Creating lip products is one of my favorite things to do. They are simple to make, cost less to make than you pay in stores and bonus, are fun and efficacious to use. If you have never made lip products before, it can be tricky to know where to start. There are lots of different ingredients that you can use in your lip products, including various waxes, butters and oils. Luckily, there are no concrete rules to making lip products. It’s all about personal preference, which is why formulating lip recipes is so fun.
Lip balm, lip gloss and lipstick are often made out of similar ingredients, including several kinds of oils and butters. What’s the difference between these terms? Well, it depends on who you ask. Lip balm usually refers to a product with a solid yet spreadable texture. Lip balm may or may not contain color. Lip gloss normally refers to an extremely shiny and soft lip product, with or without color. Lipstick usually refers to an product that is heavily pigmented, with a firmer texture.
There are plenty of other terms used to describe lip products, including lip tints, sheer lipstick, lip butter, lip stains and more. The bottom line is these terms don’t have a concrete definition and mean something different to everybody. If you plan on selling your lip product, consider the amount of color and texture to name appropriately. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to call your product a lip tint if it contains no color.
Now, let’s get started formulating your product! Below are some of the most common lip product ingredients, along with the properties they add to a recipe. Lip products usually only contain oils, waxes and butters. Once water or a water soluble ingredient is introduced, an emulsifier will be needed. When you begin emulsifying water and oils, you’re on your way to creating a lotion. Because lip products do not contain water, a preservative is not necessary. Read more about preservatives in this post.
One of my favorite tricks for formulating lip recipes is the “Frozen Spoon Trick.” This trick is a great way to test the consistency, color and flavor of your balm as you go. Simply place a spoon into the freezer about 30 minutes prior to making you lip product. When you’re ready to test, dip the spoon into the melted mixture. The mixture will quickly harden on the spoon, which allows you to test the lip product on your lips. Then, you can add more oils, color or flavor to your preference. Click here to read more about the spoon trick.
The frozen spoon trick is a great way to test your lip products!
A good place to start formulating lip balm is one part liquid oil, one part wax and one part butter. I have found this ratio usually leads to a firm yet spreadable balm. Of course keep in mind that butters, oils and waxes all have slightly properties. For example, adding one part beeswax will lead to a firmer balm than one part cera bellina wax. Check out the Making Lip Balm Soap Queen TV video, and then learn more about different wax, butter and liquid oil options below!
Butters
Various butters are great for adding firmness to lip balm recipes, as well as skin-loving properties. Solid at room temperature, many butters make great balms on their own, including avocado butter, mango butter and shea butter. In general, butters do not add as much firmness to lip products as waxes. When working with butters, you may want to temper the product to avoid graininess and to keep the butters smooth. Tempering involves heating butters and maintaining a high heat for a prolonged amount of time, about one hour. The product is then rapidly cooled, which results in a smoother butter. For more information on tempering butters, check out this blog post.
- Avocado Butter: Manufactured by the fruit of the avocado tree, avocado is a soft and creamy butter. It can be used straight for a soft balm. Avocado butter is a great substitute for shea butter. Find it in the Winter Lip Balm recipe.
- Cocoa Butter: Obtained from cocoa beans, cocoa butter has a wonderful chocolate-y aroma. It also has a slight neutral beige color. If you prefer a milder scent and color, try deodorized cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a good substitute to beeswax if you’re looking to create a vegan product. It’s fantastic for creating a barrier to help retain moisture in the skin. Click here to read more about cocoa butter. Find it in the Vanilla Latte Lip Balm recipe.
- Mango Butter: Mango butter has a medium firmness; not too soft and not too hard. It’s softer than cocoa butter, but firmer than avocado and shea butter. It’s soft to the touch and melts when it comes in contact with skin. It can be used alone as a lip balm if you prefer a firm product.
- Shea Butter: Soft and creamy, shea butter adds a mild firmness to lip products. Shea butter melts on contact with the skin, making it a popular choice for lip products. Shea butter is a great substitute for avocado butter. Click to read more about shea butter. Find it in the How to Make Infused Lip Balm video.
Fixed Oils + Vitamin E Oil
Just about any fixed liquid oil can be used in lip product recipes, and many of them will behave very similarly. When adding fixed oils, keep in mind some contain a strong odor or color. For example, tamanu oil is not a popular choice for lip balms because of the dark green color and strong odor.
