Creating lip products is a great project for beginners and more experienced crafters alike. The best thing about making your own lip products is the ability to customize everything from the texture, color and moisture. With a wide range of ingredient options, creating the perfect lip balm, lip stick or lip scrub is easy and fun!
Experimenting with lip balm color! This later became the Beautiful Bronze Lip Tint.
If you have never made lip balm before, a great place to start is by using a pre-made base. Both the Lip Balm Base and the Nourish Lip Balm Base are created with hydrating Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Avocado Oil. The difference between the two, is the Nourish Lip Balm Base contains Candelilla Wax, while the Lip Balm Base contains Beeswax.
Candelilla wax is derived from the leaves of the Candelilla shrub which grows in the southwestern United States. Softer than beeswax, Candelilla Wax is perfect for creating soft creamy lip products. If you prefer a harder product, you may prefer the Lip Balm Base which contains beeswax. If using vegan products is important to you, the Nourish Lip Balm Base is a great option.
Both bases are easy to customize by adding additional oils, butters, lip flavors and color. Simply melt down the base, add any additional ingredients and pour! If you’re looking for recipes using lip balm bases, check out the tutorials below!
Top (left to right): Beautiful Bronze Lip Tint, Domino Lip Balm Base
Bottom (left to right): Mint Candy Lip Balm, Holiday Crimson Lip Balm
If you prefer to create your lip balm from scratch, there are a wide variety of oil and butter options. The best lip products contain a mixture of hard and soft oils. When formulating your recipe, The Spoon Trick makes it easy to find the perfect texture before the entire batch of lip product hardens. Simply dip a cold spoon into your melted oils, allow it to quickly harden and voila! You can test your product right away. The Spoon Trick also comes in handy when finding the right hue.
Looking for some lip product tutorials from scratch? Check out the projects below!
Top (left to right): Vanilla Latte Lip Balm, Winter Lip Balm Recipe
Bottom (left to right): Honey Kisses Sheer Lipstick, Chocolate Lip Balms with Cocoa Powder
Want to see some lip product making in action? Below are two Soap Queen TV videos that are sure to inspire. First, learn how to make your own Radiant Red Lipstick with three different color options. If you prefer a more natural lip look, the How to Make Infused Lip Balm video shows you how to create a sheer lip product.
Now that your lip products have been made, it’s time to clean up! Washing waxy, oily containers can be a pain. While hot water and dish soap work well, if you’d like to use up left over colorants in the container, the How to Clean Oily Containers Soap Queen TV video below shows you a quick trick for cleaning your lip balm cups.
Want to learn even more about making lip products? The posts below are here to help!
Labeling Your Products: Lip Balm
Sunday Night Spotlight: Flavoring Oils
Talk it Out Tuesday: Lip Balm
What is are some of your favorite lip balm ingredients? I love using Castor Oil for additional shine!
can soy wax be use in lip balm instead of bees wax?
Yes, you can use soy wax. Because the soy wax is softer than beeswax, the balm will be softer as well. I’d recommend a small test batch to see what you think. If it’s too soft for you, you can add beeswax or more hard oils like coconut and cocoa butter.
Hi! I made Vanilla Latte lip balm (http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/vanilla-latte-lip-balm/) with a little bit of beeswax, about 10 drops of vanilla essential oil in jojoba oil, and some liquid stevia extract.
My problem is that after a couple of weeks my balm developed weird, almost mold-looking texture – circular raised bumps. I used a heat gun to melt the lip balms again, but the spots are re-appearing. The balm smells and feels fine but this texture is really off-putting. Additionally, the sweetness of stevia is now a tad bitter – did I use too much? Help!
Hi Elena!
The texture of the balm, does it have any discoloration? Or is it the same color as the balm, just bumpy? If so, I think the butter may be grainy. If cocoa butter cools down too slowly, it can form grains. To prevent that, we recommend tempering the butter. That involves heating and holding it at 100F. Read more about how to temper butter here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/soaping-in-the-summer-heat/
Also, how much stevia did you add to your balm? Let me know and I’ll help you troubleshoot. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you for your response! I love how this balm feels but the mold-looking texture is a little terrifying.
The bumps are raised and appear a little lighter than the rest of the balm. I can send you guys a photo.
Even if this is cocoa butter cooling too slowly, I presume this batch that I made can not be helped?
I added 50 drops of stevia.
