How to Make Lip Balm at Home With Natural Ingredients

Lip balm is one of my favorite beauty DIYs because it always turns out so wonderful! Yes, you can purchase natural and organic lip balm for inexpensive, but you can make it for even cheaper.

Plus, homemade lip balm can be customized however you like, so you can make the perfect tube (or tin) of amazing lip balm for you!

I love DIY lip balm as an inexpensive gift idea as well – think stocking stuffers, small teacher gifts or gifts for kids. Everyone loves lip balm, AM I RIGHT?

The Complete Guide to Making Lip Balm

Want this recipe (plus 3 others) in a printable, PDF format you can take with you? I’ve compiled this post, as well as my other posts on lip balm into a 30-page book that is a complete how-to make lip balm guide. It includes everything you need to know to get started making your own lip balms, with a focus on teaching you how to use ingredients to customize your balms just for you. Learn more….

Make sure to also check out my DIY clear lip gloss recipe if you’re looking for something a little glossier, or maybe a fun project to do with kids!

This recipe is different than lots of others you’ll find on the WWW. I make my homemade lip balm WITHOUT coconut oil (It’s not my favorite for face and beauty products, to be honest).

Instead, I use a combination of beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, almond and jojoba oils. These are some seriously rich and nourishing oils, ya’ll!

I love this combination in DIY lip balm because it makes a luxurious feeling balm that is not too heavy on the beeswax (read: not waxy and stiff). You will find you don’t need to apply all day every day because it works so well. A couple times a day, tops, and your lips will be silky smooth.

This is super similar to the lip balm recipe I used to make and sell, back in my craft show days. My customers were addicted.

Looking for an amazing lip balm recipe without beeswax? Don’t worry my vegan friends, I’ve got you! Find the best vegan lip balm recipe ever right here.

Let’s recap: this is the best lip balm recipe you will find, your lips will be nourished and soft AND it’s so great you could sell (or gift!) it.

So let’s get to it!

SUPPLIES:

• Lip balm tubes or lip balm tins
• Double boiler (or makeshift one like I do)
• Mini whisk or spoon
• Kitchen scale (optional, see note below on measuring)
• Lip balm labels (optional, but so cute!)

TIP: You find lots of high-quality ingredients for your DIY projects at Pronounce Skincare. I love that many of their ingredients are organic, they come in small portions for when you’re just getting started and they sell containers too. It’s a great one-stop-shop for DIY beauty project ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:

• Beeswax
• Shea butter
• Cocoa butter* (I buy organic, cold pressed and unrefined, and also use it in my favorite hot chocolate)
• Almond oil
• Jojoba oil
• Vitamin E
• Essential oil of choice

*I use the term ‘cocoa butter’ many times, and then link to a product called ‘cacao butter’. When referring to the solid butter sourced from the cacao plant, these terms are interchangeable.

Related: White Chocolate Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe

MEASURING BY WEIGHT VS VOLUME

I’ve mentioned this in the lotion bar recipe post previously, but I do prefer to measure by weight for recipes like this. Hint: that means use a kitchen scale, like this one.

When using solid ingredients (like beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter) it is difficult to achieve a consistent result when measuring by volume.

The chunks of cocoa butter I used may be bigger than yours, meaning the measurement by volume might be slightly different. When you measure by weight, that doesn’t matter and you get the exact right amount every time.

I understand many people are not able to measure by weight, so I’ve provided the recipe in both weight and volume measurements. Just know If you are measuring by volume (teaspoons), your results might vary slightly depending on your specific ingredients.

Luckily, this lip balm recipe is very forgiving and a slight variation will probably be unnoticeable.

WHAT ESSENTIAL OILS ARE GOOD FOR LIP BALM?

There are so many excellent choices for essential oils in lip balms! There are a couple of rules to follow when deciding on an essential oil for your lip balm.

1. Steer clear of hot oils! Your lip skin is sensitive, and oils like cinnamon, eucalyptus or clove can cause a burning sensation.
2. Be cautious when using certain citrus oils on your lips (or face, for that matter). Some citrus oils (grapefruit, bergamot, lemon, lime) are photosensitive, meaning they magnify the effects of the sun. So if you liberally apply your homemade grapefruit lip balm before you head to the beach for the day, you are likely coming home with rosy red lips. This doesn’t mean I think you should skip citrus oils all together! They are my favorite in homemade lip balm recipes. Just be cautious of when you use them and be aware of their sun magnifying effects.

Note: sweet orange and blood orange are NOT photosensitive essential oils, so they are excellent choices for lips (and so yummy!).

Check out my favorite book about essential oils.