- Avocado Oil: Full of vitamin A, B1 and B2, avocado oil has a lightweight texture and neutral color. It helps give lip products a soft and spreadable feel texture. Find it in the Exfoliating Kisser Scrub recipe.
- Castor Oil: Castor oil is thick and rather sticky. It is great for adding shine to lip products. On the lips, it feels rich and smooth. It’s a great choice for lip gloss, or other shiny lip products. Find it in the Rosy Red Lip Gloss recipe.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, which gives lip products a slight firmness. Find it in the Shimmery Ski Lip Balm recipe.
- Sweet Almond Oil: Full of oleic and linoleic essential fatty acids, sweet almond oil is lightweight liquid oil. It helps give balms a soft and spreadable texture. You can find it in the Making Lip Balm video on Soap Queen TV.
- Vitamin E Oil: Vitamin E oil is great for adding skin-loving benefits to your balm. It also has a thick consistency (similar to castor oil) and adds a small amount of shine to your product. Find it in the Honey Kisses Sheer Lipstick recipe. Learn more about vitamin E oil here.
Waxes
Waxes are great for giving lip products firmness. In general, a little goes a long way. Waxes have a higher melting point than most butters, which makes them a great addition if you need a heat resistant product. Be careful when melting down wax. Because it has a high melting point the container may become very hot and even explode. Many crafters like to use a double boiler when melting wax. Too much wax can cause your lip product to not spread as easily, or sit on top of the lips and not absorb.
- Beeswax (White and Yellow): Beeswax gives great firmness to lip products. Beeswax comes in two varieties, white and yellow. Yellow beeswax usually refers to a wax that has been fully refined, but not bleached. Yellow beeswax contains a natural smoky scent. White beeswax has been fully refined and bleached. This process results in a white color without the deep scent of yellow beeswax. Click here for more information on beeswax, including how to use it in other bath and beauty projects.
- Cera Bellina: A hydrophilic derivative of beeswax, cera bellina wax gives lip balms a unique gel-like texture. It provides an incredibly smooth feeling and lots of shine. It’s also a popular choice for thickening lotions.
- Candelilla Wax: A very hard wax, candelilla wax gives firmness and shine to lip products. It’s a great substitute for beeswax, especially when formulating a vegan product. Candelilla wax has a more brittle texture than beeswax.
Adding Color & Flavor
Once you have created a lip balm texture that you’re happy with, it’s time to play with color and flavor. Always make sure the colorant and flavor oil you are using are lip safe. The frozen spoon trick is a great way to test color and flavor as you go!
Flavor oils are fragrance oils that are specially formulated for the lips. The general usage rate of Bramble Berry flavor oils in lip balms is 1% to 3% of the total weight of your recipe. Flavor oils are unique in that they don’t actually add “flavor,” but instead give your product a smell. When the smell is combined with a sweetener, the flavor oils tricks your brain into “tasting” the flavor. Some flavor oils are already sweetened, while others are not. If they are not, you can add bleached stevia or Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil. You can also use lip-safe essential oils in your balm, like Peppermint 2nd Distilled Essential Oil and Anise Essential Oil. Click here to read more about using lip flavors and essential oils in your lip balm.
When adding color to your balm, it’s all about personal preference. The key is choosing lip safe colorants. Both micas and pigments can be lip safe. Click here for a list of lip safe colorants. Micas have a finer texture than pigments and oxides, which makes them easier to blend into balm. Micas can be added directly to melted lip balm mixtures. To add pigments into your lip products you may want to have a mini mixer handy to work out any clumps!
When working with micas, keep in mind they also add a hint of shimmer in your product, while pigments do not. Micas tend to add a more sheer color, while pigments give lip products more saturation. For a light tinted product, expect to use about 1 tsp. of mica per ounce of product. See an example in the Creamy Marsala Lip Tints recipe, which uses 1.5 teaspoons of Merlot Sparkle Mica into about 1 ounce of oils. For more saturation, expect to use anywhere from 3 to 6 teaspoons of colorant per ounce of product.
If formulating a lip balm recipe from scratch is a little intimidating, Bramble Berry Lip Balm Base and Nourish Lip Balm Base are here to help. These bases can be melted down and customized with flavor and color. You can also add additional oils, waxes and butters to change the texture to your personal preference. In the Creamy Marsala Lip Tints recipe, argan oil is added to the Nourish Lip Balm Base to create a slightly softer lip product.
