DIY “Bert’s Bees” Type Lip Balm

When your lips are dry, you lick them, which in turn, make them more dry and chapped, so you lick them more.  The best way to fight this vicious circle is: 1st - keep hydrated (drink lots of water)  and 2nd - to keep handy and use lip balm.  My favorite lip balm is “Bert’s bees” brand.  I have this roll, but that is it, and I keep miss placing it.  I would like to buy more, but it is a tad on the expensive side.  I found this on Pintrest:  http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/diy-burts-bees-style-lip-balm-8%C2%A2-per-tube.  Since I had most of the ingredients on hand, and few of the empty tubes, I decided to give it a try.  I did some variations from her recipe, according to what I had on hand.  So here we go.

Step 1:

Supplies:
2 oz (56 g) bees wax ($1.79/ounce, not shown)
3 oz (84 g) coconut oil ($0.29/fluid ounce)
½ oz  (24 g)Vitamin E oil ($2.14/ounce)
½ oz  (24) Almond oil ($0.50/ounce)
30-40 Lip Balm tubes (0.15 fluid oz. each, empty and clean, I had 8)
Microwave safe glass container
Spoon
Digital scale
Essential oils (I used Spearmint for it flavor and Rosemary for its antibacterial properties)

Step 2:

First I measured out each ingredient on the digital scale.  I had bar bees wax so I chopped it up first and measured out 56 g. 

Step 3:

Then I measured out the coconut oil (84 g),

Step 4:

then the Almond oil and Vitamin E oil (total, of 1 oz. or 28 g). 

Step 5:

I place the four together in the glass container and put it I the put it in the microwave.  I heated it one minute on high. 

Step 6:

Removed from the microwave and stirred. 

Step 7:

Then heated another minute and stirred again. 

Step 8:

It took less than 30 more seconds to finish melting the bees wax.  Stir well.

Step 9:

I poured 4 ounces of the lip balm into a container with a seal tight lid.  I put it in the fridge so that I can keep it fresh until I had more tubes.

Step 10:

Into the balm I had left, I put 15 drops of the Spearmint oil and 5drops of the Rosemary oil.  Stir. 

Step 11:

Next, I dipped my finger into the balm and let it cool, then tried it on my lips.  Very nice.  You may want to add more essential oil or more bees wax, or whatever to make it fit your taste. 

Step 12:

I used the spoon to fill the containers with the lip balm and let them set until solid.

Step 13:

While they are setting, let’s do some math.  If each tube holds 0.15 fluid oz., and you have 6 oz. (mass, not particularly volume) you will be able to fill 40 of those lip gloss tubes.  I think you will have less (because mass and volume are not the same for everything).  So let’s say 35 tubes. 

Now the cost for the ingredients would be:  Beeswax - $3.58, Coconut oil-$0.97, Vitamin E oil–$1.07, and Almond oil - $0.25.  Total is $5.87 for the batch.  Divide by 35 = $0.17 a tube. 

The tubes, found here:  http://www.bulkapothecary.com/containers/lip-balm-tubes-jars-and-tins/white-stick-standard-15-oz-lip-balm-tube/, are $0.14 each, does not include postage.  So you can make your own for about $0.31 each.  Since these are for me, a label is not needed, but if you are going to use them as gifts, you might consider creating a label. Labels will give them a finished look.  Not bad.  I can afford to keep losing these ;).   Enjoy!