Adding honey to lip balm

[Candybee]

I'm thinking of adding honey to my lip balm recipe. Does anyone here use honey in there's? My thinking is it's a natural humectant and should aid in moisturizing the lips. Can I use it for my other skin balms too? Won't it help retain moisture in skin and lip balm products?

 

If you do use it does it add any sweetness? Should I eliminate my sweetener if I do add it? If it does sub as a sweetener how much do you use?

 

[Candybee]

Wanted to add the honey I want to use is a local wildflower. Its been filtered but not pasteurized like commercial honey.

[Shari]

Honey is water soluble so I would think in lip balm it would seep out and possible cause other issues like mold.   I have seen in other forums people having issues when adding honey and have been advised by others not to do so.  So, I've not done it myself.  My brother/sister in law have bees and make honey so I use it in my soap instead.

[Crafty1_AJ]

And the fact that it is water soluble makes it very difficult to incorporate into lip balms, which typically just have butters and oils and waxes.  

[Sebleo]

I know nothing about making lip balm...just a user here. But, Burts Bees has a honey lip balm. The ingredient is listed as Mel (honey, miel). 

[Candybee]

Well I certainly don't want any separation issues. Ewww!

[Sarah S]

Candybee, I went straight to my #1 source for all questions related to cosmetics, Swiftcraftymonkey. This is what Susan has to say about it:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog/how-do-some-people-manage-to-get-water-soluble-things-like-honey-into-anhydrous-products/

I have never tried using honey in my lip balms, but I have started adding lanolin, and it's a game-changer. I am positively giddy over how good my balms are now!

 

Here's quick write up about using honey in other products too:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog/honey-using-it-in-our-products/

 

HTH!

[TallTayl]

With temperature shifts (pocket, car, House, back to pocket, back to car, etc) it will separate over time. 

 

Plus, being water soluble, it can be a feeding ground for microorganisms, fungi, bacteria, etc. think of the huge EOS hullabaloo not that long ago with moldy lip balm. 

[birdcharm]

Funny, Candybee says "ewww" and Sarah posts about lanolin (no, gee, that would be "ewe") ... but I will say, due to the sheep issue, some people do not like lanolin.  I can certainly see how it would be beneficial in a lip balm though, yet, it's a bit sticky by itself.

 

 

[Candybee]

16 hours ago, Sarah S said:

Candybee, I went straight to my #1 source for all questions related to cosmetics, Swiftcraftymonkey. This is what Susan has to say about it:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog/how-do-some-people-manage-to-get-water-soluble-things-like-honey-into-anhydrous-products/

I have never tried using honey in my lip balms, but I have started adding lanolin, and it's a game-changer. I am positively giddy over how good my balms are now!

 

Here's quick write up about using honey in other products too:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog/honey-using-it-in-our-products/

 

HTH!

 

I am curious about the lanolin you use in your lip balm. I love lanolin and use it in my shaving soaps. My mother swore by it and used it all over as a skin softener and her skin was always baby soft. (She used a thick liquid lanolin oil product cut with alcohol, not the anhydrous.) I might want to try using the lanolin in my personal balms so if you can give me an idea of the % you use in the recipe I can have a starting point to try it out.

 

I think I will give up on the honey. It was a nice thought but sounds too problematic. Thought I would try it because other lip balm makers have told me they use it. Wonder how they kept theirs from seperating or from developing mold?

Edited March 10, 2018 by Candybee

[Sarah S]

On March 9, 2018 at 9:45 PM, birdcharm said:

Funny, Candybee says "ewww" and Sarah posts about lanolin (no, gee, that would be "ewe") ... but I will say, due to the sheep issue, some people do not like lanolin.  I can certainly see how it would be beneficial in a lip balm though, yet, it's a bit sticky by itself.

