DIY Beeswax Lip Balm
Anna Ackerman, Contributor
Bluegrass Greensource Blog

When my family harvested our honey, we saved the wax caps. After squeezing as much honey as we could from the wax caps, we put them in a tiny crock pot we use to melt beeswax. It didn’t take long for the wax to liquefy. (A warning- wax is flammable, never leave it unattended.) We poured the hot wax through a clean piece of cheesecloth stretched over a container to strain out the impurities. This process is called rendering and gets the wax ready to be used for other products- like lip balm!

To make our lip balm we used three ingredients: beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil. Before we started, my sister and I had to prep the beeswax by shaving it down and breaking it into tiny chunks, which would make it easier to melt. We laid a clean towel on the counter, and positioned the empty tins in rows.

After doing this, we took a measuring spoon and scooped two tablespoons each of coconut oil and shea butter and one tablespoon of beeswax chunks into a glass bowl. We melted this in the microwave, taking it out every minute or so to stir. When it was thoroughly combined, we added peppermint extract. We started out with thirty drops, but if that did not seem strong enough, we slowly added more in small increments.

As a test run, my sister and I put some hot liquid lip balm on wax paper and allowed it to cool until it hardened. Once it was firm, we applied it to our lips. If the lip balm melted, it was ready to be put into the tins. The lip balm will melt from the heat of your skin because the coconut oil has a low melting point.

We were able to fill about four two ounce tins with this amount. We repeated this process until all our tins were filled.

Ingredients:

  • 1 part Beeswax
  • 2 parts Unrefined Organic Shea Butter
  • 2 parts Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil
  • 30 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil (For minty lip balm- it can be traded out for different scents)

Materials:

  • 24-two ounce empty tins
  • Microwavable bowl (glass)
  • Towel
  • Two spoons
  • 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon
  • Metal grater
  • Microwave