DIY Chapstick
If I were stranded on a desert island, chapstick would be one of the three things I would want with me. Anyone else get chapped lips the second they realize they don’t have chapstick on them? Beeswax is the common wax used in store bought chapstick, so I quickly realized I need to make my own. Vegan chapstick tends to be more expensive and don’t always have a scent I like. I shopped around a couple of Pinterest recipes and decided to mix them all together to come up with my version of it. I never thought I’d become that “essential oils” person, but I really love using them for all my DIY scented items. I also like using essential oils on wool dryer balls to make my clothes smell nice and keep my clothes from getting wrinkled. (I was gifted the dryer balls years ago, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them considering they aren’t vegan.) Anyways I digress. I like using them to switch up the scents for all my DIY items and it’s fun to experiment with different combos. I’d love to hear about your favorite scents and how you use them in your daily life in the comments below. 😊 I will say, I have yet to find a smooth workflow to get the chapstick containers filled without making a waxy mess. The last batch I made I used some tiny kitchen funnels I bought specifically for this, and it was easier than before. I’m also still trying to figure out the easiest ratio of ingredients to lock down how much each batch makes. I’ve only made these like four times because I usually do them in batches because they are a little tricky to do mess-free. The batch sizes have varied too, so I’m sorry for not having a solid number on how much this makes. As I get better with this, I will update the blog accordingly. I like using old chapstick containers and I also bought some empty cardboard tubes from the Paper Tube Company that I really like. One day when I start selling these, I plan on buying them in block from PTC. Beeswax isn’t the only thing about store bought chapstick that is an issue for me. Almost all chapstick come in a plastic container and you know how I feel about that. 😉 I hope you like the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought. Also, any tips or tricks on how to make this easier to do, I will happily take input in the comments on this too.
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
DIY Chapstick
Ingredients
- 1oz hard wax (candelilla, soy or something like it)
- 1 oz oil/butter (coconut oil, avocado oil, or shea butter will work but I use shea butter)
- 1 oz of hard-at-room-temperature oil (cocoa butter or floral waxes will work. I use cocoa butter)
- 2 oz liquid oil (jojoba oil or olive oil. I use jojoba)
- A few drops of Vitamin E Oil (I use the TJ’s Vitamin E Blend because it’s what I have)
- Essential oils (optional, but I think it really enhances it. My favorite combos are rose lavender, orange ginger, and lemon grapefruit) Max 8 drops for each lip balm.
Instructions
- Measure your wax and place it in a microwave safe container. You could use a double broiler method if you don’t want to use a microwave or have one. Heat on high heat for 30 second bursts, stirring in between to help break up the wax. Patience pays with this; I have tried to rush this part and have ended up with little bits of hard wax in the finished product.
- Once the wax is fully melted, add the remaining ingredients, stirring well. If the wax starts to harden while making this, just put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds and stir.
- Here comes the tricky part. I line up all the containers on a plastic cutting board and using the funnel, I slowly pour the liquid into each container. I try and get them as close as possible without making it difficult to pour. It’s a fine line between going fast so the wax is melted and spilling or burning yourself.
- Gently tap each one to get the air bubbles out like you would a cake. If you find the hardened chapstick is cracked, it could mean you poured the wax too hot. Try and pour it when it is a little cooler the next time.
Notes:
The batch sizes have varied too, so I’m sorry for not having a solid number on how much this makes. As I get better with this, I will update the blog accordingly. I like using old chapstick containers and I also bought some empty cardboard tubes from the Paper Tube Company that I really like.