Once you’re done making lip balm, it’s time to cleanup. Cleaning waxy and oily containers can be a pain. This is especially true if making a highly pigmented product! For tips on cleaning out your oily and waxy containers, check out the Soap Queen TV video below!
Have you tried making lip balm before? If you’re looking for recipes and tutorials, be sure to check out the Lip Product category, which is full of ideas, tips and tricks!
can I use water soluble candy flavoring in my lip balms what adjustments do I have to make
Because those are water soluble, they won’t mix in with the lip balm. Instead, they will separate and pool at the bottom. We recommend using lip-safe flavor oils at 1-3%: https://www.brambleberry.com/Flavor-Oils-C494.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello,
I’m just starting to be obsessed with lip products (I’m sure you can relate). I’m fascinated by the plethora of oils and waxes and how they will affect the finished product. My general question is about raw vs. refined ingredients. Do you find that the unrefined ones have a heavy scent, taste, or other quality that would be negative factor in making a desireable product? Being a crunchy granola person as I am the totally organic and unrefined route appeals to me, but I am hoping that you have so practical tips to share.
Thanks,
Nadia
It does depend on the product, but some unrefined ingredients can definitely affect the color and smell. For instance, unrefined shea butter has a darker color and more scent than refined shea butter. It will definitely come down to personal preference – if you don’t mind the scent, you can use unrefined. However, if you find it’s a bit too much, refined is a good option.
Adding essential oils to scent it will help as well because they can cover up the natural oil scent, especially a strong one like peppermint. Find a list of our lip-safe essential oils here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Just saw your response. Thanks Kelsey!
Hey Kelsey,
How would I need to change things if I were to add activated charcoal or matcha powder? More oil?
Cheers
Olivia
I’m not sure if the activated charcoal is lip safe. You can email MSDS(at)brambleberry(dot)com to find out for sure, our customer service team has more information on that. Also, charcoal absorbs oil, so you may find it drying in a lip product. Luster Black Mica is lip safe and not as drying as charcoal, you may like that in your recipe: https://www.brambleberry.com/Luster-Black-Mica-P3453.aspx
Find all our lip safe colors here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Safe-Colors-C679.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello! I am going to try and make my first lip balm and i am very excited! I came up with these ingredients: Beeswax, Shea Butter, coconut oil, tea tree oil, raspberry seed oil and peppermint flavor oil. In the article it said you should start with a ratio of 1 part beeswax, 1 part shea butter and 1 part coconut oil.. with these ingredients should i still start there and do the spoon test?
Also with the tea tree oil, raspberry seed oil and peppermint flavor oil how much would you recommend of each?
Thank you in advance!
Jessica
A typical ratio is 1:1:1 wax, butter, and oil, so you can definitely use beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil. Because those ingredients are all fairly firm, the balm itself will be firm. If it’s too hard when you spoon test it, you can add a liquid oil like avocado or sweet almond.
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
Sweet almond oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sweet-Almond-Oil-P3205.aspx
As for the flavor, you want it to be at 3% total. So you can use 1% peppermint, 1% tea tree, 1% raspberry oil, or another combination, as long as it doesn’t go above 3%. Learn more about flavoring lip balm here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
With your new addition of the Kokum butter to Bramble Berry, I wonder if it will work to replace the beeswax in lip products or if wax is still required?
Kokum butter feels great lip balm recipes. It is softer than beeswax though. If you like a softer balm, you can use kokum in place of beeswax. If you like your balm more firm, you can use beeswax and kokum butter. A good ratio to start with is 1:1:1 wax, butter, and oil.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Kokum butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Kokum-Butter-P6703.aspx
Thank you for being a godsend to all of us DIYers! I am trying my first lip balm. I am using beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter. I used some mica for color and flavor oil for aroma. My problem is that the bottom of the tin is not drying out. I found this out by not liking the color when cooled and digging it all out of the tin to add some more color (frozen spoon trick!) It seems like the bottom is super colored and smells alot stronger than the top as if these were heavier elements and settled.
I made sure I mixed everything well. What could be causing this?
When the lip balm is pretty hot, it’s quite thin. That means heavier colorants and flavor oils can sink to the bottom. To prevent that, keep stirring the balm until it starts to thicken. That happens around 140F. When it’s thicker, you can pour the balm and it will suspend all your ingredients nicely. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi
I tried making the lip balm
Using beeswax,cacao butter,almond oil infused with herbs ,vitamin E and grape seed oil.
