Tip of the day: Make your own lip balm
Filed under: Cosmetics, Skin Care, Style Tip of the Day
There are plenty of reasons to make your own lip balm. It's healthier than the more chemically processed stuff. You know just what's going in. It's easy. It'll help you go easy on your dough stacks (or lack thereof). They make a great gift. Yada, yada, yada. Here are three tried and true recipes that we love to slave away over the hot stove for.
These three solutions are yummy and also soothing. Let's take a lookilou.
Three Step Three Ingredient Balm -- This is an easy balm to make and have fun with.
What you'll need:
• 2 tbsp. Petroleum jelly
• 1 tsp. Beeswax
• 10 drops of essential oil of your choice
Instructions:
1. Melt petro jelly and wax on low heat.
2. Remove from heat when melted and add oils.
3. Mix thoroughly and pour into containers.
Note: You can have some fun with this recipe. If you like minty add peppermint oil; for romantic flavors add rose, jasmine or any flower oil; for fruity flavor add mulberries, blueberries or any other berry oil.
Repairing Balm – Like the name says, this will help repair sore, dry, cracked lips.
What you'll need:
• 4 tbsp. almond oil
• 8 tbsp. beeswax
• 3 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp vitamin E oil
• 1 tsp cocoa butter
Instructions:
1. Melt beeswax on low.
2. Add honey and cocoa butter and stir thoroughly.
3. Remove from heat and add oils.
4. Pour into containers for cooling.
Lemon Balm – Lemon is a natural cold sore healer and will keep lips healthy.
What you'll need:
• 1 tbsp. petroleum jelly
• ½ tsp beeswax
• 3 drops of lemon oil
Instructions:
1. Melt beeswax on low (you should know this by now).
2. Add jelly and stir.
3. Remove from heat and add oil.
4. Pour into containers to cool.
Note to self:
1. It is a good idea to pour in each ingredient separately and stir thoroughly before adding the next.
2. Always use low heat.
3. Use a small pan since it is a very small amount of ingredients.
4. Craft and organic stores will have small pots and essential oils.
Karen 6-24-2008 @ 11:25PM
The recipes are good - they don't need to be refrigerated, though, and should last a good deal longer than two weeks. Beeswax, honey, and vitamin E are all natural preservatives (except when honey is mixed with water - it will eventually ferment). The only reason to keep this kind of gloss/balm in the fridge would be to harden it, though because the ingredients are mostly beeswax they should be very stable (cocoa butter will also make the lip balm very firm). If you leave them in the car during the summer, they will probably melt to some degree (as would any chapstick), and chilling them will cause them to firm up again. Storage at room temperature is fine, and they should last you until they're used up!
One important thing to note, though, is that they will harbor bacteria if you're applying with your fingers (no alcohol or chemicals in these balms!). Honey is antimicrobial, and beeswax slightly so, but if you're concerned about germs you should use them up within a couple of months.
Before you start, it's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with beeswax. Make sure to use cosmetic grade (not candle wax!!), which can usually only be found online, and don't use any irreplaceable containers when melting it, because it can leave a residue when it cools that's almost impossible to remove. It's easiest to use cheap (disposable) measuring cups that can be heated in the microwave, and stir with a cheap chopstick (metal implements can sometimes react with essential oils so it's best to use plastic, wood, etc.). Make sure to continue stirring as it cools so the different elements distribute evenly - the beeswax will stay hot for a good few minutes, but once it starts to cool it goes very quickly, so make sure to keep a close eye on it!
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