(Post revised and updated January 2018)
Our chore load has substantially increased…
…but we couldn’t be happier! We bought 50 Hereford heifer calves this fall, and these girls are a beginning of a dream come true for Christian and I. Hopefully, they will become the start of an eventual full-fledged cattle operation for us as we breed them and grow the herd.And so, even on the coldest, nastiest, most frigid days, he bounces out to the pasture in the feed truck to deliver them a bale or two of alfalfa.
Here at the home place, there’s continual ice to chop, chickens to look after, and hay to feed to our small herd of horses and milk cows. The chores never end on a homestead, especially in the winter, but truth be told? We love it. We live for the adventure that comes with good old-fashioned prairie blizzard. It’s all good.
But anyway… Let’s talk about homemade lip balm. If you have lips (which I’m assuming you do), you gotta make this lip balm recipe. Like today. (Or whenever Amazon Prime can get the ingredients to your door, at least.) The ol’ lips dry out fast in the winter, even if you’re not getting continually whipped in the face by the legendary Wyoming wind like we are. Sure, thereare plenty of petroleum-based lip balms you can buy at the check-out stand at the grocery store, but why not make your own? This lip balm recipe only takes a few minutes, and the price per tube is very minimal.
I’ve made all sorts of variations of homemade lip balm recipes over the years, but I particularly like this one. It’s velvety smooth and glides on like a dream. Plus, the honey is extra moisturizing and gives it the slightest bit of sweetness that dances well with the hint of peppermint provided by the best darn essential oils ever. (Click here for more information on said best darn essential oils ever.)
You can pour your homemade chapstick into lip balm tins if you wish, but I prefer using the little plastic push-up tubes since they are easier to pack around in a pocket and I don’t need to have clean fingers before applying.
Where to Get Supplies for Homemade Lip Balm Recipes:
Most local health food stores will carry the basics, however, if you can’t find the supplies locally, Amazon is your best bet. Except for the honey. That I’ve found is much better quality–and better price!–through Bee Wild Raw Honey. For beeswax, I prefer using pastilles or pellets, since they melt quickly, but you can use chunks of beeswax, too.
(These are affiliate links)
- Coconut oil on Amazon(I prefer refined for this recipe– it doesn’t smell like coconuts)
- Beeswax pellets on Amazon
- Shea Butter on Amazon
- Lip balm tubes on Amazon
- Salve tins on Amazon
- Honey through Bee Wild Raw Honey
- Get essential oils for wholesale prices
Makes approximately 11 tubes
You Will Need:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets
- 1 teaspoon shea butter
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 6 to 8 drops peppermint oil
- Chapstick tubes or lip balm tins
Instructions:
Place the coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter in an oven-safe dish or cup (I like to use a Pyrex measuring cup–it makes for easier pouring), and place this container into a small saucepan filled with water over medium-low heat.
Heat and stir until themixture is completely melted, then stir in the honey.
Remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint oil. Carefully pour into tubes or tins, stirring frequently as you go. (The honey likes to sink to the bottom.) Let the tubes cool and set up for one hour.
I’m not a tidy pour-er… And it doesn’t help when the kids are right at my elbow asking a million questions. Thankfully, it’s easy to wipe the tubes clean once the lip balm sets up.
Decorate the tubes with bits of paper or string if you like, and store in a cool place and apply to your lips as often as needed.
(P.S. These make fabulous stocking stuffers or gifts!)
Homemade Lip Balm Recipe Notes:
- Not into peppermint? You can easily substitute any essential you like in this recipe, just avoid citrus oils as they can cause photosensitivity.
- For easy cleaning, having some boiling water ready to rinse your pan and spoon. I like to keep the sink full of hot, soapy water to dunk the pan and tools in as soon as I’m done.
- For easy pouring, take the extra time to pour the oil with wax into a measuring cup with a spout to pour into your tins. Use a spatula to scrape the pan. It seems like a pain, but you will spill less. Those little chap-stick containers are difficult to pour into.
- We only use doTERRA oils on our homestead (and I use them for EVERYTHING). They’re potent, they’re pure, and they’re sourced ethically and sustainably. What more could you want?
Other DIY Beauty Recipes
- Homemade Hand Cream Recipe
- Peppermint Citrus Sugar Scrub
- Whipped Body Butter Recipe
- Coffe Sugar Scrub Recipe
