DIY Burts Bees Basic Lip Balm Recipe

My husband inhales lip balm.  At $3+ per tube, its a perfect place to flex my DIY muscles.  Also, when we moved to Hawaii, we lost access to his favorite brand - Trader Joe's.  Over the years he had come to rely on the consistency of a specific brand.  Using a copycat recipe and making it in bulk batches, I am now able to provide him with a similar balm, without having to beg family to ship it over every couple months ;)

Based on the crisp, minty flavor of Burtʻs Bees (although more closely resembling TJs in texture) this is a super basic recipe that can be easily customized to what is available in your kitchen.  If you are starting from zero, the ingredients might seem pricey - but I have made over a hundred tubes and barely put a dent in the cocoa butter.  No need to buy any fancy containers either.  Mr A started saving tubes as he ran out and I've been refilling the same 5 containers for over a year.

BASIC LIP BALM RECIPE

1 1/2 teaspoons hard wax (beeswax)

1 3/4 + 1/8 teaspoons (just under 2 tsp) hard oil (coconut oil, shea butter, etc)     

1 1/8 teaspoon brittle oil (cocoa butter)

3 teaspoons liquid oil (almond oil, olive oil, sesame oil, etc)

2-3 drops Vitamin E oil (optional)

3-4 drops essential oil (peppermint, spearmint, etc.)

In a double boiler - I use a small glass dish set in a small pot of boiling water - combine the wax and oils (first 4 ingredients).  Heat until fully melted and no visible pieces remain.

Remove from heat, cool slightly, add Vitamin E and essential oils, stir to incorporate

   

Carefully pour into tubes - I use a small teaspoon.  Work quickly.  You want to pour it while it is still liquid and let it solidify in the tubes.  Pouring when it is even slightly chunky is just short of impossible.

Slap it on and pucker up!

Feeling adventurous?  Try experimenting with color (beet juice or small sliver of lipstick) or SPF (little shake of zinc oxide).