This easy lip balm recipe using essential oils only requires 3 natural ingredients and takes little time. You can make your own homemade lip balm in minutes! This is a great homemade gift for the holidays.
You might also like this nourishing face cream using essential oils!
I’ve been meaning to make my own lip balm using essential oils for a long time. With winter around the corner and the fact that my puppy mangled my son’s lip balm into a yellow plastic mess, I decide today is the day.
This easy lip bam recipe was not hard at all. I made them along time ago when my sister and I had an herbal gift shop and turns out it really it is still super duper easy. I made quite a bit of it and will probably never buy lip balm for the rest of my life!
This is a nice craft to make with others. You can make the homemade beeswax lip balm in little tins and then decorate them anyway you want. They are also a nice little gift to give others over the holiday season.
DIY lip balm ingredients I used.
I only used 3 simple ingredients to make this homemade lip balm recipe: beeswax, coconut oil and pure essential oils. Note there are other things like cocoa butter, shea butter, honey and vitamin E as well as healing herb extracts you can add but this is just a quick and basic recipe.
Below are the brands that I used. Below are the brands that I used.
- Plant Therapy kit of essential oils – I’ve been using this brand for a long time and I love them. I know they are quality pure essential oils and their blends are great. Check out their Plant Therapy store on Amazon for all of their wonderful products.
- Beesworks Beeswax beads – This brand worked great for me. I prefer the look of yellow beeswax as opposed to white but it makes not difference to the consistency.
- Coconut Oil: You can pretty much buy coconut oil anywhere. I buy it at Aldi for convenience or at Costco.
Lip balm containers and washi tape I used.
I used two kinds of containers today. The slide top tin containers and small round tins.
You can use anything you want to put this lip balm in. You can even recycle old Altoids mint tins or lip balm tubes. It’s up to you. These tin containers with lids are pretty inexpensive though and I enjoyed decorating them with washi tape.
I think I’m in love with washi tape. It comes in so many beautiful patterns and colors. I bought quite a few of them at JoAnn Fabrics as you can see below. They are perfect for decorating the sliding tins. I have my eye on this Christmas washi tape set for my Christmas presents.
How to make this easy lip balm recipe!
Step 1: The first thing you want to do is put a few spoons (2 or 3) in the freezer for testing. Just trust me and put them in the freezer about 10 minutes before you get started.
Step 2: Add coconut oil to a pyrex measuring cup and pour the beeswax pellets on top. A pyrex cup works great because it’s glass and it has a spout. Some people use a double boiler but this is much easier in my opinion.
Step 3: Heat up in the microwave for about 90 seconds. That’s how long it took for me. Just check every 30 seconds or and mix until it’s all liquid.
Step 4: Take out your frozen spoons to test the consistency. When you dip the spoon in the melted liquid it will harden immediately. If it’s the consistency you like for your lip balm you are done and you can move on to the essential oils.
If you want it harder add a bit more beeswax beads and heat up in the microwave for a few more seconds to melt them. If you want it softer add a bit more coconut oil and heat some more if necessary. That’s why I said freeze a few spoons so you can keep testing the consistency.
Step 5: Now just add your favorite essential oil, mix and pour beeswax mixture into lip balm tubes or containers. It doesn’t take long for the finished lip balm to harden so in about an hour they will be finished!
You can use these on both your lips and dry patches of skin. I like to use it on my cuticles in the winter. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
Which essential oils to use in lip balm.
First thing I’d like to note is that you should use pure essential oils and not fragrance oils. Use a trusted brand and make sure it comes from a plant not a factory.
I am a fan of the Plant Therapy store on Amazon. I just bought a kit and many singles.
Today I used their lemon and peppermint essential oils in my lip balm but the peppermint oil really overpowered the lemon. I knew my son and husband would prefer peppermint so that is why I used it.
Some other good essential oils that are safe to use in lip balm are: lavender, sweet orange, clove (use very little as it’s warming and strong), tea tree oil (use very little as it’s strong), spearmint, mandarin, lime and of course peppermint and lemon.
Some notes and tips about making these lip balms.
- I found my cool containers on Amazon and at the time I bought them they were only $8.43 for 5 containers. In addition I have also refilled an old lip balm container as well as a few small plastic pots from the dollar store.
- I decorated them with washi tape because I just happened to have some on hand. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to add a little flair.
- The beeswax beads were from Amazon too. The beads come in white and yellow and it makes no difference which you pick though I like the yellow personally.
