Natural Lip balm

Lip balm for me has always been a little bit of a necessity. I remember at the age of about ten or eleven, being completely obsessed with my Avon lip conditioner. My mum would let me write down the order code on the little slip at the back of the catalogue. I used to carry it around with me everywhere. No matter how much lip conditioner or lip balm I’ve put on over the years, though, my dry, chapped lips always seemed to come back. Well, I guess they just never really went away. Perhaps the chemical laden products I was using just weren't really that soothing or healthy for my lips! So, when I began to start researching how to make my own products, a lip balm was at the top of my list.

I’ve had a few test runs, and have made up a few different batches, and this is my favourite recipe so far. It feels super nourishing and hydrating, but not sticky or greasy.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

Beeswax/candelilla wax
Shea butter
Castor oil
Lavender essential oil
Frankincense essential oil
Copaiba essential oil

You will also need a double boiler, which can be easily made by using a glass bowl and a saucepan for it to sit on top of! Just get a small saucepan of water on to boil, and place a glass bowl on top of it, so that you can mix and melt your ingredients together.

You will then need a container/jar with a lid, to store your lip balm in. I love to use pretty vintage jars that I find on eBay or in charity shops, but if that’s not your style, you can find lots of different options on Amazon or Etsy.

So, I haven’t currently been using any measuring tools, but hopefully you can see from these photographs roughly how much of each ingredient I have used.

First of all get your double boiler ready, or your pan of water on to boil, with a glass bowl ready to sit on top.

First thing to add to your bowl is the wax pellets. I used Beeswax pellets, as they have anti-bacterial properties and help to soften and heal skin, but you can also use the candelilla wax pellets. I found mine on Amazon here. I used a lot more than this on my first try, but the balm turned out much too hard. Whilst it was still moisturising, it took me a long time to get enough of it on my lips. The wax pellets go a long way, and less of them makes the mixture softer.

The next ingredient to add is Shae butter. Shae butter contains fatty acids and vitamins, and also has anti-inflammatory and healing properties, making it the perfect addition to a lip balm. I found mine here. I used approximately 3-4 table spoons. Add the Shae butter into your double boiler or glass bowl with the wax pellets. Melt them both down to liquid form.

Once your wax pellets and Shae butter are melted down, you can take them off the boil. The next ingredient to add is Castor oil. Castor oil has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and is also great for preventing wrinkles. It has such a gorgeous, thick texture to it. It has become one of my very favourite oils to use on my skin. I use this one here. I added approximately 4-5 teaspoons of Castor oil. 

The last ingredients to add are the essential oils, and you can really pick and choose these as you please, as there are so many great oils with skin benefits. I will say, you need to be very careful with the brand of essential oil that you buy, as a lot of them are full of chemicals and watered to dilute them down. I use Young Living, as they are the only company that I am aware of, to make 100% pure organic essential oils. For this batch of lip balm I used Lavender, Frankincense and Copaiba, as all three of these oils possess amazing skin benefits. Frankincense in particular has been used for thousands of years, and is known to be a God send for the skin. I added 10-12 drops of each oil. 

All three of these oils come with the Young Living starter kit too, which you can purchase here. By purchasing a starter kit through this link you become a member of my team. 

Once you have mixed all of your ingredients together, you want to pour the mixture straight into your chosen jar, before it starts to set. I let mine cool for about 20 minutes, and then put it in the fridge for a further 20 minutes. By this point it will be ready to use, but bare in mind it will set more over the next few hours. 

My lips have honestly never felt softer or smoother, and I find I only need to apply this once in the morning, and once in the evening. Unlike other lip products I’ve used in the past where I have needed to re-apply them hourly throughout the day to keep my lips hydrated. 

I also rub this into my cuticles and on the skin around my nails. It’s such a nice, non greasy feeling balm. You could also use it on your elbows! 

If you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it as much as I do! xxx