With winter quickly drawing near, my lips are starting to get chapped already! This easy lip balm recipe is thankfully something I can whip up in minutes! Literally. I just timed it and it took me 2 minutes and 53 seconds to put it together!
Lip balm is honestly one of those things that everyone should make at home because it's that simple. It's also way cheaper than buying chap stick at the store and you can customize it to your own taste!
Ingredients for a Smooth Lip Balm
If you're looking for an easy recipe that's still effective and nice, you've come to the right place. This recipe uses just three ingredients: shea butter, olive oil (or honey), and essential oils.
If you want a little color, you can also add mica powder to the mixture. Mica powders are frequently used in natural mineral makeup to create bright colors without harsh chemicals. Some mica powders aren't safe for consumption however so it's important to ensure you purchase one that can be used on your lips.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is a great moisturizer that sinks deep into your skin. Shea butter is solid at room temperature too so it helps keep the lip balm solid. Many recipes that use coconut oil require beeswax too because the coconut oil becomes a runny mess in the summer. With this shea butter, you can easily make a vegan lip balm without any beeswax!
Olive Oil
Olive oil is also incredibly moisturizing and has a glossy finish. Most of you will already have olive oil in the kitchen too so it means once less ingredient you need to hunt around for. You can definitely switch the olive oil out for a different liquid oil if you want (e.g. avocado, jojoba, vitamin E oil) without it effecting the recipe too much. Honey also has a lot of healing powers and is especially good for cold sores or cracked lips so I sometimes use that instead of olive oil.
Essential Oils
Adding essential oils to lip balm gives it a lovely smell and a very subtle taste. When picking your essential oils, remember that some essential oils (such as peppermint) are not safe for children so do your research if you plan on giving them out as gifts or keeping them in range of tiny hands.
You'll also want to be careful about going overboard. Essential oils are powerful and concentrated. There is a safe range when using essential oils in liquid carrier oils. I particularly love orange, lemon balm, geranium, and lavender!
More DIY Products to Try!
There are so many things you can make at home using essential oils. Check out our recipes for the following DIY Zero Waste products!
DIY Shea Butter Lip Balm
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. shea butter
1 tsp. olive oil or honey
1/4 tsp. mica powder (optional colorant)
4 drops orange essential oil
4 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions:
1. Melt the shea butter in the microwave or over the stove in a double broiler.
2. Add in the olive oil or honey, optional mica powder, and essential oils. Mix well.
3. Pour the lip balm into metal tins (approximately 2-3). You can also use a ziplock bag to create a pipette and pipe the liquid into traditional lip balm tubes.
4. Let the lip balm rest until it sets up. Done!
Avoiding Separation
If you choose to use honey in your recipe, it will be important to make sure the honey doesn't separate from the rest of the mixture as it cools. If you let the mixture cool at room temperature, the honey is likely to settle at the bottom of the container. Instead, place the container into the freezer for a few minutes to make sure it solidifies before separating.
This lip balm is wonderful to have around the house or to carry it with you in your purse. Given that shea butter has a higher melting point than coconut oil, it is also less likely to become liquid again if you're using it in the summer. If the holidays are coming up, these make wonderful homemade gifts or stocking stuffers!