Make Your Own Lip Balm at Home

Shopping for lip balm or gloss can be a confusing and overwhelming task.  There are so many different flavors, sheens, colors, textures, viscosities, medicated additions, and so on.  So much time spent thinking on such a tiny little container.  With a few simple ingredients, and a little time, you can make your own lip balm at home.

Begin by choosing your base.  You should use cosmetic or food grade beeswax, shortening, or oil.  You may also use petroleum jelly.  After you choose your base, choose a flavor.  You can try cocoa powder, cranberries, vanilla extract, coconut oil, honey, etc.  A few drops of flavored drink syrup can also add a burst of flavor to your lip balm.

If you’d like some color, choose a lipstick color you like, and cut off a bit of it to add to your mixture.  The amount of the cut depends on how opaque or sheer a hue you’d like your balm to provide.  You can melt the ingredients together using a double boiler or a microwave, for just a few seconds.  Be sure to use a microwave safe dish, something like Pyrex.  Stay away from plastic dishes, as the chemicals in the plastic may find their way into your lip balm.

You may choose to add a few ingredients to your lip balm to protect your lips, or even to heal dry, chapped skin.  Lovely as winter snow can be, the cold wind can be murder on the sensitive skin of your lips.  Try adding a few drops of vitamin E or peppermint essential oil to protect your pucker, or to soothe redness and chapping.

To store your concoctions, you can use old, thoroughly cleaned gloss pots, or small pill boxes.  You can find simple pill boxes at most one-stop-shops or pharmacies for a dollar or two.  If you’re looking for something more stylish, you can opt for a model from Fossil, Ahlers Designs, or create a custom box with Kyle Design.

Recipes

Cranberry lip gloss

Cranberry lip gloss has an enticing aroma, gorgeous color, and mouth-watering taste. 

•  Begin with ten fresh cranberries, a tablespoon of sweet almond oil, and a teaspoon of honey. 
• Heat this mixture until it begins to boil, then remove it from the heat, and crush the berries. 
• Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the solid pieces of the berries. 
• Pour the liquid into containers, and let it sit until cool before use.

Honey Lemon lip balm

For a more something more therapeutic, try this recipe for honey lemon lip balm.  This balm has a soothing, relaxing scent and feels wonderful.

• Begin with a tablespoon of beeswax pellets, melted in a double boiler. 
• Add to the melted beeswax a teaspoon of honey, a few drops of lemon extract, and a few drops of vitamin E. 
• Pour into containers and cool until set. 

You can use your own preferences to create the perfect way to smooth and soothe your smooch.  Even better, you never have to stand clueless and frustrated in front of the lip gloss counter again!

Stephanie Parker is a contributing writer working for EduBook.  As an avid online shopper, She loves to write useful shopping guide for various products on the market.

Image By: ElenahNeshcuet