishing.

    • kieguxx

      gangster mean maori mean my nigga

    • Crystal

      Is there a substitute for the beeswax in the choco mint? Can you leave it out? Sounds amazing

    • Katerina Noel

      Any idea how to make the product a little less soft? I used the lavender recipe without Vitamin E oil, and used a vanilla essential oil which makes it smell absolutely delicious. But it’s too wet for application – do I add less almond oil?

      • http://www.facebook.com/stacy.crotty1 Stacy Crotty

        Use a little more bees wax, it will make it firmer.

    • Minnie

      Does it still work if I do not have any vitamin E oil? I can’t wait to make my lip balm but I do not have any Vitamin E capsules or oil….. Help!

    • Ell

      Ha??

    • facebook fans

      Nice post !!

    • Christina Jenkins

      I just made the tasty lip balm, with peppermint and vanilla instead of lavender. It is amazing! A little question, though. I added the honey just like instructed, and the lip balm turned out very butter-like, not too easy to pour into a container. I ended up melting it a bit more before pouring, but by the end it had most of the honey at the bottom and some of my tubes are mostly honey! Is there an easier way to do this, or will I need to stir as I go (messy)?

    • Jeanette Kim

      If I’m from Korea, where can I get all these ingredients?

    • angela perez

      follow me on twitter @evilpixie28 would love to hear more recipes

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