Learn how to make easy lip balm using only natural ingredients that will soothe and nourish dry lips and even sensitive skin. Making your own lip balm could not be easier and I promise you can get it perfect the first time you attempt it!
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It’s no secret that I love making my own natural lip balm! DIY lip balms are one of the easiest products you can make and are a great introduction to making your own skin care. They’re kind of like the gateway drug of homemade beauty products! If you’re apprehensive about wasting time and money on making your own products, a DIY lip balm is the perfect place to start and today we’re going to learn how to make easy lip balm using only 2 ingredients with 2 other ingredients that are only optional.
As a fun bonus, I’ve added peppermint oil to my diy lip balm recipe and stored it in an Altoid tin! Turns out, the Altoid tins are a really fun lip balm container. However, you can store your homemade lip balm in a small containers like a mason jar, lip balm tubes or tins.
Why Make a Organic Lip Balm
Most commercial lip balms are full of petroleum jelly which is not natural and can be harmful to your health. They can also contain thickening emulsifiers, unnatural flavors and fragrances and skin irritating preservatives. It’s just too easy to make your own healthy, safe lip balms with my natural lip balm recipe!
How to Make Easy Lip Balm
Lip balm only needs two ingredients-oil and beeswax. When these 2 ingredients are combined, beeswax is melted and combined with the oil to make a creamy balm. You can add butters and essential oils if you’d like, but they aren’t necessary.
For this lip balm diy recipe I ended up using Altoid tins which are at every check out aisle and turned out to be perfect lip balm containers! Plus, they are so cute! We could all use a “curiously strong” all-natural DIY peppermint lip balm, am I right?!
More DIY Lip Balm Recipes
- coQ10 Lip Treatment
- Mint Chocolate Lip Balm
- Squalane and coQ10 Lip Treatment
- Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Recipe
- Lip Line Eraser Balm
- Lip Potion Rollerball Recipe
DIY Lip Balm Ingredients
Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to explain a little about the ingredients used to make a lip balm.
It’s an easy concept and if you’re like me, you might find that beeswax is actually a little bit magical! As you know, oils are liquid. Beeswax pellets are the ingredient that turns your oils from liquid to solid. It is a natural ingredient that not only solidifies butters and oils but also acts as a protective barrier for the skin. Beeswax is the perfect ingredient for a DIY lip balm.
**If you’d like to make a vegan lip balm, you can omit beeswax for carnauba wax or candelilla wax.
I chose grapeseed oil because it has no scent or color. However, you could use any carrier oil you have on hand such as hemp oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, apricot seed oil, safflower oil, fractionated coconut oil or refined coconut oil.
I added shea butter for added moisture but it is not necessary to make a lip balm. If you’d like to add a butter, you can also use cocoa butter, mango butter or kokum butter. However, butters are totally optional! You will still have an extremely nourishing balm if you choose not to add it.
Vitamin E oil is another ingredient that adds an extra moisturizing element but it is not necessary when making a basic lip balm.
Essential Oils:
Peppermint oil obviously gives the balm a peppermint scent but it also gives a cooling sensation when applied to the lips! Peppermint is my favorite essential oil to add to this easy homemade lip balm recipe. It is not vital though.
Essential oils have antioxidant properties that are great for the health of your lips.
Since lip balms are small in proportion, it only takes a few drops of essential oil per ounce to give your lip balm an amazing scent.
Other lip balm essential oil ideas are sweet orange oil, rosemary essential oil and vanilla essential oil.
I like to get my essential oils from Plant Therapy. They have organic options, are very affordable and have free shipping on all orders!
If you like this type of recipe and want more natural products you can DIY, you might be interested in my fast absorbing body butter recipe. I also have a fun lip gloss recipe that has a beautiful sheen!
What You’ll Need to Make DIY Lip Balm
- Grapeseed Oil
- Beeswax Pellets
- Shea Butter (optional)
- Essential Oils (optional)
- Empty Lip Balm Tubes
- Stir stick
- Altoid Tin
- Double Boiler-small pot and glass pyrex measuring cup
How to Make Easy Lip Balm with only 2 Ingredients!
Learn how to make easy lip balm using only natural ingredients that will soothe and nourish dry lips and even sensitive skin. Making your own lip balm could not be easier and I promise you can get it perfect the first time you attempt it!
Materials
- 1 TBSP Grapeseed Oil
- 1 tsp. Beeswax Pellets
- 1 tsp Shea Butter (optional)
- 7 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil (optional)
Tools
- Lip Balm Tubes or Altoid Containers
- Small Pot
- Glassy Pyrex Measuring cup or small glass bowl
Instructions
- Create a double boiler by adding a small pot half way full with water.
