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What Great Grandma Ate / Skin Care / Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm (All-Natural and Toxin Free!) + 5 Ingredients to Avoid in Store-Bought Lip Balm

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm (All-Natural and Toxin Free!) + 5 Ingredients to Avoid in Store-Bought Lip Balm

Last Updated on November 18, 2019 by Jean Choi 48 Comments

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Learn how to make soothing and nourishing homemade beeswax lip balm (Burt’s Bees copycat) that’s made with natural and toxin free ingredients!

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm

A good lip balm is one of those must-have items for me. I have dry skin and have always had trouble with chapped lips along with it. I think I might have a lip balm in every room of my house, as well as in my car. Trust me, it’s necessary.

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe

I’ve been making my own homemade beeswax lip balm for about 3 years now and I love it so much. Not only does it smell amazing (peppermint, always), but it’s actually so nourishing and effective. I used to use Burt’s Bees lip balm all the time, but I actually prefer my version better and it also makes a great gift as well!

With a soothing combination of shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oils (or whatever scent you like), this homemade beeswax lip balm is so easy, costs pennies, and takes less than 15 minutes to make.

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm

5 Harmful Ingredients in Conventional Lip Balm

I actually started making my own homemade beeswax lip balm after learning about some shady ingredients in drug store versions that are known to cause a host of health issues. It’s especially important to be aware of these ingredients because we are putting these products on our lips and we can easily consume them!

These are some common ones to watch out for and avoid:

  1. Parabens (also known as other ingredients that end in -paraben like methylparaben and butylparaben): Used as a preservative, parabens are widely recognized as endocrine disruptors. They are known to increase the risk of breast cancer and other reproductive issues.
  2. Petroleum jelly: Yes, the main ingredient in Vaseline! Petroleum jelly is a highly refined oil made from fossil fuel. Not only does it block our pores, it also contains carcinogens and chemicals known to cause estrogen dominance.
  3. Synthetic colors and dyes: These are especially common in tinted lip balms. Synthetic colors are composed of heavy metals that cause allergies and irritation, and if accumulated for a long time, are even known to cause cancer!
  4. Chemical sunscreens (also labeled as avobenzone, homosalate, oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and octocrylene): All of these chemicals help the sunscreen be absorbed in our skin fast, especially when our skin is exposed to sunlight. They are estrogen mimickers and are associated with endometriosis in women and lower sperm count in men. If you want a lip balm with SPF in it, look for ones with non-nano zinc oxide instead.
  5. Fragrance or flavor: Companies are not legally required to disclose what chemicals make up “fragrance” or “flavor” on ingredients labels. Those words can mean absolutely any chemical, whether or not it has been tested for safety. Usually, it is a synthetic concoction that includes phthalates and synthetic musks, which are known hormone disruptors.

Don’t Want to Make Your Own?

There have been times that I’ve been busy or lazy and ran out of my homemade beeswax lip balm. In those cases, I ended up buying safer option that are free of the above toxins. Here are my favorite brands that smell amazing without chemical fragrances and work really well:

  • Beautycounter’s Lip Conditioners: Beautycounter is probably my favorite skin care company that has banned over 1500 ingredients that are known or suspected to be harmful in their products, when the US has only banned 30. Their lip conditioners come in peppermint or calendula and these products are so soothing and hydrating with clean ingredients! If you are looking for something that’s tinted or has a light color, I highly recommend their sheer lipsticks which are also made with coconut oil and are extremely moisturizing.
  • Primally Pure Lip Balm: Primally Pure has amazing, natural lip balm made of all the soothing oils like coconut, beef tallow, and beeswax. They come in 5 different flavors, scented with organic essential oils, and the peppermint is my favorite. You can get 10% off your first purchase with them with code: JEAN10.
  • Perfect Supplements Lip Nutrients: These come in 2 flavors, lemongrass and tangerine, and I prefer tangerine. These contain all organic ingredients that nourish you lips you coconut oil and beeswax, along with jojoba oil, essential oils, and vitamin E. You can get 10% off with my code: GREATGRANDMA10. 

Perfect as Gifts!

If you are wondering what to get for someone special in your life, or if you are looking for stocking stuffers for the holidays, I highly recommend these homemade beeswax lip balm, because there’s nothing better than homemade gifts. I’ve gifted them myself before and all the recipients have told me that they love them. My mom actually insists I make her 20-30 of them every year so she can use them throughout the year. Good thing they are so easy to make!

Because these do not contain any water or moisture and only healthy oils, they actually last indefinitely so you don’t have to worry about them spoiling or going bad!