- Make sure you are using pure essential oils and not fragrance oils. As mentioned above I like the Plant Therapy store on Amazon.
- This is a very easy and basic lip balm recipe. If you want to make a big batch of lip balm and give it away I would suggest you use vitamin E oil to preserve your lip balm. Add it at the end when you add the essential oils. You don’t want to heat it directly. (source)
- I used fractionated coconut oil in the first batch and regular coconut oil in the second batch. You can also use a number of carrier oils like sweet almond oil, jojoba oil or even good olive oil but I thought coconut oil would be pretty common these days (you can buy it in most grocery stores) so that is now my go to oil.
You can also use this on dry skin in the winter or even the cuticles and skin around your fingernails. Hope you get a chance to make this easy lip balm recipe using essential oils and you have as much fun as I did.
By the way sister made some lip balm on her beautiful blog and gave them as Christmas presents last year (check them out here).
Easy Lip Balm Recipe Using Essential Oils
A quick and easy recipe to make your own homemade beeswax lip balm with essential oils. Only 3 ingredients and you can make this in minutes. Fun to do with kids too! Use it on your lips or even chapped skin.
Materials
- ½ ounce beeswax beads
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 20 drops essential oil ( use pure essential oils and not fragrance oils)
Tools
- glass pyrex measuring cup
- 3 spoons
Instructions
- Put a couple spoons in the freezer before starting.
- Add your coconut oil to a glass measuring cup or a container with a spout and preferably made of glass.
- Add your beeswax beads starting with a ½ oz.
- Microwave in 30 second intervals and mix in-between until the beeswax is melted. The time will vary depending on your microwave, the amount you are making and the carrier oil you use. Mine took 90 seconds.
- Mix well until all the beeswax is melted.
- Pull out a spoon from the freezer and dip into the mixture. Test the consistency and if it's to your liking it's ready. You canl add more if you want beeswax if you the consistency to be harder. Or you can add more coconut oil to make it softer. The spoons will help you find the consistency you like.
- Add the drops of essentials oils and mix well.
- Pour into containers and let cool and harden.
- NOTE: This recipe makes roughly 3.5 liquid oz.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- I found my cool containers on Amazon and at the time I bought them they were only $8.43 for 5 containers. In addition I have also refilled an old lip balm container as well as a few small plastic pots from the dollar store.
- I decorated them with washi tape because I just happened to have some on hand. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to add a little flair.
- The beeswax beads were from Amazon too. The beads come in white and yellow and it makes no difference which you pick though I like the yellow personally.
- Make sure you are using pure essential oils and not fragrance oils. As mentioned above I like the Plant Therapy store on Amazon.
- This is a very easy and basic lip balm recipe. If you want to make a big batch and give it away I would suggest you use vitamin E to preserve your lip balm. Add it at the end when you add the essential oils. You don’t want to heat it directly. (source)
- I used fractionated coconut oil in the first batch and regular coconut oil in the second batch. You can also use a number of carrier oils but I thought coconut oil would be pretty common these days (you can buy it in most grocery stores) so that is now my go to oil.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
MagnaKoys Empty Slide Top Tin Containers for Lip Balm, Crafts, Storage Kit 25 Oz (Pack of 5) -
Christmas Washi Tapes 48 Rolls-15mm Wide Masking Tape Set Covering Different Christmas Holiday Patterns for DIY Christmas Card, Tree Decoration, Scrapbooking, Gift Packaging, Craft Projects.
-
Beesworks Beeswax Pellets, Yellow, 1lb-Cosmetic Grade-Triple Filtered Beeswax.
-
Plant Therapy Spring Cleaning Essential Oil Set. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade. Contains: Tea Tree, Lavender, Lemon, Citrus Burst, Germ Fighter and Peppermint. 10 mL (⅓ Ounce) each.
-
Tosnail 48 Pack of .5 oz. Mini Round Tins Lip Balm Tins Container with Screw Thread Lid
-
Nutiva Organic, Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil, 15 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
shruti says
Hi whats the shelf life of this with and without vitamin e. Thanks
Denise says
Hi Shruti, I’m sorry but I’ve been scouring the internet and cannot find a definite answer to this. Many say that since it this lip balm does not contain water it will last longer with our without the vitamin E. I personally think the without the vitamin E you should be fine for 6 months but again I’m not 100% sure. Sorry I’m not much help.
Michelle says
Just curious about your note that says use only essential oils and no fragrance oils? I know not all fragrance oils are safe to use on lips, but what if you use one that is? Thanks!
