Make Your Own: Beeswax Lip Balm!

Make Your Own: Beeswax Lip Balm!

Tis the season for chapped lips!  My little ones, born and raised in the balmy, warm climate of the South, are very susceptible to chapped lips.  Once the weather starts getting cold, those telltale red marks start appearing around their lips.  Last year, I decided to make my own lip balms for them to have and use.  I found a pound of beeswax at an apiary shop up in North Carolina (Wild Mountain Apiaries) for a very good price and decided to go to town with some lip balms for them!  Not only was it simple to make, but I knew (and could pronounce!) every single ingredient that went into my lip balms.  That peace of mind was well worth the effort.

Here's a recipe that I used for my balms.  I was also informed that it would last about a month or two, but in all actuality, I found one of my lip balms a year later that still worked perfectly.  

* Note: Please make certain that you know where you are getting your bees wax from.  Some commercial beekeepers control pests in their hives with pesticides, which gets into the wax.

Now, without further ado.....

Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe

What you'll need:

Glass measuring cup or jar (I used a mason jar)

A spoon

A container to store the balm (I used an old Altoids tin)

Beeswax

Olive Oil

Vitamin E oil

Peppermint Essential Oil (Optional)

(Make sure that your hands and all tools are clean before you get started!)

Grate one teaspoon of beeswax (use a knife; using a grater for beeswax, while easier to do, will make for a heck of a clean up job later!).  Make sure you fill that teaspoon, so pack it in tightly!  Then place the grated beeswax into your glass container.

Measure out two teaspoons of olive oil and put in to the glass jar with the beeswax.

Now to begin! Since you are making this in the microwave, please use caution and microwave in small increments of 30 seconds. Beeswax is quite flammable if it gets too hot.  Microwave for 30 seconds, take it out and mix it with your spoon, and repeat until the beeswax is completely melted.  

Once your beeswax has melted completely and you have mixed the ingredients well, add a few drops of Vitamin E (not only is it good for you, it helps to prolong the shelf life of the lip balm!) and a few drops (one or two) of peppermint essential oil if you choose to use it, or any other essential oil of your choice.

Pour the mixture before it has a chance to set (harden) into your lip balm container and allow to sit undisturbed.  Once the balm has cooled off and set, it is ready to be used!  Enjoy your new lip balm!