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe (All-Natural and Toxin Free!)

Makes 18 lip balm tubes

Ingredient

  • 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles or (beeswax block, grated)
  • 1/4 cup shea butter
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 40 drops peppermint essential oils* (about 1/2 tsp)
  • Empty lip balm tubes

Instructions

  1. In a double boiler, or a heat-safe bowl nestled on top of a pot of simmering water over medium low heat, combine beeswax pastilles, shea butter, and coconut oil.
  2. Heat for about 10 minutes until the mixture is completely melted.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint essential oils.
  4. Pour the mixture into a glass cup or a measuring cup with a spout.
  5. Carefully pour into the empty lip balm tubes and fill them up to the top.
  6. Let them cool for 30 minutes before putting on the cap.

Notes

If you don’t like the peppermint flavor, you can use other essential oils like grapefruit or lavender. Avoid them altogether if you prefer unscented!

What Great Grandma Ate / Jean Choi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.


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By Jean Choi | December 17, 2018

Comments

  1. Tessa Simpson says

    December 18, 2018 at 5:01 am

    5 stars
    I’m totally making this…I’ve have all the stuff on hand, and they will make great gifts!!

    Reply
  2. Cathy says

    December 18, 2018 at 10:12 am

    5 stars
    I had no idea that it was so easy to make your own lip balm in a tube! This is a great gift idea.

    Reply
  3. Hope says

    December 18, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    I love homemade skin care, these look so nourishing for the lips and perfect as last minute gifts!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      March 7, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Hey. Can you half this recipe? Need to make different scents but only a few

      Reply
      • Sar Casticles says

        July 27, 2022 at 1:09 pm

        No. You can only devise it into 3 1/2 size.

        Reply
  4. Susannah says

    December 18, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    5 stars
    I love homemade lip balm! Looks like a terrific recipe 🙂

    Reply
  5. Kiran says

    December 19, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    5 stars
    So fun and you make it look so easy!! Trying!

    Reply
  6. CHIHYU says

    December 21, 2018 at 6:54 am

    5 stars
    These look so fun to make! You are so genius! I’ll be trying these over the holidays. Fun!

    Reply
  7. Raia says

    December 21, 2018 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    It’s been years since I made my own lip balm! I’m gonna have to try your peppermint version!

    Reply
  8. Lindsey says

    December 23, 2018 at 7:43 am

    5 stars
    Ugh, it’s so scary what lurks in stuff that’s supposed to make you feel better… and over time, the ingredients make you feel worse. I love how simple these are. Perfect for last-minute stocking stuffers or to give to guests over the holidays!

    Reply
  9. Steph K. says

    December 28, 2018 at 9:57 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I adjusted to make 1/3 of the recipe, and used a combo of shea/cocoa butter/mango butter instead of simply shea. It made 6 tubes with a lovely rich consistency. I can’t wait to share with friends!

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      December 28, 2018 at 10:13 am

      So glad you enjoyed it! And what a great idea to use different butter varieties. I have to try that!

      Reply
  10. Robert says

    September 30, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    Does the essential oils add a flavor or just the scent? What if I wanted banana flavored balm?
    Thank you this sounds fun.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 30, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Both! I never try to flavor it with any kind of fruits, but maybe you can use banana extract. I would avoid anything with moisture content though to make them last longer.

      Reply
      • Menachem Goldberg says

        February 20, 2020 at 7:16 am

        Hi Could shea butter be substituted with another butter?

        Reply
        • Menachem Goldberg says

          February 20, 2020 at 7:17 am

          like avocado butter

          Reply
        • Jean Choi says

          February 21, 2020 at 1:17 pm

          You can try cocoa butter.

          Reply
          • Menachem Goldberg says

            March 2, 2020 at 8:04 pm

            Hi The cacao went well.

            Do you know the shelf life for this product?

          • Jean Choi says

            March 3, 2020 at 12:32 pm

            A very long time! I made a ton at once and kept them in a dark cool area and they were still good over a year later.

  11. Leah says

    May 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    I would like to make just one tube for now. Could you tell me what would be the ratios?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      May 25, 2020 at 7:47 am

      I wouldn’t recommend this but you can just divide all the ingredients by 18. It’ll be really hard to measure out and melt together such a small amount of each ingredient and you might burn them.