It came out really nice but after 2/3 days there are white spots on it .
I am very confused what that is ,please help 🙂
Hi there! Does the balm feel grainy or bumpy? If so, it may be the butter. Let me know. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’m trying to make lip balm with coconut oil, almond oil, beeswax, peppermint essential oil and raw honey 🙂 is there an emulsifier safe for lips to get the ingredients not to separate?
We haven’t found a lip safe emulsifier, so I’m not entirely sure where to get one. Sorry about that Kari. We have a really nice flavor oil that smells just like sweet honey you may like though. 🙂
Honey Kisses Flavoring Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Honey-Kisses-Flavoring-Oil-P5512.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! I’m having a hard time getting my hands on Cera Bellina Wax in my country but I’m so intrigued by it I really want to try using it! Is it possible to make it out of beeswax? If so is there a tutorial or recipe?
Thanks
We get our cera bellina wax from a vendor, so I’m not sure how to make it. Sorry about that! You can use beeswax instead. It doesn’t have the same gel-like texture as cera bellina, but it works really well in lip products. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is there any way to incorporate water soluble ingredients and having the lip balm stay a lip balm? what would be the texture be like if I added polysorbate and a few water soluble products?
It can be tricky to incorporate water soluble ingredients. You’ll need to use a lip safe emulsifier, which our Polysorbate 80 is not. I would recommend checking teachsoap.com/forum to see if someone there knows of a lip safe emulsifier and how to use it. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’d love to make a lip gloss, instead of balm. Can you give me an idea of a good ratio to start with? I’ve got the gloss tubes with wands, so I don’t want it too thick, but I don’t want it too runny either. I have Shea Butter, Almond, Castor, Argan and Neem oil. I plan to get some beeswax to thicken it a little. Thoughts?
We made a Rosy Red Lip Gloss Recipe you may like! You can find that here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/rosy-red-lip-gloss/
It’s made with cera bellina wax, which gives the recipe a soft, glossy texture. I’m not sure if it will be liquid enough for a tube. I would recommend trying some in a tube. If you want it more thin, you can add more jojoba and castor oil. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
With the Nourish Lip Base, when adding additional butters and oils, how much should be added? I really like a fairly soft, creamy balm with a lot of butters usually, so I was wondering how much I can add to the base.
Hi Tserisa!
How much oil you add to the base is personal preference! Because the Lip Balm Base is just oil and wax, you can add as many extras as you like. For a more buttery balm, I would recommend starting with .5 ounces of butters to a 4 ounce container. Then, dip a cold spoon in the melted balm. It will harden instantly and you can feel the texture. If you want it softer, you can add more butter then. 🙂
Read more about The Spoon Trick here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/spoon-trick/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Nourish Lip Balm Base: https://www.brambleberry.com/Nourish-Lip-Balm-Base-P5231.aspx
Thank you so much! You guys are always so helpful!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Instead of stevia or the synthetic flavoring, can sugar be used instead to sweeten the lip balms?
Hi Renee!
Sugar can be tricky in lip balms. It may not melt fully, which can leave grains of sugar in the finished product. If you do add it, I would recommend heating up some of the liquid oil and stirring the sugar in to try and get it to dissolve. That way there are no bumps or grains in the finished product. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks so much for this informative post! I’m really excited about formulating my own recipes. Ultimately I’d like to make 2 different products: a more standard in the tube type lip balm; and something like a hybrid between lip balm and lipstick, like a sheer lip butter. I have 3 questions. I want to make my products vegan and allergy free so I don’t plan to use animal byproducts, nut oils, wheat, or soy. I also want them to be as natural as possible.
Here’s my first question: I can’t use stevia, aspartame, or saccharine, and don’t want to use honey – what can I use to sweeten my balms??
Second question: In formulating a sheer lip butter what ratio of wax to oil would I use to give it firmer texture more like lipstick? Most likely I’ll be using candellila wax.
Last question: I was a little confused about the wording of how much color to use. If I’m using mica in my sheer lip butter, how much would I use to get to a sheer wash of color? So that it would be noticeable but not full coverage like a lipstick?
Thank you so so much in advance for helping me out!
Hi Kristin!