My favorite essential oils for lip balm are:

• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Vanilla
• Grapefruit
• Orange

HOMEMADE LIP BALM RECIPE (by weight)

• 0.2oz beeswax
• 0.3oz shea butter
• 0.2oz cocoa butter
• 0.1oz almond oil
• 0.1oz jojoba oil
• 5 drops vitamin E
• 12-18 drops essential oil

Ingredients

• 1 tsp beeswax (heaping)
• 2 tsp shea butter
• 1 tsp cocoa butter
• 1 tsp almond oil
• 1 tsp jojoba oil
• 5 drops vitamin E
• 12-18 drops essential oil

Instructions

1. Measure beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter and put in the top of a double boiler
2. Melt the butters and waxes over low heat in your double boiler until completely combined
3. Add the almond oil and jojoba oil and stir
4. Remove from heat and add Vitamin E and essential oils
5. Pour into lip balm tubes or tins
6. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minutes)

Notes

Recipe makes 5-6 tubes or 3 metal tins of lip balm

Choose your favorite essential oil and customize this recipe! (or leave it out completely if you prefer)

I prefer to measure recipes with solid ingredients by weight instead of volume because it is much more accurate. I've provided estimates by volume since that is easiest for most people. However, if you have a kitchen scale, I suggest using the recipe by weight listed above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Aluminum Tin Containers - 10 ml

Lip Balm Tubes

Organic White Beeswax Pellets 

Cocoa Butter

Shea butter

Vitamin E Liquid

Organic Jojoba Oil

Sweet Almond Oil

HOW TO MAKE LIP BALM LABELS AT HOME

You can purchase blank lip balm labels and completely customize them yourself. Or you can purchase a variety of super cute, already printed labels that all you have to do is write in the type of lip balm it is.

I absolutely love these adorable lip balm labels! They are affordable and come in a bunch of different designs (like these colorful or these holiday labels). Talk about making your DIY lip balm gifts SO EASY. (I mean, who wouldn’t love to receive these adorable homemade lip balms as gifts??)

I also like these ‘handmade with love’ stickers that can be used for all types of DIY and handmade gifts. I bought a big package of the 1” stickers, and they will work for lotion bars, cuticle oil, essential oil roller balls or lip scrub as well!

DIY LIP BALM KIT

Not so sure you’re feeling the total DIY-ness of homemade lip balm? I feel you. Sometimes you just need a shortcut.

Check out these DIY lip balm kits. They have everything you need to make your own lip balm, it’s like a one stop shop for lip balm making.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE BEST ALL NATURAL LIP BALM?

I may be biased, but this recipe right on this page is my absolute favorite natural lip balm. It has just enough beeswax to keep it solid, but it doesn’t feel waxy. It is soothing, moisturizing, soft….it’s just SO GOOD!

Even without essential oil, this homemade lip balm is still amazing.

Not sure you want to DIY it? Try this organic lip balm, it’s one of my favorites.

WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR ALMOND/JOJOBA/SHEA IN THIS RECIPE?

I mentioned before this is a forgiving recipe, and I meant it! If you find yourself without one of the primary ingredients, fear not. You can still use this recipe as your guide to make amazing lip balm.

Just keep the proportions of wax, butters and oils the same and you will be golden.

Avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil or hemp oil are all good replacements for the almond or jojoba oil.

You can use any solid butter you like in this recipe with good results. If you don’t have shea butter, use all cocoa butter, or try mango butter or avocado butter. I especially love mango butter in lip balm recipes.

Still have questions?? Drop me a comment below and I’ll help you figure it out.

HOW DO YOU MAKE LIP BALM WITHOUT BEESWAX?

It’s is so easy to make lip balm without beeswax, and it turns out great! Click on over to see my full DIY vegan lip balm recipe.

You can substitute candelilla wax for beeswax and have great results.

Your final product will be slightly harder because candelilla wax is a little harder than beeswax. But combined with the shea butter and cocoa butter in this recipe, it is a luscious and nourishing lip balm recipe made without beeswax.

WHAT CAN I USE TO FLAVOR LIP BALM?

I prefer natural ingredients to flavor homemade lip balm, and there are several you can try that will work in this recipe.

• Add a teaspoon of raw honey or maple syrup to the recipe above to give it a little sweetness. You’ll need to stir the sweetener well, as it has a tendency to separate from the oils.
• The raw, natural cocoa butter in this recipe gives the balm a hint of chocolate flavor. If you want more than a hint of chocolate, use double cocoa butter and skip the shea. (your balm will be slightly more firm, but still amazing!)
• Citrus essential oils are a lip balm favorite for me, and they will give a slight taste to your DIY lip balm. Try orange, grapefruit or key lime.
• Try adding a few drops of vanilla or almond extract in place of essential oils. You’ll need to stir pretty vigorously, since extracts are made of alcohol and that doesn’t mix well with oil. But if you stir, stir, stir and then pour your lip balm mixture right away, it should mix. (or try this alcohol-free vanilla extract – it will blend easily in your recipe)

HOW LONG DOES DIY LIP BALM LAST?

You can expect your homemade lip balm to last for at least 6 months if stored properly. Make sure to keep it sealed and at room temperature.

Confession: I found some lip balms I made more than 3 years ago and decided to give them a try. They were still good! Maybe not quite as soft and definitely not as fragrant as when I first made them, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Like any homemade DIY products, your lip balm will be as good as the ingredients you put in it. So make sure your ingredients are fresh, and your homemade concoction will keep for a while.

MORE DIY GIFT IDEAS

Peppermint White Chocolate Lip Balm

Homemade Coffee Scrubs for body, face and lips

How to Make Lotion Bars

DIY Cuticle Oil