It goes without saying that we live in a dry climate in Arizona, and living here requires us to take extra care to protect ourselves from the elements. On top of feeling the effects of the sun on our skin, we can also experience it on our lips. In fact, your lips are the first exposed area to show signs of drying out. If you want protect your lips AND save money, it’s surprisingly simple to whip up a batch of your own balm. Here are some recipes for lip balm you can make at home:
Coconut-Beeswax Balm
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon beeswax pastilles (or 2 Tablespoons if making in lip chap containers)
- 1 tablespoon Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter
Directions
- Place a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water in it over medium-low heat, and heat until the water is steaming and simmering.
- Melt all ingredients in a glass jar sitting in the water and stir gently until melted (be careful not to get any water into the mixture).
- When melted, carefully stir in any desired colors or essential oils A favorite is lemon and vanilla for scent and a little red coloring or cocoa powder for color. A couple drops of peppermint will make it similar to Burt’s Bees Lip Chap.
- Once colors/scents are mixed in, use a dropper to transfer to tins or lip chap containers. Let cool.
Mint Chocolate Lip Balm
If you want to try something a little sweeter and more interesting, combine these ingredients and use the same process as above:
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure almond oil
- 1 teaspoon cocoa butter
- 3-4 drops pure vitamin E oil
- 1-2 drops pure peppermint extract
- 3-4 semisweet chocolate chips
You can use different oils for their individual qualities. Many have antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are good for your skin. You can do an infused oil with herbs such as calendula and use that for your base oil. You can add essential oils like tea tree or lavender to make a healing ointment that’s great for use on scrapes and bug bites. You can also add a few drops of cinnamon or ginger essential oils that increase circulation and can make your lips appear more plump, but don’t use too much because they can also irritate your lips.