Homemade Lip Balm

Since winter has finally arrived in my neck of the woods, I thought it would be a good time to share my recipe for homemade lip balm. My family goes through lip balm like water in every season, but particularly more so when it's cold. If you're anything like we were, you're spending a ton of money on lip balm (anywhere from $1 to$20 per tube!) and possibly putting unnecessary chemicals on your lips, which means they end up in your mouth. I've also got a graveyard—okay, a drawer—full of products I've tried that didn't work as expected.

My solution? Make my own lip balm!

With this recipe, you can make it just the way you like it—and for a fraction of the cost of store-bought products. It might take a few tries until you get it just the way you like it, but in the end you'll have a product that works and you'll save a ton of money.

What you'll need:

• 12 Lip balm containers (I prefer these twist-up tubes, but you can use small pots)
• 1 Tbsp. Coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. Shea butter
• 1 Tbsp. Beeswax (It comes in different forms, but the pellets melt easiest)
• 20 drops essential oil of your choice (I prefer peppermint)
• 1/8 tsp. Vitamin E
• Glass measuring cup with pour spout (there are other options for pouring, but I've found this to be the easiest)
• Frying pan
• Water

How to make lip balm:

1. Fill the frying pan with some water and bring to a low boil. Turn heat to low-medium. Set the measuring cup in the center of the pan without letting any water get inside.
2. Use approximately equal parts coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter. More beeswax will create a firmer product. You can experiment with how much or little you prefer. Add all three ingredients to the measuring cup and melt over low-medium heat, stirring to combine.
3. Once melted, add Vitamin E and essential oil and stir to combine. You can use more or less of these as preferred.
4. Pour liquid into lip balm containers. If the container you melted it in doesn't have a pour spout, you can use a dropper. Top off containers once they've sat for a minute. Let sit for a few hours before capping.

If you want to get fancy, you can add labels and give these as gifts. I've been sharing mine with extended family, and so far everyone likes them.

I spent about $50 on supplies, but coconut oil is something I keep around the house anyway since I use it for a ton of things. I've already made approximately 50 tubes of lip balm, and I have barely made a dent in the beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E, and peppermint oil. The tubes at $0.20 each will be my only expense for a while, so while my first few batches seemed to cost $1 each, they really will cost much less in the long run.