All Natural Lip Balm

It seems that my posts on natural home cleaning and the shampoo experiment are a popular topic, so I will expand on the idea.  We have been making our own lip balm, lotion, deoderant, shaving cream (hubs) for almost a year now and I do not plan to buy something ever again that takes me only minutes and pennies to make myself.  AND, I know exactly what is in it and it is all natural.

Making your own lip balm is the easiest one!  My daughters love making their own, and also making it as gifts for their friends.

All you need is some olive oil or another oil base and some beeswax. I typically use sunflower or sesame oil.  Sesame oil has the added benefit of natural UV block.  I usually add a couple drops of an essential oil for scent.  My favorites are basil and lemon.  You can also add extracts with flavor or honey if you prefer.

To make Basic Lip Balm:
1 Tbsp. beeswax (either grade it from a block or buy it in pellet form)
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil

Melt the beeswax and sunflower oil in a microwave safe glass for 1 minute, or until melted.
Add one to three drops essential oils.
Pour into the container of your choice.  Let site overnight until completely solid. This amount fills a lip balm tube nicely.

The recipe above makes a nice lip balm that melts with your body heat easily, but if you want something a bit more malleable that coats your lips you can add a teaspoon or so of shea butter.  I usually add a couple drops of honey for that hint of sweetness.  I will then add a drop of vitamin E, as a natural preservative.

The best part about this is that the tube of lip balm you just made cost about .25 cents.  If you purchased new lip balm tube it cost you .50 cents.  To buy all natural lip balm in the store--- $3 - $7 per tube!

I get most all my supplies through Mountain Rose Herbs.  I have purchased some containers through their site as well, but I prefer to collect empty containers from my family and friends, clean them out really well and re-use them.  A little soap and hot water will clean out an old lip balm tube easily enough, and most labels come off fairly easily.  I actually obtained my beeswax from a local beekeeper at a farmer's market.  I have found that some oils, aloe etc. are less expensive if you buy them through Azure Standard.  I order through a buyer's group in North Portland.

Yes, my label construction needs some help.  I plan to purchase a circle punch as soon as I can drag myself to the craft store.  I made lotion and lip balm as holiday gifts last year, everyone loved them.  Now take 3 minutes and make some lip balm for yourself!