Make it Yourself Monday-Lip Balm

Almost everyone uses a lip balm at one point or another, so why not make your own?  Wondering what to do with all those girls at your daughter's sleep over? Why not help them make lip balm? Whatever your reason, this is an easy recipe and a great way to protect your lips!

You will need;

1 oz Beeswax (I like the beads, but you can cut up the sheets or even a beeswax candle)
1 oz Anhydrous lanolin (or butter of your choice; ie. avocado, coffee, shea ect.)
1/2 oz Sweet almond oil (or apricot kernel oil)
1/4 oz Avocado oil  (or grape seed oil)

As you see, you can pretty much alter this recipe to accommodate your pantry or your favorite oils and butters. In the end, if the balm is a bit too soft for you, just add a little more beeswax. If it is a bit too hard, add a tad more oil. If you want a bit more slip, add a teaspoon or four of castor oil (at which point you may need to add a bit more beeswax). Keep in mind that this recipe will make about 18 tubes of lip balm. So, if you aren't planning on giving away some, you may want to use the tins instead of tubes, or maybe even cut the recipe in half.

To make;
Place the beeswax and the lanolin in the top of a double boiler and heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the additional oils. Once mixed, allow to begin to cool (but do not allow to begin to harden), then add the essential oil(s) of your choice. Stir well, then pour into lip balm tubes, tins, or small cosmetic jars. Set aside and allow to harden. Once cooled completely, cap or fasten lid and use as needed.

Of course this is great for the lips without any added fragrance, but if you want it to smell good, you can add any food safe essential oil or EO blend that you want. I like to use a *bergamot (orange) and ginger blend myself. You can also add some fragrance oils, but be sure to check with the manufacturer/vendor to make sure that it is lip safe. Not every skin safe product is safe for the lips! Also, I know that a lot of people add flavoring to their lip balms, some even add sweeteners. But this is a very bad idea for good skin care. Think about it. If it tastes good, you will likely lick it. Licking your lips increases chapping and removes the protective balm that you applied. Of course, once you reapply, you will lick again and continue the vicious cycle, effectively defeating the purpose of using lip balm. So I really encourage you to stick to fragrancing the lip balm and leaving the flavorings for your food and drinks!

*If you are using essential oils, remember that most citrus oils can cause photo-sensitivity. Some of these can be purchased furo coumarin free, so that you can  use them without this worry.

Also, I did not put an amount for the essential oils because it will depend upon the one(s) that you choose. If you are not familiar with usage rates, check with your vendor, making sure that you get the proper amount for lip balm, as it will be different than the amount for lotions or other products.

Of course, if you don't feel like making this yourself, you are always welcome to purchase mine! It isn't this exact recipe (I have to keep some secrets you know! Lol), but it is highly moisturizing, wonderfully healing, and greatly protective!