A picture would be so helpful! Can you message that to us on our Bramble Berry Facebook page? Thank you Elena. 🙂
Bramble Berry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I wanted to leave a comment on this page: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/ but it wouldn’t let me. :/ I have read a lot about flavor oils and stevia and other natural options. I am having trouble finding much on using honey in lip balm. I like the idea as it is such a great humectant. During the winter, when my lips are at their worst, I love to put some honey on before bed and when I wake up my lips are slightly sweet and not too dry. I want to harness this in lip balm but don’t know if I need a preservative, how much, would it separate out? Any resources or tips would be much appreciated!
Hi Cindy!
Honey is such an awesome product for the skin! It can be tricky to incorporate in lip balm. Honey is water soluble, so it doesn’t mix in well with the wax, oil and butter in balms. We’ve tried a couple different ways to get it to mix in and haven’t had a lot of luck! You may want to see if someone on teachsoap.com/forum has a good option for honey lip balm. 🙂
If you want a lovely honey scent, you can use our Honey Kisses Flavor Oil at 1-3%! To add a little sweetness to the balm, you can add Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil at 1-3% as well!
Honey Kisses Flavor Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Honey-Kisses-Flavoring-Oil-P5512.aspx
Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Smacking-Sweet-Flavor-Oil-P4679.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have use Honey powder with some fairly good results, use it sparingly and mix it with oil before adding it to the wax.
Are your herbs & botanicals safe for lip coloring?
Hi Tanya!
I have talked to our vendors about several natural colorants for lip balm, including madder root and alkanet powder. Those colors are not recommend for use in lip products, so in general we don’t recommend natural colors. However, if you’d like to know about a specific color we carry, you can email MSDS (at) brambleberry (dot) com to find out for sure! 🙂
You can find all our lip safe colors here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Safe-Micas-Colorants-W37.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks, Kelsey!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Can you tell me if the daisy lip butter pots that Bramble Berry sells are food safe? I’m curious to know if any harmful chemicals are going to leach out of the plastic when I pour in my warm/hot balm. Thanks!
Hi Amanda!
We use our Daisy Lip Butter Pots all the time with great results! We often pour balm into them and haven’t noticed anything leaking into them. We don’t recommend using them for food. Our products are processed in a warehouse that is not set up for food safety. We recommend using our products only for cosmetics like lip balm. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I recently bought white beeswax. I really like the quality of this beeswax, but I’m wondering if I should have bought a yellow instead? My friend made me a lip balm and I absolutely loved it. I followed her recipe exactly except she used yellow beeswax. Her lip balm seemed softer and more spreadable. The recipe is below. Does anyone know of a variation / how much to make this softer / more spreadable with a white beeswax? Or maybe I should use something instead of coconut oil….
Recipe: mix 4 tablespoons of shaved beeswax, 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, a little squirt of vitamin E oil, and five drops of lemon essential oil and five drops of lavender essential oil
Hi Carrei!
Yellow and white beeswax do have similar textures. The main difference is the color. Also, yellow beeswax has a more natural smoky smell. So, white or yellow beeswax should work just fine!
There are several things you can do to get a soft and spreadable lip balm. You can add a butter, like shea butter, to help it get that feeling you’re looking for. You can also add a moisturizing oil, like avocado oil. They would both feel great. 🙂
Shea butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Shea-Butter-P3220.aspx
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
You can also use candelilla wax. It’s actually my favorite wax to use in balm! It’s a bit softer than beeswax, so it makes your balm a bit softer and more spreadable. You can do a mix of beeswax and candelilla wax, or just use the candelilla wax. A small test batch would be really helpful so you can see what you think. 🙂
Candelilla wax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Candelilla-Wax-P4207.aspx
Learn more about formulating lip balm recipes here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/how-to-create-lip-product-recipes/
Also, I wouldn’t recommend using Lemon Essential Oil in balms. It is a photosensitizer and can make you sensitive to the sun. See the lip safe essential oils you can use in this post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
Hope that helps! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi
I need help I’m a beginner and a young entrepreneur, I am looking for the perfect recipe but I can’t find any that are easy and yes I do know bramble berry can help but I need to get some Shea butter before Friday.
Does bramble berry deliver that fast.?
Hi Dezy!
