Honey Lip Balm

I’ve made a great lip balm recipe that’s works better than my Burt’s Bees lip balm.  Along with this recipe I try and be proactive.  Lips are delicate and need a little extra attention.

My  Rules for Lip Care

1.  If I’m going to be outside for more than a few minutes I make sure I have a balm covering my lips.  This covers the skin with a nice barrier to protect it from the wind and sun.

2.  After I brush my teeth I apply lip balm and if my lips feel even the least bit dry I apply a bit of honey on them before bed.  Honey acts as a humectant (a substance that attracts and retains moisture) -when I wake up my lips are revived and they taste awfully sweet .

On to the recipe!

Step 1: Materials You'll Need

Materials:

• A double boiler or melting pot (I use a melting pot- as seen in the first photo)
• A glass jar (to mix the ingredients into)
• a metal spoon (to stir the ingredients)
• a metal tsp for measuring
• The recipe yields 1/2 ounce.  Just enough to put inside the lid of a bottle.  I use a top from an old spice bottle.

Step 2: Ingredients You Will Need

Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons grated unbleached beeswax (Know your source, you don’t want any chemicals in there!)
• 5 teaspoons carrier oil (I use  jojoba  but some other options are sunflower or castor)
• 1/2 tsp Vitamin E
• 1 tsp honey

For glossier lip balm, use 2 tsp wax and 8 tsp of the carrier oil.

Step 3: Beeswax & Carrier Oil

• Melt the beeswax and carrier oil together in the top of a double boiler or a melting pot.

Step 4: Stir

• Stir the beeswax and oil together and remove from heat.

Step 5: Honey & Vit. E

• Add honey and Vitamin E. Mix thoroughly so the honey does not clump.

Step 6: Final Step

Final Step:

• Pour into your balm holder.
• Let sit 20 minutes before covering or moving.

It’s so easy!  This takes me about 10 minutes to make and that includes melting time!  After a week or so the honey will separate.  You will notice little beads of honey oozing up at the edges.  If this bothers you don’t add the honey.  I just rub it back into the balm and apply. Yum!

If you liked this project follow me!  You can also see lots of other projects I do with my husband Mike on our blog, Mike and Molly's House.  It where we do 'mighty projects on our mini farm'!

Comments

[Nagarok]

I did some research up on making this, because My girlfriend is having some problems with dry lips at the moment, so I'll also share what I find

Jojoba oil is a great basic oil, because it does literally nothing to you. It kinda just holds everything and makes it runny enough to use as a balm. Great for people with allergies or something like that.

But as another carrier oil that you mentioned, castor oil would be better (I think) if you don't have any funny reactions, because it soaks into your skin and provides a lock on the water that's already in your skin.

But it also may do the opposite, and lock the extra water that you're getting from your lip balm out.... just had that thought then..


With the wax, and your melting pot, an alternative for those who don't have such fancy fangdangled machines.
You need a big pot
A heat resistant bowl
a cooking thermometer, or a really good attention span.

Basically you're going to use the same technique that you use to melt chocolate, fill the pot with water and put it on the stove, then float the bowl in the hot water and have your wax in there. It seems that the wax normally melts at around 60 degrees Celsius, so if you have your thermometer, you can measure when the water is around that, and take it on and off the heat to moderate.

But if you don't have a thermometer, you can still use it, but you'll be more guessing at the temperature. Skin burns at 60 degrees plus, so our brain has registered that, and anything above 60 degrees, you can't touch, and anything under it, you can, simple enough. But for the upper heat limit, if you get small bubbles forming on the bottom of your pan, then that means that the water is at about 80-90 degrees depending on the amount of bubbles, and that you should take the water off the heat because it's too hot for wax.

[EdenW4]

I use a small crockpot for this. I put the stuff in a canning jar and then put in how water and set it on high for an hour. It does the trick nicely.

[satoko68]

Honey in any lip balm will either crystallize or separate out, unfortunately, unless you use a suitable emulsifier to prevent this. I speak from experience & several batches of lip balms that were complete flops :-) Your lip balm may seem ok initially, but the longer it sits the more you'll notice a grittiness or goopy stickiness coming through. It's really not pleasant in any way.

There's also the issue of needing a preservative in a honey lip balm as honey does ferment. I'd highly suggest not making a lip balm such as this if you're selling your products. You'll have many unhappy customers. For home use it may be ok, providing you don't premake an entire batch (several tubes at once).

[SarahS100]

Actually, honey does not ferment. Honey never goes bad. Any beekeeper, including myself, will tell you that. No preservatives needed :)

[Chillaxmum33]

I work in a honey factory and yes honey can go off.. sorry to disappoint you. And it crystallises just like sugar if your not careful. Iv been making lip balm, face treatments, soaps, melts, massage and scented candles & other oroducts for just over 2yrs now, so i think i know a thing or two.

[ElenaB43]

Honey ferments if is mixed with water or it can go bad if is not pure, otherwise that never happens. The polyfloral honey will crystallise just like sugar, but the acacia honey will never crystallise. If you buy acacia honey and will crystallise it means is not pure and is mixed.

[cepsita.]

Doesn't Honey ferment in the presence of yeast? After all, mead is a fermented drink made with honey. Not sure, but is it possible that the batch was contaminated by either food or the user's saliva?

[AllanR12]

does honey ferment, strictly speaking no. If the honey has too high a water content then it may ferment, but over a set percentage it is not strictly honey. At higher water levels it will ferment, providing the bees have had time to allow the water to evaporate off it should not be a problem. I always check my honey with a refractometer to check water content to avoid any fermentation issues.

[Chillaxmum33]

Visit my Facebook page Chillaxing Melts, Massage & Body priducts to see everything i make and sell..

Cheers
Chillaxmum33

[LizaM1]

[ducttapestuff]

Can almond oil work for a carrier oil?

[LindseyP]

If it is sweet almond oil, it should work. Hope this helps! :3

[RedVelvetBows]

Can I use coconut oil and mix it with honey? I don't have many of the supplies listed but I still want to make it.

[SparkySolar]

I love this Instructable, Thank you

[ael2coconuts]

Oh this is greatformy school project

[Kathleen0121]

It's a great instructable! ^^ I'm gonna try this.

[Anna Logg]

Great recipe. But I can't "follow" you when it takes 10 clicks for a quick 'n' easy process. Not your fault; I know. Just saying.

[lawn_mower_man]

What a great instructable, I have to try this :D

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Awesome! I've never heard of Jojoba oil, I'll have to star looking for that!

[Chicken Girl]

Jojoba oil is a great oil to have around. I use it as an ingredient in my face cleanser (oh, there's another Instructable!), body moisturizer and after I wash my hair I damp it dry and rub it on the ends of my hair.