How to Make Beeswax Lip Balm

Cold wind and hot sun can take a toll on tender skin. This is especially true for the delicate skin of on your lips. When your lips need a little extra care, its time to learn how to make beeswax lip balm at home. The soothing properties of this natural wax locks in moisture making it a perfect solution for lip care.

Easiest Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe

Ingredients

So what do you need for your beeswax lip balm recipe? Thankfully, the ingredient list is very short.

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Of course you need some beeswax-but you also need a few other items. Try rubbing a stick of wax on your lips – it doesn’t work. We need some oils or butters to change the viscosity of the end product.

• beeswax
• oils
• fragrance/flavor

Beeswax for Lip Balm

If you are a beekeeper or know one, obtain some pure beeswax. This wax may need to be cleaned again before using it. It is easy to clean your wax and this is the most economical option.

Of course, you can buy beeswax ready to use in bar form or pellets. The smaller forms are easier to melt and measure but beeswax sold in larger blocks is usually much cheaper.

Oils and Butters

You also have the choice of deciding which oils you would like to mix with the wax. Each type of oil whether olive oil, coconut oil or jojoba oil etc has beneficial properties. Everyone has a personal preference.

Some recipes call for the use of shea butter. I choose to not use it in my lip balm recipe due to an increased risk of allergies.

But, it is perfectly fine to use if you wish. Cocoa butter and mango butter are other popular ingredients that add a richness to your product.

Using Fragrance or Sweeteners

Candle and soap fragrance is not the same thing as fragrance oil for lips – read your label instructions. In my beeswax lip balm recipes, I choose to use a small amount of essential oil. Not all are suited for use in cosmetic products – do your research first!

You can order flavor oil for lip balm, popular options are: peppermint oil, spearmint, cinnamon, orange, lemon and lime. Some of these contain sweeteners – check their ingredient label.

I do not add sweetener to my homemade lip balm.  Of course you can, but I feel that it promotes lip licking and leads to chapped lips.

Why Is Beeswax Good for Lips?

The popularity of this wax made by bees as a lip care ingredient is due to one simple thing. It’s all about texture. We need something that will retain its shape through various temperature changes.

If the mixture is too soft, the product melts during the hot days of Summer. If the recipe produces a balm that is too hard, cold temperatures make it difficult to apply to your lips.

By its nature, beeswax is solid at room temperature and retains its shape even when the temperature rises over 100 degrees.

By combining it with a few soft oils, we can achieve the semi solid consistency needed for a good lip care product. 

Also, let’s not forget the beneficial properties of this natural wax made by honey bees. Beeswax is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also serves to lock in moisture and provides a little natural UV block.

Melting Beeswax Safely

Always begin with clean wax. Cleaning beeswax of excess honey, dirt, etc makes it easier to work with and suitable for all projects.

Because beeswax is a solid, we need to get it into liquid form by heating it. Then, the melted wax can be combined with the other ingredients. 

I use a double boiler method to melt my wax.  This may be a stainless steel double boiler or a glass measuring cup inside a pot of water.

Yes, you can melt it in the microwave but I don’t recommend it. With a flash point of around 490 °F it can overheat and burn easily. Slow and steady using low heat is the best option.

Measure your ingredients using a scale. I prefer to use grams as it allows for more precise measuring but ounces will work as well.

I prefer blocks of wax because that is what I have on hand and I know what is in it. However, using beeswax pellets is perfectly fine – just make sure there are no added ingredients.

Containers for Homemade Lip Balm

There are many types and colors of lip balm containers. So many that you may have a hard time decided what to use. I usually decide on the basic plastic lip balm tubes that screw up from the bottom.

If you like to apply the product with your finger, sliding lip balm tins are nice. When made from the proper mixture of wax and oils, the tubes should not leak under normal conditions.

I would not leave them in a hot car during Summer. I can also testify that the washer and dryer are not good environments for these products.

Making homemade balms is only one of many ways that using beeswax aids in skin care. In addition to saving money on commercial products (such as Bert’s Bees), homemade items are a great gift idea.

Everyone appreciates receiving a gift that has been handmade especially for them. And, one of the great things about this project is that you can make a large batch. Divide it into 3 or more parts. Give each one a different flavor or scent to create a personalized item.

And most important of all, when you make your own products, you know what is in it! No unknown chemicals and other substances will be present.

Don’t stop now, you can also make natural food wraps. Or to further pamper your skin – try this beeswax body butter or this wonderful Natural DIY Face Moisturizer.