We are happy to help! How long it takes your package to arrive depends on our processing time and the shipment time. I’d love to give you an estimate! Where are you located?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Dear Soapqueen! I need your help with my lip balms. About 3-4 weeks after being made, my lip balms become grainy! I tried freezing the balm after pouring while it is still hot, however still I get grains. Melting down the balm helps but only for another few weeks. I usually use beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, virgin coconut butter and liquid oils such as almond oil, olive oil, etc to name a few of the regular ingredients in my balms. Please help me solve this annoying little problem. Thank you so much!
Hi Tatiana!
I think the shea butter is the culprit! If shea butter gets too hot too quickly, it can get a grainy feeling.
To prevent that, heat all your other ingredients up. Then, remove from the heat and add the shea butter. That heats it up gently, preventing the grains.
You can also temper that butter! To do so, melt it fully, pour into a mold and then freeze it. When the butter is completely cool, remove it and store it in a cool, dark place. That helps prevent grains too. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Sunday Night Spotlight: Shea Butter: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-shea-butter/
Dear Kelsey, thank you so much for your answer, I will try that!!!
You’re welcome! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I also use cocoa and shea in my lip balms and I am having the same problem. I also get fat bloom and sometimes grains. Would melting the butter, freezing it and then storing in a cool dark place work for all butters? I want to continue using both of these butters because the balm is so amazing. Should I still allow the butters to gently melt after using this method? Maybe the beeswax is too hot when I put the butters in it? Also, would the other method of heating cocoa butter over 45 minutes and letting it cool for 10 minutes be useful for all butters as well? What about masterbatching the entire balm recipe (minus the FO and colors)? Sorry for having so many questions but I really need help with this too : (
Hi Connie!
The tempering method works for all butters, including cocoa butter! You can also heat it slowly for 45 minutes, then let it cool for 10. Both methods help prevent those grains. 🙂
To be on the extra safe side, I would recommend tempering your cocoa butter. Then, when you’re making your balm, melt the other oils and waxes together and remove from the heat. Take the temperature – if it’s hotter than 130F, don’t add that butter in. Adding that butter at 130F or cooler ensures it won’t get too hot.
As for masterbatching, you may want to heat the entire mixture (including tempered butter) over a double boiler or in a microwave on a low setting with short bursts. That will keep the temperatures low overall. Make sure to stir often as well!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you so much, Kelsey! Your suggestions have given me much to try and I know some combination of them will work! I couldn’t reply in the appropriate section so I replied here….hope its not disruptive.
You’re welcome Connie! Also, feel free to ask questions here. I am more than happy to help. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I started making lip balm recently and am still trying to find a formula that I like that doesn’t make my lips swell and get bumpy around the edges. I know it’s an allergic reaction because Benadryl takes care of my symptoms. I first tried a Burt’s Bees recipe and I looked like I had had a bad botox injection! I had read that lanolin can cause swelling of lips so my second batch didn’t include the lanolin. I still reacted but not as quickly or severely. When I made the third batch I left out the essential oils and used beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil and vitamin E. I didn’t use it long enough to see if I would have a reaction because the bees wax stinks and I couldn’t stand it even though I did like the cocoa butter/coconut oil combination. I’ve ordered an odorless soy wax and will play with that. Right now my go to store bought choice is Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness. Wish me luck!
Hi Kyle Anne!
Good luck on your lip balm quest! One of the awesome things about making your own products is choosing all the ingredients that go into them. That way you can find something that works for you and doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. 🙂
You may like our Radiant Red Lipstick recipe. It has castor oil, jojoba oil, EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax and candelilla wax. The colorant and flavor oil are optional, you can definitely leave those out!
Radiant Red Lipstick Trio: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/learn-how-to-make-radiant-red-lipstick/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi there,
I need help! I have made some homemade lip balm which I am not fond of and I would like to try something different. My recipe was:
20g Beeswax
20g coconut oil
45g sunflower seed oil
8 drops vitamin
Eucalyptus Oil
Pea sized drop Lanolin
Here’s the issues: I love Burt’s Bees texture and mine is much waxier. Also, I HATE the smell of the beeswax and coconut- but I cant stop smelling it; weird!
I would like to try another couple of batches with varied ingredients using candelilla wax or soy but I am not sure of a recipe that would give me the consistency to pour in a tube without the waxy feel. I have been obsessing over the internet researching lip gloss and there is SOOOOO much information and I am overwhelmed and not sure where to go from here. I have though about using cocoa butter but am concerned on the smell as well and don’t want to get odourless. I would like to flavour 2 batches, one with vanilla and one with grapefruit. I have sunflower seed oil and almond oil so I don’t want to go buy more oils…HELP!!!
