Vanilla Mint Lip Balm

One of the first personal care products I decided to make myself other than the body butter was lip balm. And once again it was from perusing the one and only website I knew at the beginning of my toxin free education, the Wellness Mama. What really sparked my interest was her title of “Imitation Burt’s Bees Lip Balm” and her post about had anyone recognized that the newer Burt’s Bees lip balm didn’t perform as well as it had in the past? I had recognized that and didn’t really understand why, until she pointed out at that time Burt’s Bees had sold out to Clorox, and since then their formulations have never been the same. Her recipe seemed so simple I figured I had to give it a try. So once again I ordered everything, including some pipettes and containers, and got to work. I was so amazed at how easy it was and also how much more moisturizing and nourishing it felt on my lips, it was truly the old Burt’s Bees but better! So I’ve been making it ever since!

This time around I wanted that vanilla mint smell, like in a candy cane, so I found a vanilla absolute from the brand Edens Gardens, as there is no such thing as Vanilla essential oil. You cannot distill vanilla into an essential oil because of the nature of the plant and it’s delicate aroma. You have to add it to a solvent to extract the scent essence, and there is a whole process, but needless to say, it’s just a different animal…or plant! The only place I could find it was on Eden’s Garden website, and I’ve been LOVING their essential oils too, BTW! The vanilla absolute is brown in color, it is thicker in nature, and it was rather tricky to get it to mix in well with the mixture, but I love the scent profile from the finished product, and I’m not too worried on how “pretty” it might look as long as it does the job, and boy does it!

But of course you can choose any essential oil that you like, I think next time I’m going to try Sweet Orange EO as I love orange, and I may add the vanilla to that too so I can dream of an orange dreamsicle! I’ve added links below to purchase the items.

Vanilla Mint Lip Balm Recipe

Recipe Adapted from the Wellness Mama, link.

• 2 Tablespoons beeswax pastilles
• 2 Tablespoons Shea Butter
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 30+ drops peppermint essential oil
• 5 or so drops vanilla absolute (optional if you don’t have or want to use it. It can just be a minty lip balm, I love it that way too!)

Instructions:

You will need: glass bowl, small saucepan, pipettes, lip balm containers, measuring spoons, small spatula or spoon for stirring, and the ingredients.

1. Add beeswax pastilles, Shea butter, and coconut oil to the glass bowl, and set over the small saucepan that has simmering water. Do not let the glass bowl touch the water in the pan. Stir the mixture constantly until all the ingredients have melted fully. They should not bubble or become too hot, just enough to melt.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, but keep the bowl over the hot water so it will remain warm and melted.
3. Add in your essential oils and vanilla absolute (if using) and stir well, but slowly. Test a little on your finger to see if you reach the scent profile you prefer, may be more or less than in the recipe.
4. Once you’ve added the oils and absolute, use a pipette or dropper to fill the lip balm containers. Fill as close to the top as possible. This must be done quickly as the mixture will begin to harden once it becomes cooler. You can top them up as they begin to harden as the mixture will shrink a little as it cools. That will keep from having that little screw hole showing if you prefer.
5. Let tubes sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple hours to completely harden and cool. Add labels if you wish. Pass around as gifts and enjoy the feeling of safely hydrated lips!

Notes:

If you prefer a harder lip balm you can add an extra teaspoon or two of beeswax pastilles, or if you prefer a softer texture add less beeswax. You can always put a few drops of it on parchment paper in the fridge for a min to test the consistency before putting into the containers, and adjust the ingredient amounts.

This recipe makes 12-14 lip balm tubes, some tubes hold more than others. In my pictures I doubled the recipe as I wanted extras to give as gifts. Each tube is very economical in the end, a fraction of the cost compared to how much a tube of lip balm costs you in the store. Plus you can wash and re-use the containers once they are empty! I love a good bargain!

Hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and let me know in the comments if you ever try the recipe and if this has been valuable to you! I love getting to share things that are very cost effective and can help you provide safe alternatives for yourself and your family. So far I have made this lip balm, a whipped Body Butter, facial oil, facial oil cleanser, and lash growth serum, but I’m looking into adding more to my repertoire so stay tuned! Also, let me know if there is something you have made, I would LOVE to share recipes and learn about more DIY green beauty!

Blessings,