Homemade lip stuff (gloss, balm, whatever you want to call it). I am a dry person physically - skin, hair, nails, etc - and living in the desert kinda killed me. My body just couldn't handle it. I am not built for the desert!! Texas is a bit better, but it's still pretty dry where we are. I'm always looking for good moisturizers that work and don't cost an arm and a leg. And my new office is pretty dry too, so I figured this would be a good time to try out one of these recipes.
There are BUNCHES of different recipes for this out there, from 2-ingredient versions that would be easy to do with kids, to ones that have a dozen different oils and waxes and moisturizing what-nots. The ones I've read through are below, in case you want to browse through for your own inspiration.
- Brilliantly Bland has a Honey Orange Lip Balm recipe, with some great tips on using a double boiler for beeswax.
- Mountian Rose Herbs gives recipes for three different variations, plus tips on customizing your own favorite.
- Rustic Escentuals uses much more specialized ingredients in their Swirled Lip Balm Recipe, but I do like the detailed instructions and the swirled pattern idea.
- Beautylish has a Cool Winter Lip Balm recipe.
- Instructables provides information about using empty tube containers in their Delicious Chocolate Honey Lip Balm directions.
- The Camera's Lying's Tinted Lip Balm was the first set of instructions I saw that used lipstick to color the balm.
- Torie Jayne gives instructions on coloring with food coloring, as well as other decorations, in her Hand-made Cool Mint Lip Balm instructions.
- Cheeky Kitchen also plays with coloring and with flavors in her Homemade Kiss Gloss instructions. I also like the container tips (Bead organizers! Genius!)
- Design Sponge gives instructions for a Solid Perfume Pocket Watch Locket. Yes, she's not making lip balm, but I really liked the idea of the pocket watch as a tin.
- And what crafty DIY list of links would be complete with a Martha Stewart version?
Ingredients
- Vaseline with Cocoa Butter
- Coconut Oil - yup, just regular from-the-kitchen coconut oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Lipstick - I had a stick of Clinque Pink Chocolate that I used. Like the color, but more of a gloss person, rather than a lipstick girl.
- Small tins - as I am addicted to Altoids, I had an assortment of small mint tins to refill.
- Double boiler or microwaveable bowl (depending on how much you are making)
- Spoon
- Aluminum pie tin
Directions
- Add 3 heaping T of Vaseline and 4 T coconut oil to small bowl.
- Add lipstick, broken into pieces if possible. This will help it melt more evenly (Vaseline and coconut oil both melt much more quickly).
- Melt in microwave. I used 60% power and 30-sec bursts, stirring after each one. I used a plastic spoon to stir the mix.
- Mix in several drops of flavoring oil (I used mint, my favorite)
- Pour into clean, prepped containers. I set up mine in the pie tin, to give myself a clean, contained workspace. I knew I'd spill some, after all, and didn't want it all over the counter.
- Let cool. Some of the recipes above recommended putting them into the refrigerator as they cooled. I just left them on the counter all afternoon, but I didn't use beeswax either, which does take longer to set.
- Enjoy!
Overall Comments and Thoughts
- Let the rest of your household know what's cooling in the kitchen. I came down to check on them, and found a fingerprint in one of the tins. Zach was curious as to what I'd been making :)
- I like the small tins to hold them, but don't like the big Altoids logo. Thus, my tins sport a coat of nail polish to make them a little more decorative. Also to keep me from getting my lip balm confused with my mints when reaching into my purse!
- I like the soft balm that I made (I've often used just plain Vaseline to help my lips when they get really dry) but I'm curious about some of the other variations. I think I might try a honey-beeswax version when I make my next batch in several months.
- I know the picture on the right is a little blurry, but it best shows the color of the lid. Which is a nail polish I really like :)
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