You can use Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil to sweeten your balms! It is a synthetic sweetener made with various aroma chemicals. You can use it up to 6% on its own, or 1-3% with a flavor oil. 🙂
Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Smacking-Sweet-Flavor-Oil-P4679.aspx
A great ratio to start with in your recipe is 1:1:1 wax, butter and oil. Then, dip the cold spoon in the melted balm (that’s mention in the post above) and feel the balm. If you want it more firm, you can add more butter or wax until it’s a texture you like.
For a sheer color, you can start with 1 teaspoon of lip safe color per pound of lip balm. The cold spoon trick also allows you to see the color when it’s dry. If you want more, you can add from there. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks Kelsey! Excellent advice, as usual. 🙂
You’re welcome Kristin! 🙂
Hi! I’d like to use an all natural sweetener in my lip balms. What ratio of stevia would you use in a lip balm recipe and what’s the easiest way to incorporate it? Thanks!
You only need a small amount of stevia, so I would recommend just a tiny pinch in your lip balm! A little goes a long way. The best way to add it is to sprinkle the stevia in the warm balm and stir until the mixture is around 130F. Because stevia doesn’t dissolve, the mixture needs to be thick enough to suspend it evenly. When it’s around 130F it’s thick enough to suspend it, so you can pour your balms then. 🙂
We added stevia to this Infused Lip Balm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q22G3CzwT3E
Stevia: https://www.brambleberry.com/Stevia-White-bleached-P3853.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello!
I continue to be SO impressed with the wonderful tutorials you have on Soap Queen TV ! Thank you so much for sharing them 🙂
I’m hoping that you can help me -I want to create a lip balm recipe for a tube that feels light and doesn’t have a waxy residue/feeling. I was wondering if leaving out butters would do the trick? I was thinking that a combination of Macadamia Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil might be a good combination? Or maybe Avocado Oil? Can you offer a suggestion on the ratios I should use if there is no butter in the recipe? Thank you for your help!
You’re welcome Melanie, thanks for your sweet comment!
If you’re not using butter, a basic ratio is 1 part wax to 3 parts oil. That’s a good place to start! I would recommend starting off with equal parts of wax and coconut oil. Coconut oil is a little more firm, so it will help that lip balm hold its shape in the tube. Then, you can play around with the other liquid amounts. Jojoba and macadamia oil are lightweight and moisturizing. Castor oil is more thick and sticky, so the more you add the more glossy the lip balm will be.
A really helpful trick is to freeze spoons before you make the balm. Then, you can dip the cold spoon in the melted lip balm. It will harden instantly and you can check the texture. If you want it firmer, you can add more wax or coconut oil. More soft, you can add more macadamia oil or jojoba oil. It may take a few batches to find your perfect consistency! 🙂
Learn more about the frozen spoon trick here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POk2SGjmBRY
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Does one need to adjust the base oils if leaving out the flavoring and sweeting oils?
Hi Laura!
You don’t need to adjust the oils in the recipe! Flavoring oils are considered an additive, so they don’t affect the recipe amounts. Because you’re adding such a small amount of the flavor oil the texture should be just fine. If you like a softer recipe, you can add a touch more liquid oil. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, I have a question regarding labeling and talking about a product that I created. I might have to find out from fda, but everything gets so confusing at times with them and nothing is never dummied down lol! But my question is “and I think I just answered my own question haha” – would it be considered a drug if I told the consumer the item contains vitamins and explained the benefits of the added vitamins? Also would even having vitamins listed would it still be consider a drug? Also, what about whipped lip scrubs example using fine grain sugar, edible flavors and coconut oil would that require anything special submitted to the FDA because you can eat it and I think it’s a “gross/neat” selling point – scrub you lips and eat the sugar. Just like the lip sticks adding the sugar so it taste like their fav flavor consumer would digest in small micro amounts because they would be licking their lips a lot more than if it was just a regular colored lip stick. I hope all that made sense, but I’m still learning and Soap Queen You have taught me a lot! Thank you for that!!
Hi Nina!