- Place a glass pyrex measuring cup or glass bowl in the water and add grapeseed oil, shea butter and beeswax.
- Allow to melt on low heat-medium heat.
- Remove from heat.
- Add peppermint essential oil.
- Pour into lip balm containers.
Notes
*If you'd like to add a hint of color, you can add a sliver of lipstick into your mixture of oil and beeswax as they're melting together. Beetroot powder is a popular additive in the natural DIY world however, I find it leaves the balm grainy.
Adding Color to Your Lip Balm:
If you’d like to add a hint of color, you can add a sliver of lipstick into your mixture of oil and beeswax as they are melting together. Cosmetic grade mica powder is also a great option that will create a decent amount of color and mix right into your oil based ingredients. Beetroot powder is a popular additive in the natural DIY world however, I find it leaves the balm grainy.
How Long Will DIY Lip Balm Last?
The shelf life is around 6 months as long as your lip balm is stored in an air tight container and stays in a location where it can stay at room temperature or below.
This simple recipe takes minutes to make and requires no preservative since it only contains oil based ingredients! Adding a water based ingredient such as aloe vera gel or glycerin would cause bacteria growth much sooner. This is why I love to make body butters, cleansing balms, lip balms and lotion bars.
If you end up using shea butter, your lip balm could end up getting grainy after a while. This does not mean that your lip balm has gone bad. It is a common issue where shea butter crystalizes. It is easy to avoid by heating it for 20 minutes before you add it in with your beeswax and oils or helping it cool as quickly as possible by placing it in the fridge once you remove it from the stove top. I have an entire post on how to avoid or fix this issue.
Like all homemade DIY products, your lip balm is only as good as the ingredients you use. Make sure your ingredients are fresh, and your homemade lip balm will keep for a while.
This is an easy and fun project and a perfect gift because everyone will love a great lip balm full of nourishing simple ingredients! It’s perfect for the winter months since beeswax and oil are a power packed duo that will help protect and moisturize your lips thoroughly!
**Beware of the Altoid tin’s hinges. They are about 1/2 way down the back side of the tin. If you fill your balm above the hinges your balm will leak out! It’s a confusing mess, trust me!! **This recipe makes enough balm for a small Altoid tin, but beware of the hinges!
xx, Jenni
P.S. If you’d like more direction on how to make lip balms I have made a step by step picture guide that also includes 6 really cute label downloads that will make your homemade lip balm extra cool!
PIN IT!
Hello!:)
Can I replace peppermint with something else?I don’t like the smell of it.
Diana, yes! You can use any oil you like. Peppermint is one of my least favorites. I actually love lavender in my lip balm. You could try any citrus oils too!
Do you think this recipe would be able to fit in a chapstick tube like: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQNEMQQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AWL11K6HV50F5
I love the tubes because you don’t have to dip your fingers in it. I wonder if your recipe will harden enough for the container.
Let me know your thoughts.
Best,
Nikki
Nikki-Yes you can put my recipes in a tube. I have a couple of balms that are a bit too soft but I don’t believe this one is one of them. If you make it, you might want to let it harden and test it before you pour it into tubes. You can always re-melt and add a pinch more beeswax. Thanks!
Thanks
the same recipe can be made using vaseline or shea butter ? Because beeswax is kinda to expensive where I stay .
Shruti-Beeswax is a must. It’s what thickens up the oils. Vaseline is basically the end result we are trying to achieve with the beeswax minus the yucky toxic ingredients it contains. Shea butter will thicken up your oils but your proportions would have to be figured out. You would definitely use more shea butter then oil. I think you could achieve a really nice lip balm this way but it would take some experimenting!
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Do I need the Shea butter or can I leave it out and get the same results?
Jennifer-You can, it just won’t be as nourishing.
Heya..
In love with your site already…
Tried this today..just that I used half of all your portions so that I get half of the amount of lip balm cos I was skeptical about my skills to follow your instructions..thanks ..
A quick question..
Is this Safe for lactating women..? My baby is 4 months old .. lemme know ..thanks ..
Also planning to try the aloe moisturizer
Alekhya-Thank you!!! Yes, it’s safe!
What do you think about using castor oil in lip balms? It has such a nice shine.
Sara-I do like castor for shine but rarely add it because it can be drying. I wish there was another oil that added shine that wouldn’t be drying. I have not found one as of yet.
Can I replace grapeseed oil with castor oil?
Cori-Castor Oil can be a bit drying so make sure it isn’t the only oil you use. Castor oil is used in a lot of lip gloss/balm recipes though due to it giving a shine!