Maya's Shea & Cocoa Butter Lip Balm Recipe

Over the Christmas break I had the joy of formulating with my daughter Maya. We created an organic lotion, a natural perfume, and organic Shea & cocoa butter lip balm. As promised I will share the recipe!

The winter months can do a number on our skin, lips, and hair. Nourishing lip balms, lotions, balm bars, and conditioners can help our skin, lips, and hair attract and hold water. Nourishing oils, waxes, and butters can help support our skin's barrier function and reduce trans epidermal water loss (TEWL).

My daughter is studying biology, works in a plant lab, loves to cook, sew, paint, draw, and create, and has become increasingly curious about formulating skin, hair, and body care products.

Salves, balms, and butters are a great place to start formulating. They are typically "one pot" creations and do NOT require preservation (unlike water containing products and emulsions).

Basically you add oils, butters, and beeswax to a glass measuring cup or beaker and heat over a double boiler, cool for a bit, add essential oils and/or flavor oils, and pour into your lip balm tubes.

For a double boiler or water bath I either fill a pan, pot, or metal bowl with water and place my beaker or glass measuring cup into the water. Or you could use a metal bowl set on top of a pan of water. I like using the beaker or measuring glass because we are making a small volume and it's easier to pour from a beaker or measuring cup. I suppose you could even melt the ingredients in a glass container in a microwave in short bursts if you can't manage a double boiler set up.

The recipe below offers shea butter and cocoa butter along with sunflower oil to moisturize and protect the lips. The combination of peppermint essential oil and chocolate flavor oil is fun and yummy. If you don't have chocolate flavor oil you can substitute orange essential oil or your favorite flavor oil -- just make sure it is lip safe!

Let's get to formulating...

Mint Chocolate Lip Balm Recipe

What You'll Need:

water bath set up or double boiler

sanitized beaker or glass measuring cup

70% isopropyl for sanitizing

20 - 24 lip balm tubes

Lip balm rack (optional)

28 g (1 oz) beeswax

28 g (1 oz) shea butter

17 g (0.6 oz) jojoba oil

11g (0.4 oz) cocoa butter

28 g (1 oz) sunflower oil

1.9 mls or 48 drops peppermint essential oil

2.7 mls or 72 drops of chocolate flavor oil (or other lip safe flavor or essential oil)

1. Sanitize the beaker or measuring cup and any scrapers or tools by spraying or soaking in isopropyl alcohol. 2. Add the oils, waxes and butters to a heat proof glass container.

3. Heat in a water bath set up until melted and combined.

4. Cool slightly for 5 minutes and add essential oils or flavor oils

6. Pour mixture into lip balm tubes.

7. Allow to harden and cap

8. Enjoy your lip balm!

If you have questions feel free to contact me or add your questions to the comments.

Aromatic blessings my friends,

Tricia