Those are great questions! I believe listing the vitamins in the oil may be fine. However, if you list anything on the label that claims the vitamins will treat something, or your customers hear that one of the vitamins is thought to cure something and believe it does, it would be considered a drug. You can read more about the difference between cosmetic and drug claims here: https://www.soapqueen.com/business/understanding-fda-cosmetic-vs-drug-claims/
I would definitely recommend contacting the FDA to find out more. I did a bit of research and couldn’t find information about listing vitamins, so double checking with the FDA would be a good idea. If there is any doubt, I would recommend not listing the vitamins just to be safe. You can contact the FDA here: http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/ContactFDA/default.htm
As for the lip scrub, I checked Marie Gale’s book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling. It says if you say a product is edible and could or should be ingested, it is considered a food by the FDA and is regulated that way. That’s the case even if it’s applied to the body or face. Read more about food regulations here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm
That would be another good question to ask the FDA! Also, Marie Gale’s book has tons of great information that’s easy to read. I would definitely recommend checking it out. 🙂
Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: https://www.brambleberry.com/Soap-And-Cosmetic-Labeling-Book-1-Book-P3663.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you so much for assisting me so quickly and pointing me in the right direction! I will check out the books and review the links you provided. Once I call the fda and find out the info they give me I will update here with links! 🙂
You’re welcome Nina! Thanks so much for updating us with the FDA response as well. That’s really helpful. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Am I able to mix equal parts of candalilla wax and beeswax to make a lip balm? Are there any other recipe adjustment that would be required?
Hi Denise!
For lip balm, we recommend adding a soft oil or a butter to the mix. Wax on its own is very firm, and doesn’t melt very easily on the lips. It is also not very moisturizing. I would recommend adding a soft oil like avocado oil or sweet almond oil. That way it will spread on the lips easily and help moisturize them. 🙂
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
Sweet almond oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sweet-Almond-Oil-P3205.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
My lip balms seem to have tiny droplets of oil on the top after setting in the container. Can I do anything to prevent that?
Kat
Hi Kat!
I’m sorry about that! I’m wondering if it may be just a bit of condensation. When are you capping the balms? Also, can you tell me a bit about your recipe, including the ingredients and any flavor oils or colors? Let me know and we’ll get this figured out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi I have a question about flavoring oils.
Last night I made this lip butter and today there’s little white spots on the top.
I purchase this and other flavoring oils 1 year ago almost to the day, when I saw this in the morning I went over and looked at the other oils and some of them are now very thick and the scent has faded.
The flavoring oil I used for this project smells good and doesn’t look like it went bad at all, the question is how long do they stay good for and can I store them in a small fridge to keep them longer?
Also how can you tell when they have gone bad?
Hi Robin!
I saw you posted this question on another post, so just in case I’ll paste my answer here as well. 🙂
Flavor oils technically have an indefinite shelf life. However, after about a year or so, some of the top notes can start to fade a bit. Storing them in a cool, dark place is a great idea – it helps those notes stay present longer. 🙂
Read more about flavoring oils here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
Can you tell me a bit more about your lip scrub, including what ingredients you used? If you used any butters, they can sometimes get grainy and cause those little dots. Let me know and we’ll get it figured out!
And the response:
You’re welcome Robin! We are happy to help.
Thanks so much for that recipe, that really helps. I’m thinking it may be the shea butter. Shea butter can sometimes get little grainy bits. That graininess happens when the butter gets hot and cools down slowly, the fatty acids inside clump together to form the bits. To help prevent this, we recommend tempering the butter. That involves melting the butter to 180F and holding it for 45-60 minutes. Then, cool it rapidly in the fridge. Read more about tempering the butter here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/soaping-in-the-summer-heat/
For your lip scrub now, melting it may cause the sugar inside to melt, so I wouldn’t recommend tempering it. The good news is the little bits of butter are totally fine to use. 🙂
You may also want to ask the manufacturer if it’s OK to temper that butter. It has some extra ingredients, and I’m not exactly sure what would happen to those if they were heated and held for a long period of time.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Great post! I want to try to make my own but I never knew what the proper ratio was.
So glad you like it! Have fun formulating your perfect lip balm. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This post is fantastic, very helpful
You’re welcome, glad you like it! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Great, informative post. Thanks for this.
You’re welcome Odette, so glad you like the post! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I make lip balms all the time. I’m always surprised at how many people use it no matter the season, I myself don’t use it ever. It’s so easy and economical too, I think it costs more to buy the tube than it does to make the balm! I like to use liquid candy flavor oils for my lip balms. They are specifically formulated to be lip and ingestion safe, and they are formulated to withstand high temperatures and not degrade or burn. They come in small vials, for me and what I make that will last for some time vs. buying a 2 oz. bottle. A dash of stevia brings the flavor to life.
Being able to customize lip balm is so fun, and people just love the handmade version! The candy flavors sound like an awesome addition. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Stevia: https://www.brambleberry.com/Stevia-White-bleached-P3853.aspx