Is there a wax to oil ratio that would give me a lip balm tube consistency similar to Burt’s Bee’s? …and is coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter considered an oil even though they are solid at room temperature? Is it the wax that makes it hard or is it the wax in combination with the solid oils that creates the solid? Can I just use wax and oils? OMG going brain crazy!
Oh also, can you give me directions in teaspoons and tablespoons please. Looking to try out small test batches.
Hi Jennifer!
Formulating lip balm recipes is a lot of fun! It can take a bit of testing to get the perfect texture for you.
I haven’t used Burt’s Bees recently, but from what I remember the texture is rather firm. That firm texture comes from beeswax. If you don’t like the smell of natural beeswax, you can use white beeswax. It has been bleached and doesn’t have an odor.
White beeswax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Beeswax-White-P4211.aspx
Candelilla and soy waxes will make that balm a bit softer. To add some firmness, you can use coconut oil or shea butter. Also, coconut oil is considered an oil. Because it’s solid at room temperature, we call it a “hard oil.” 🙂
Coconut oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Coconut-Oil-P3196.aspx
Shea butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Shea-Butter-P3220.aspx
When it comes to finding the perfect texture for you, I would recommend the cold spoon trick. While you’re making your lip balm, pop a spoon in the freezer. Then, dip that spoon into your hot balm mixture. It will firm up and allow you to feel the final texture.
The Spoon Trick: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/spoon-trick/
We have some awesome lip balm recipes you may like. The Honey Kisses Sheer Lipstick Tutorial has several different types of waxes, which create a firm yet spreadable texture. The Chocolate Lip Balms Tutorial has shea butter and beeswax for a firm texture that’s not too waxy. Sunflower seed and sweet almond oil would work great in those recipes in place of avocado oil.
Honey Kisses Sheer Lipstick: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/honey-kisses-sheer-lipstick-tutorial/
Chocolate Lip Balms: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/chocolate-lip-balms-with-cocoa-powder-2/
We have a great video on making lip balm from scratch that can help you get your perfect recipes. You can find that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POk2SGjmBRY
Also, we have a lot of great flavor oils to add some scent to your balms. You can find out more about them in the Sunday Night Spotlight: Flavoring Oils post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
Hope that helps! If you have any other questions let me know. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! I’ve been making lip balm for a long time now thanks to Bramble Berry, but just now had a problem with one of my batches. The flavor oil I used (not from BB) sank to the bottom of my balm tubes before the balm hardened, and then started leaking out the bottom of the tubes. Do you know of any way to prevent this, or is my flavor oil just too heavy?
Hi Alison!
It sounds like that flavor oil may not be mixing in well. You may want to contact the manufacturer to find out more.
I would recommend using our flavor oils, which have been thoroughly tested and work great in lip balms. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Flavor oils: https://www.brambleberry.com/Flavoring-Oils-C177.aspx
Hi! I have a quick question: I have a recipe that calls for soy wax, but I only have candelilla wax, would you do a straight substitute, or should I use less? Thank you! Love this blog!
Hi Rachel!
Candelilla wax is a little harder than soy wax, so I wouldn’t recommend a straight substitute. You may want to add a little less, or increase your oil amounts.
Making a small test batch may be helpful as well. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love making lip balm for my family, (a favorite with my kids is the chocolate lip balm with cocoa powder)but dislike when it gets grainy. I’ve read about having to temper shea butter, cocoa butter, and mango butter. Would that help prevent the graininess? If so how does one temper butters?
Hi Marleny!
Butters can get gritty if they’re heated up too much.
Here’s a trick that works well for us: combine all your other ingredients except your butter and heat them up. When they are melted, pull the container off the heat and add your butter.
This ensures that they melt slowly and gently and prevent graininess. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’ve always heard that candelilla is harder than beeswax, and in my experience that seems to be the case. It definitely has a higher melting point! Would like to hear more on beeswax vs candelilla wax, as I always have a hard time using candelilla wax. I feel like it makes my products gritty and hard but I know some people use it with great results.
Hi Andrea!
Candelilla Wax does have a high melting point, so it can take awhile to liquefy.
What else are you using in your lip balm recipe? Candelilla Wax can cause gritiness if it’s not melted all the way. However, that gritiness can also be caused by overheated butters.
Let me know and we’ll get this figured out! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry