I began creating my own DIY lip balm several years ago when my go-to healthy brand of chapstick started adding soy and canola oil, which I found unappealing. This natural lip balm recipe is simple to put together with just a few ingredients. In addition, it provides moisture and hydration to combat dry lips all year round.
DIY Lip Balm Recipe
Producing your own lip balm at home is a straightforward process and is much cheaper than purchasing organic brands from the store. Lip balm tubes also make excellent gift items, stocking stuffers, or safe pretend makeup for children. I keep them on hand while working as a doula to offer to expecting mothers during labor, as hospital air can often cause skin and lip dryness.
Lip balm contains natural ingredients that can be used in numerous other natural skincare and body care recipes. Ingredients like coconut oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter are common components in other DIY projects like lotion and body butter that I’ve made.
Buying Organic Lip Balm
If you’re pressed for time or feel uninterested in creating your own lip balm, here are some recommendations on where to purchase healthy, natural lip balm!
How to Make Lip Balm
Because lip products are applied near the mouth and nose, I prioritize using safe, natural ingredients, especially when my kids are using them. While I utilized coconut oil in this recipe, there are various carrier oil options available. Coconut oil solidifies at lower temperatures, resulting in a firmer lip balm. Additionally, it possesses mild SPF properties.
You can adjust the consistency of the lip balm by using less beeswax or substituting up to half of the coconut oil with another liquid oil. Incorporating only liquid oil will produce a softer lip balm. Here are some options for lip moisturization:
Castor oil provides a lovely shine to the lips and is a popular ingredient in homemade lip gloss recipes. It doesn’t directly replace coconut oil in this recipe, but substituting about a teaspoon of coconut oil can offer a shinier appearance and smoother texture.
Essential Oils for Lip Balm
Aromatherapy is trending, but not every product available in stores uses authentic essential oils. While some individuals, including children, may enjoy the scent, lip balms with artificial strawberry bubble gum fragrance are not entirely natural. Additionally, not all essential oils are suitable for use on the lips.
Certain oils like cinnamon bark and lemongrass can be quite irritating, especially on sensitive areas like the lips. Many essential oils can be safely used on the lips at a 5% dilution, which amounts to about 60 drops of essential oils in this recipe. However, I prefer using less than that amount.
There are various lip-friendly essential oils that you can mix and match to create your preferred scent. However, certain oils like lime and bergamot can cause photosensitivity if applied excessively before sun exposure, resulting in swelling, redness, and lip damage.
For the most part, you can combine your favorite essential oils that are lip-friendly to create a personalized lip balm.
Choosing a Container
I often use lip balm tubes for easy application. Repurposed small jars or tins are also suitable containers. Once, I came across tiny sample-size jam jars in a hotel room, and they worked perfectly for storing lip balm.
Lip Balm Recipe Without Beeswax
Typically, I use beeswax pastilles when making lip balm as they help solidify the balm and provide a protective layer on the lips. However, for various reasons, some individuals prefer to make a vegan lip balm using candelilla wax as a substitute. Candelilla wax is firmer than beeswax, so you’ll need a lesser amount.
If you haven’t experimented with creating your own beauty products before, I encourage you to give it a try! The basic recipe is outlined below, but feel free to explore different oils and flavors to achieve your desired scent and flavor. Personally, I enjoy mint, particularly during winter!