      Reply
  12. Tony Poore says

    May 24, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    I made some of this today and I was wondering what you could do to combat the taste of the shea butter. It’s not overbearing but you can tell its there. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      May 25, 2020 at 7:44 am

      You can try cocoa butter, but that also has a nutty scent. Maybe you can add a bit more essential oils to mask the scent if you are sensitive

      Reply
  13. Alexandria says

    June 9, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    I have a coconut allergy can I substitute the coconut oil for something like avocado oil or olive oil?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      June 9, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      You can try using palm shortening. You need something that’ll solidify at room temperature.

      Reply
  14. Alexandria says

    July 22, 2020 at 11:06 am

    Hell I trying make my own lip balm and is essential oils the same as flavor oils

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      August 20, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      I’m not sure. Do you have a brand or the link to the product that you are using?

      Reply
  15. ASHER says

    August 2, 2020 at 7:45 am

    I have heard of putting vitamin E in lip balm, do you know it’s purpose?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      August 2, 2020 at 9:02 am

      Yes! It’s very nourishing and can be anti-aging.

      Reply
  16. Jessica says

    August 9, 2020 at 8:11 am

    Do you know how much 1/4 cup pellets melts into? I render my own wax and I don’t want my chapsticks to be too firm.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      August 20, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      I’ve never measured it after melting so I can’t say for sure! But the amount of beeswax can be quite flexible so 1/4 cup melted can work.

      Reply
  17. Barbara Burke says

    August 15, 2020 at 6:14 am

    We have been making Lip Balm for years. I see the statement that the oils need to solidify at room temperature. That’s not quote accurate as the bees wax is the binding agent in these recipes. We make some of with a few ingredients such as Home Grown Bees wax, Almond Oil and peppermint oil ( Super Basic and holds up well in a hot car!). We have been selling these (and our honey) for years.

    Reply
    • April Laird says

      September 21, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      What’s your website to buy your stuff?

      Reply
  18. Amber Sperling says

    August 16, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    I made a batch of these and loved them! Even added a bit of honey from our hive where I got the beeswax from. I only need to try a different essential oil as my 3 year old didn’t like the peppermint, but over all I’ve had raving reviews! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      August 20, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      Amazing! Yes, you can definitely add whatever essential oils you want. So glad you liked it!

      Reply
    • Betsy Cosper says

      October 6, 2020 at 8:28 am

      I like the idea of adding honey as I am using the wax from our hives and would love to add in some of our honey too. How much honey did you add?

      Reply
      • Amber says

        June 15, 2021 at 7:03 pm

        I would suggest just a tiny bit teaspoon really. I learned over time the honey separated out from the rest. Adds a nice sweetness but not worth the mess.

        Reply
  19. jack says

    September 20, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    Helloo nice one! Is it ok to sell? and what is the shelf life with all these ingredients? thanks

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 24, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      I make a big batch at a time and have kept them for a year in storage and they’ve been fine.

      Reply
  20. Christina Soileau says

    December 10, 2020 at 2:02 am

    Is there any other container besides a tube that can be used? Is it only a plastic container or can we use like glass or metal?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      December 14, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      You can use a jar if you want and dip your finger in it to use. Doesn’t have to be plastic.

      Reply
  21. Lesley says

    January 25, 2021 at 8:41 am

    Good afternoon I would love to make my own lip balm . Could you tell me what’s 1/4 cup in grams.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      January 30, 2021 at 11:16 am

      It’s about 2 oz (56grams)!

      Reply
  22. Joe says

    January 29, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    Where Do I get the plastic tubes?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      January 30, 2021 at 10:53 am

      Amazon!: https://amzn.to/2UW3sNY

      Reply
  23. Caitlin Harrison says

    April 18, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    Hiya, I made the lip balms and they only problem I faced was that it was a bit too solid, as I’ll be putting them in normal containers. What would I include less of next time to make it softer/make it melt when you rub it?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      April 19, 2021 at 10:38 am

      You can try increasing the coconut oil.

      Reply
  24. Bryan says

    May 18, 2022 at 10:33 am

    I made some DIY moustache wax out of beeswax and coconut oil recently and accidentally got some on my lip. I immediately thought, gee, this feels like lip balm. Lo and behold, it really is.

    I should have thought of shea butter though! It sounds more luxurious. Next batch for sure. And I can pour some off as lip balm for my friend with dry lips while I’m at it.

    Reply

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Welcome!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate I’m Jean and I’m a Nutritional Therapist (NTP) living in Southern California with my husband and 2 dog babies. On WGGA, you’ll find simple and easy gluten-, dairy-, and processed sugar-free recipes that focus on quality nutrients, and of course, never sacrifice on taste. I believe that the food you love should love you back, making you feel amazing inside and out. I apologize in advance for my inappropriate jokes and misunderstood sarcasm! More About Jean

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