Natural Personal Care Products: Lip Balm

My love affair with lip balm began when I was Elisabeth's age.  I never want to be very far away from a tube.  I keep some in my purse...and in my bathroom drawer...and in a kitchen drawer....and....well, you get the idea.

My first love was carmex, then (thankfully) my sis-in-law got me switched away from that about 15 years ago.  I switched to Burts' Bees, and loved that it was so "natural"...and I loved the smell and feel of the honey version.


Fast forward to several years ago, when I'd begun making more and more of our own personal care items:  I'd see info here and there on making my own lip balm, and considered it...but hadn't tried it yet.  But I was already using something so "natural" and "healthy", so no need to make it myself, right?

And then....

I ran across some info a little over a year ago that claimed Burts' Bees has soy in it.

Et tu, Burts Bees?

No way!  I ran and grabbed my closest tube and looked on it.  Sure enough.  arrrrggghhhh!  Soy is not a health food in my book.  Even "natural" stuff can't be blindly trusted...not everyone's definition of "natural" and "healthy" matches.

To say I was devastated would not be overstating it.  I felt so...so...betrayed.  Yes, a little dramatic...but I take my lip balm seriously.

After finding this out about my current beloved lip balm, I was all in on the idea of just making it myself.  It didn't appear hard.

And it wasn't.  It totally isn't.


I just had to gather some supplies.  Some of it I had on hand, but unlike other homemade personal care items, I didn't have all the needed supplies on hand.  No big deal, and everything I ordered I can reuse, or get multiple recipes out of.   I made ten tubes last March and I've just now run out and made my second batch.

First, I needed to order some empty lip balm tubes.  I bought mine on Amazon.  I purchased 10 white tubes.  You can also get clear...your preference.

Another purchase I made from amazon was for some plastic pipettes (also search under plastic "droppers").  I suppose you wouldn't technically have to have this...but I can't imagine filling the tubes without one.  But you can't order just one.  It looks like you can order just 10 or 12 now...last year I ended up getting 100 (yes, one hundred) for just a few dollars.  IRL friends, don't order any...if you want one (or more!) just let me know!

A handy pipette in action, filling a tube

Then I just had to gather the actual lip balm ingredients.  There are approximately one trillion variations out there for making your own lip balm.  I like easy...so I used this recipe from The Art of Homemaking.


I just gathered:

coconut oil
raw honey
beeswax (can purchase through amazon, I bought mine through our co-op)
essential oil (optional, I chose orange...peppermint would work great too)

That is my beeswax in the mason jar.  It is little beads, which melts so quickly
and easily.  I'd read that some of the bigger sticks and bars of beeswax can take quite a while to melt.

1 1/2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp beeswax

8 tbsp coconut oil

30 drops of essential oil

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir and melt over low heat.  When it is melted and all combined, work quickly to fill the tubes. 

I had some lip balm leftover after filling my 10 tubes, so I just poured it in a little jar to keep in my bathroom drawer to apply with my finger.  I could have filled more tubes if I'd had them (15?  20?).

I love the honey smell and this balm feels so good on my lips.  And I love that it truly is natural...no surprises here!

** UPDATE 6/2015 ****

I have also now made a batch of Sweet Vanilla Butter Lip Balm (from Reformation Acres) and love it also!