Denise says
I’ve always been told to use pure essential oils but I really don’t know about safe fragrance oils. Sorry I’m not much help.
Barbara says
I’m new to using essential oils and love your recipes! If I want to preserve face cream or lip balm with vitamin E, can I use essential oil?
Thank you
Denise says
As far as I know, yes you can and I have definitely done that. Hope you like it!
Laurel says
I was extremely impressed with this recipe. In reading through all of the comments, I saw where I could use Shea Butter instead of coconut oil, I plan to try using that instead. It seems that I could also use just about any essential oil for a scent as long as it wouldn’t taste funny. I have been a long time user of Bert’s Bees and am anxious to make my own.
Thanks for providing this recipe. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Denise says
Hi Laurel, hope you like it!
NC says
Would the phytotoxicity of lemon and/or orange EO be an issue?
Denise says
Hi, I am not sure about that to be honest and if you have a concern I would suggest not using the essential oils.
Darlene ONeil says
Can you put the lip balm in 1 oz containers? If I did how many do you think I would get? Can I change up the essential oils like use lavender and lemon or even some orange?
Denise says
Hi Darlene, yes you can put the lip balm in any size container that you want. The ones I used were 0.25oz so I think you might get 2 – 1oz containers filled? Though I am not sure because I made these years ago.
And yes you can use lavender or lemon or even orange… as long as you are not allergic to any of these oils. Good luck!
Darlene ONeil says
How many of those small tin containers did u fill with one batch of lip balm?
Denise says
Hi Darlene, I’m sorry but I don’t remember exactly as I made this a long time ago. In the notes I mention that I made 5 containers plus I filled an old lip balm container and used a few containers from the dollar store. So I’m guessing you can get 8-10 of the small tins. Each of those tins are 0.25oz. Hope that helps!
Tam says
I use beeswax coconut oil and shea butter works great. My boyfriend doesn’t like fragrance so I make them plain.
Denise says
Hi Tam, thanks for sharing your tips!
Kyle says
Should you wait until the melted ingredients are a certain temperature before adding the oils to prevent them from burning off?
Denise says
No the wax will not be boiling so it won’t burn off. Hope that helps!
Renee says
Hi there,
Which did you find worked better? The fractionated coconut oil or the normal coconut oil?
Thanks in advance:)
Denise says
Hi Renee,
I have not used the fractionated coconut oil but I don’t know why it would’t work. The beeswax is what gives it the hardness, not the coconut oil. So if you want to use it go ahead and try it. You may need a bit more beeswax so keep a bit on hand. Hope it works out for you!
Kaitlynn says
Can I use flavoring oil instead of pure essential oils? Sorta like you would for a lip scrub.
Denise says
I’m not sure what that is Kaitlynn but if you use it for a lip scrub I can’t see why not. Sorry I’m not of more help.
Michelle says
Hi, i was wondering, can i use organic shea butter instead of coconut oil?
Denise says
H Michelle,
I’m sorry but I have never used shea butter before so I’m not sure. I think it’s worth a try though.
Sorry I’m not much help.
Good luck!
Sarah says
How do you add the vitamin E to the lip balm?
Denise says
Hi Sarah, I did not use vitamin E in my recipe because I knew I would be using them quickly. However you might be able to buy Vitamin E oil in a drugstore or you can open a vitamin E capsule and squeeze into the mixture. I would add it when you add the essential oils. You would want to use about 5-6 small Vitamin E capsules for this large recipe. Hope that helps!
Nichole LaPado says
What makes the lip balm harder; more or less beeswax?
Denise says
Hi Nicole,
The beeswax is what makes it harder. Hope that helps!
Jenny says
I am a lip balm junkie that needs to start feeding my own habit. I’ve seen so many other recipes that are more complicated. This seems so easy. Thanks for sharing!
[email protected] says
Thanks Jenny! It doesn’t have any preservatives but I use it a lot everyday. You can add a vitamin E capsule as a preservative by the way. Hope you like it!
Stella Lee@ Purfylle says
I too have been meaning to make my own lip balm for a long time. I’m not sure I will ever get around to it, but it’s nice to know I can use your recipe.
[email protected] says
Let me tell you it is super easy. Once you make it you will never buy another lip balm again.
Angie says
How many did this make?
[email protected] says
This is an estimate. My apologies for not being more precise. My last batch made 5 1/4oz tins and about 1/4 cup leftover. Hope that helps!