Kids go crazy for lip balm. Seriously my 2 would easily spend the equivalent of a small country’s GDP on lip balm if I let them, which I don’t, hence we learned how to make homemade lip balm.
Luckily lip balm is really simple to make at home. This has numerous pros for us;
- Inexpensive
- We know what ingredients are in the lip balm (a big plus in my book)
- Lip balm is fun to make and a great rainy-day (or any day) activity
- It can be an educational experience – a mini science project
- The plastic containers can be reused and recycled
*Please note this is a great activity for kids, but as it involves boiling water it requires adult supervision at all times.
How To Make Homemade Lip Balm
3 simple ingredients:
- Beeswax
- Coconut Oil
- Flavoured essence and/or natural colouring of food quality (optional)
Additional things required:
- A small heat-resistant plastic container – preferably square (a small single serving ice cream tub is ideal – mine is an Aldi ice-cream sundae tub). I use square as it has corners to help to pour the liquid out into the tiny containers. I also use plastic rather than glass, or ceramic, as I find they do not get as hot and are safer to handle – but extreme care should always be taken.
- A pan to hold very hot/boiling water – I use my wok as it has a large surface area but is shallow, so it’s easy to place the small tub into.
- A wooden skewer or cocktail stick. By using wood is doesn’t get hot like a spoon or metal skewer.
- Small containers. The ones we use are recycled from an old nail art set – they hold approx. 1.5g in weight or approx 0.05Oz. They are 2cm in diameter and about 1cm deep. This recipe will fill a container of that size (with a smidge over). Small containers can be purchased online.
How to make homemade lip balm – instructions
Heat a pan of boiling water.
Into a small tub place:
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon of beeswax
Then stir until melted. The beeswax will take a little longer than the coconut oil.
Once all has melted add the essence or the colouring and stir again until thoroughly combined.
Carefully (but quickly!) pour the liquid into your small container.
Leave to cool – the homemade lip balm will take approx. 15 minutes to set.
Top Tips!
If making lip balm regularly keep all your items together including designated measuring spoons.
When using wax it’s best to keep your tubs/utensils specifically for that purpose. Beeswax is a natural product, but in my mind it’s still wax. I follow the same protocol (get me!) as when I make paraffin wax candles – which I wouldn’t want to eat. I also keep specific coconut oil for cosmetic use and it isn’t ever used in cooking – this reduces the risk of using an oil that has been contaminated with other items.
Which brings me onto coconut oil… You pay a lot or a little for your coconut oil.
The 3 oils above range from £6.99, to £2.99 to £1.49. The coconut oil for £1.49 contains 500ml and not 300ml like it’s more expensive alternatives. I use this cheaper oil on my hair and also when making DIY cosmetics. My instinct tells me that the £6.99 and £2.99 pots are very similar (Aldi tend to produce products matching the leading brands at up to half the price). The cheapest coconut oil may not be as high quality, but I’m thinking it probably makes little difference when kids are making lip balm.
Moving onto beeswax. This can be purchased from various places, I purchased mine online, and opted for small pieces rather than a block – although if buying it in a block you can use a grater to shave off what is required.
Depending on what essence you use the depth of the smell/flavour will vary – the more expensive/concentrated the essence the stronger the result. You don’t need to use an essence, or a colouring.
You can reuse your containers time and time again. It’s really easy to wipe them out, and with some hot water remove the last of the lip balm. If you are feeling daring you could even have a go at refilling EOS lip balm containers (you know those lip balms that are super expensive?) – there’s a great YouTube video here by Cute Life Hacks that we have followed and it works fantastically well.
We made a Nutella lip balm and it was perfect – although a little worn down now after being used a few times.
Here’s to super soft lips that don’t cost the earth – in more ways than one.
Please do share your tips on how to make homemade lip balm.
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