Our Best Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe - BeeswaxCo.com (2024)

We’re thrilled that pure beeswax products like beeswax lip balm have taken off. Unlike popular lip balms that include chemicals and engineered waxes like paraffin, beeswax lip balm nourishes, protects, and enhances your lips the way Mother Nature intended. What’s not to love?

If you’re looking to make a batch yourself, have we got a beeswax lip balm recipe for you! Our full recipe appears below, but here’s a sneak peek. To make our beeswax lip balm recipe, you simply need:

• Pure beeswax
• Carrier oils, like coconut and/or almond oil
• Vitamin E oil
• Peppermint essential oil (optional)

How does it compare to Burt’s Bees Lip Balm?

When The Beeswax Co. first started out, our sole business was candles. Burt’s Bees was at the forefront of changing the game when it comes to consumers actively seeking out and preferring beeswax in cosmetics and beauty products. Our wholesale bulk beeswax business has exploded in popularity thanks, in part, to this trend.

Burt’s Bees makes some great products—and we can thank them for bringing the virtues to beeswax to consumers’ attention—but, as the brand’s popularity grew, so did its ingredient list. Clorox purchased the company in 2007. Leading up to and after the sale, the “buzz” in the beeswax world is that to be sold on a mass scale, the ingredients needed to be manufactured cheaper and be more shelf stable. Its famous Burt’s Bees Lip Balm with just a hint of peppermint oil now includes filler ingredients like soybean oil, canola oil, and lanolin.

But if you long for the original Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, long no more! We think our beeswax lip balm recipe is a great substitute. What’s more, it makes a terrific DIY holiday stocking stuffer for your friends and family, too.

To that end, we revisited the beeswax lip balm recipe we shared withAustin Woman Magazineand are adding the details and tips we’ve been most asked about since. The follow recipe takes just a couple hours to complete and will produce about XX standard-size tubes of beeswax lip balm.

Roll up your sleeves, and let’s get started!

Beeswax Co. Pure Beeswax Lip Balm

Ingredients

1 oz pure, food-grade beeswax

2 oz organic food-grade coconut oil

1 tsp organic food-grade almond oil

2 capsules pure vitamin E oil (or up to 1/4 tsp liquid form)

15 drops peppermint essential oil

Recommended Supplies

Double boiler (or a DIY version)

Candy thermometer

Food scale

Measuring spoons

High-heat safe stirring spoon

Containers for the lip balm, we love these tubes on Amazon (you’ll need XX amount)

Labels to customize and decorate your tubes

Directions

1. Combine the beeswax, coconut oil, and almond oil and heat slowly in a double boiler over low heat until liquified, stirring often. Use your candy thermometer to ensure the heat doesn’t pass 180 degrees.
2. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly, then add the vitamin E oil (if in capsule form, puncture each capsule and squeeze in the contents).
3. Stir the mixture for 5 minutes, then add the essential oil.
4. Stir again, then pour into individual containers.
5. Let the lip balm set overnight before adding labels/using.

Piece of cake, right? Almost. Like any DIY project, it may take some trial and error. Here are some added tips to make your beeswax lip balm a truly treasured present:

1. Purchase your beeswax in bulk. It’s most cost-efficient that way. You only needan ounce or twoto make a batch of beeswax lip balm, but here’s a pro tip: Purchasea 1-lb block of pure beeswax, melt it down (slowly, in a double boiler) and divide it into smaller portions by pouring the nearly cooled melted beeswax into ice cube trays (you can remove the trays once completely cooled/hardened). You can use the beeswax for multiple batches of lip balms or use the extra cubes forother projects like these. From moisturizing soaps to crayons to wood finish, the possibilities are endless.
2. Source your beeswax carefully. It may be tempting to buy bags of beeswax pastilles (small pellets) for a little project like this one, but be careful. Those little pellets are often the worst offenders when it comes toadulterated beeswax. It’s critical to make sure your beeswax is as pure as possible. Otherwise, your lip balms won’t spread well or feel right. They also might contain high levels of pesticides and contaminants.
3. Look for ingredients labeled as “food grade.” You’ll be putting the product on your lips, after all! We know customers use our bulkbeeswaxfor many purposes—including lip balms, lotions, and cosmetics—so our beeswax is certified food grade quality already. You’ll also want to look for food-grade oils for the other ingredients as well. Not all carrier oils like coconut oil and essential oils like peppermint oil are safe for consumption.
4. The order matters. It’s essential to heat and combine the beeswax and carrier oils (in our recipe, those are the coconut and almond oils) first. Be sure to allow time for the mixture to cool slightly before adding your essential oil of choice because essential oils are very volatile. If you add them while the mixture is still boiling, they’ll burn up and evaporate.
5. Invest in a goodthermometer. Making beeswax lip balm on your stovetop is like making old-fashioned candy: you need to get the temperature just right. It should be hot enough to melt the ingredients, but not so hot that it burns the product. Invest in a good candy thermometer and a double boiler to ensure your temperature rises slowly without scorching the ingredients.
6. Don’t use a microwave or cover. Some popular beeswax lip balm recipes recommend heating the ingredients in the microwave. Don’t do it. Trust us: At best, it’s messy and, at worst, it’s dangerous. You may also feel the urge to cover the container while heating your ingredients but don’t do that, either. Condensation could form on the lid and drip into your mixture, diluting it.
7. Experiment, but don’t get frustrated. You may choose to use different carrier oils or add essential oils other than peppermint, which is usually OK to do. However, these experiments may not turn out the way you had hoped. The good news is that beeswax products like this one can have multiple uses. If you find your substitutions created a softer product, for instance, you might be able to use it as a lotion or hand salve instead.

Making your own beeswax lip balm is a great way to show your friends and loved ones you care—with a gift made from the heart that can keep them happy and healthy all year long. And if you give our beeswax lip balm recipe a try, share your fabulous results with us! Please tag us onInstagramandFacebookso we can give you props for a job well done!