52 Homesteading Skills in One Year Project 32: How to make homemade chapstick
I timed it. You can make your own all natural, luxurious, homemade chapstick in three minutes.
THREE minutes.
I have a hard time just getting dressed and putting on my lip balm in three minutes. But you will save more than just time. Here are some other benefits of making your own chapstick.
Save Money
Do you know how much it cost to make a tube of homemade lip balm? Less than $2. Last year I bought a Burt’s Bees lip balm for $5.
Beat dry, chapped lips
This all natural chap stick is not only cheaper than almost anything store bought, but so much better. In fact, I believe it works miracles. My lips are so sensitive that I can’t wear lipstick and even most lip balms on the market end up irritating instead of soothing them.
So I really didn’t have high hopes for this chapstick as I have tried natural lip balms before. But this has to be the best recipe in the world. I have been wearing this lip balm all week and my lips have never been better. Never. I wish I could insert my lips here so you could feel their softness.
If you suffer from chapped lips or are simply a crazy lip balm lover like me, I urge you to give this recipe a try.
DIY Superpower
After making this lip balm, you’ll feel like a superstar. Even when you can’t get your ducks into their coop at night…
Sadly, my naughty ducks would not go into their home where they are protected from predators. So, I decided to wait until it got completely dark in the hopes that they would go into their coop by themselves. And to my surprise, they did! Unfortunately, I still had to close their door without them exiting when they heard me coming near. So, I ran as fast as I could from my house towards the coop – only I forgot I left a wheelbarrow right in front of it. Of course, I couldn’t see it because it was too dark and I tripped right over and into it. Yes, it hurt a lot. But I felt better when I went back inside because at least I had succeeded this week in making homemade chapstick.
Just one word of caution: Be careful how much you make. If stored in a cool, dry place, your lip balm should last a year. Keep this in consideration when you are buying your supplies.
If you are like me, you could get so excited about learning how to make your own chapstick that you order 200 lip balm tubes and 5 lbs of Shea butter from Amazon. Fortunately, homemade lip balm makes a great Christmas gift.
So, here’s how to make homemade chapstick.
Ingredients
Makes 4 tubes of lip balm
Lip balm containers – pots, tubes, whatever you fancy
Small glass jar
Small saucepan
Measuring spoon
4 tsp beeswax
2 tsp Shea butter
4 tsp sweet almond oil (or olive or grapeseed oil)
1/4 tsp essential oils of your choice. I like peppermint, chamomile or lavender for treating dry lips.
Step 1 – 1 minute
Fill your pot with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Note: To save electricity, we use an induction cook top, which boils water in seconds. Otherwise, this step may take a few seconds longer to do.
Step 2 – 30 seconds
Combine beeswax, Shea butter and almond oil in the small glass jar.
Step 3 – 1 minute
Bring the temperature down to low and set your jar into your pot. Stir until all of the wax and butter has melted.
Step 4 – 10 seconds
Remove the jar from your pot and add your essential oil. Mix vigorously to combine.
Step 5 – 50 seconds
This is the hardest step. You have to carefully pour the melted lip balm into those tiny tubes. If you are using the small pots, this step is a breeze. If not, it’s a little trickier.
At first, I tried simply pouring the liquid in the tubes, which to be honest, made a bit of mess, but was fairly easy to wipe up as it hardens quickly. I also tried a glass dropper, which worked much better but you have to be quick as it it does harden fast. Amazon sells lip balm pouring trays, which I haven’t tried yet, but they look like they may make clean up easier. You can also purchase your lip balm containers and pouring tray together for a cheaper price. A fact I wish had known before I made this recipe.
Note: The lip balm will settle and may create holes. This isn’t a problem. You simply add an additional drop of lip balm on top.
And you are done! The lip lip balm should harden within 10 to 20 minutes. Now don’t be surprised if your chapstick suddenly disappears. The kids love having their own lip balm (and then losing it) and even Jérémie has decided this lip balm is manly enough for him to carry around. So maybe you do want to buy that package of 200 containers.
Do you have questions about “how to make homemade chapstick”? Leave me a comment and I will be happy to help.
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Love the idea of homemade lip balm! I apply carmex at least 5 times a day! My question is how do I get some kind of sunscreen property to the lip balm? I understand that calendula, evoo, and jojoba oils have sunscreen properties. What have you used? I work outside all the time so I’m very protective of my fair skin!
Thank you!
Carrot Seed Essential Oil has SPF of 35-50, I understand. I use it with Jojoba oil as a sunscreen.
What a great idea! Thank you!