I love lip balm. A little too much. I buy new kinds all the time, and discover hoards of half-used tubes in my purses, bathroom drawers and car. Needless to say, I am ecstatic at having just made my very own with natural ingredients and pure essential oils that I already have stocked in my house. I love peppermint + rose! Especially with the hot and dry summer months already here, it's such a refreshing combo that will always be in my bag.
You'll need:
1.25 ounces beeswax
1 Tb shea butter
3 Tb coconut oil
2 Tb almond oil
1 Tb jojoba oil (optional)
2 Tb rose water
10 drops peppermint essential oil*
3 drops Joy essential oil (optional! I added it to up the floral ante a bit. It's a wonderful blend with a little bit of rose in there)
5 1-ounce containers to fill
*I use essential oils from Young Living because they are 100% pure therapeutic grade. Make sure you have quality essential oils, as many store-bought oils are perfume grade and can be harmful if ingested! Many are even labeled 100% pure, as FDA requirements allow that sort of labeling even if they are only 10%, which many are. You can definitely tell the difference! I've used up almost whole bottles of lower grade oils when making candles and skin products in the past and their scents were very faint and didn't have the same health benefits as I've experienced with Young Living. Moving on...
First, chop up your beeswax like you would baker's chocolate. I've grated it before and it was the biggest pain getting all the wax out! Next, melt it down in a double boiler. I used a little metal milk pitcher in a medium sized pot of boiling water. Then add your shea butter and stir until it's melted down as well. Turn off heat and add all your oils and rose water to the mix. You're going to have to work fast at this point, stirring rapidly so the wax doesn't harden with the addition of cooler oils. Have your clean containers ready, and pour your mixture directly into each container quickly and carefully (I had to use an oven mitt to grab my mixture out.) After you've finished pouring, return the pitcher or bowl to the hot water to break up remaining wax inside so it's easier to wash. Voila! You have a stash of deliciously moisturizing lip balm. They make great little gifts too!
Both peppermint and joy come in the Premium Starter Kit I got from Young Living. This was absolutely the most valuable purchase I've made in a while. So many great oils + a diffuser and some other goodies for over half the price it retails for! If you want the best value, I HIGHLY recommend this kit. You can sign up for free as a wholesale member to save 24% off every single purchase too!