 

 

 

Lol! I do inform people that the balm is not vegan, and that it has lanolin in case there is a sensitivity or gross out issue. Most people don't care. I also use tallow in my CP soap, so the vegan population is shopping elsewhere. 😉😄

 

On March 10, 2018 at 11:25 AM, Candybee said:

 

I am curious about the lanolin you use in your lip balm. I love lanolin and use it in my shaving soaps. My mother swore by it and used it all over as a skin softener and her skin was always baby soft. (She used a thick liquid lanolin oil product cut with alcohol, not the anhydrous.) I might want to try using the lanolin in my personal balms so if you can give me an idea of the % you use in the recipe I can have a starting point to try it out.

 

I think I will give up on the honey. It was a nice thought but sounds too problematic. Thought I would try it because other lip balm makers have told me they use it. Wonder how they kept theirs from seperating or from developing mold?

 

@Candybee, I am using the lanolin from NG, it is a very sticky semi-solid, gel like substance. I use it at 10% in my balms. I also use 30% castor oil and 25% beeswax. The lanolin, castor and beeswax all work synergistically to make a lovely glossy balm that go on smooth and coats well. It is a little sticky, which I like, obviously the proportions can be tweaked. The rest of the balm is cocoa butter and liquid oil, and the flavor. I also used the lanolin is a O/W hand balm at 3% and it was fantastic for the winter!

[Candybee]

2 hours ago, Sarah S said:

I am using the lanolin from NG, it is a very sticky semi-solid, gel like substance.

 

You describe the anhydrous lanolin which is what I use for my shaving soaps. It melts right into the warm soap batter giving my shaving soaps nice slip and incredible moisturized after shave feel.

 

I like how you put together your lip balm recipe. I already have my own recipe all worked out that's tried and true. But I am really curious now how the lanolin may feel in the lip balm and will try adding some lanolin in a future batch. If I like it I will see if it sells well with my customers. If they complain I can always go back to my original balm or maybe offer both. But I am thinking it will be very nice in a foot or body balm.

 

I make a body balm with neem oil that heals my skin rashes in 24 hours. It even makes itchy skin stop itching within minutes. Would love to try adding the lanolin in that and see if I can't improve it.

[birdcharm]

6 hours ago, Sarah S said:

 

Lol! I do inform people that the balm is not vegan, and that it has lanolin in case there is a sensitivity or gross out issue. Most people don't care. I also use tallow in my CP soap, so the vegan population is shopping elsewhere. 😉

 

 

I think the majority of people don't really have a concern about it.  I bought some alpaca fiber a few years ago, I was going to felt soaps with it, I did one and found that I don't have the patience for it, but the fiber is very nice and the one I did do is pretty cool.  I would hope that most people understand that lanolin has to do with the wool, so don't have a problem with it.

 

 

[RWV]

Candybee, where do you get your neem oil, if you don't mind my asking and do you know what the minimum percentage usage is to get the anti-itching benefit?  Or, if you don't want to share the percentage info and that would be compromising your formula, I totally get it, just have never heard of it before and having that kind of benefit would be great!

Edited August 30, 2018 by RWV

[Candybee]

On 8/30/2018 at 12:10 AM, RWV said:

Candybee, where do you get your neem oil, if you don't mind my asking and do you know what the minimum percentage usage is to get the anti-itching benefit?  Or, if you don't want to share the percentage info and that would be compromising your formula, I totally get it, just have never heard of it before and having that kind of benefit would be great!

 

Sorry to take so long to get back to you.. I totally forgot about this thread and was just looking for it today to reread about the lanolin and saw your post. I get my neem from Soapers Choice. I use about 15-20% in my soap and balm formulations. Although I have read some soapers like to use upward of 30-40% to get a higher benefit from it. I found through trial and error that a minimum of 15% in my products will produce the healing aspect benefits. Anything lower is a waste as far as I am concerned or just good for the selling point. Under 15% and I don't feel any of the benefit. However, how much you use will also determine the smell factor. Neem has a very strong earthy garlic smell that can be hard to mask. At 15% it can be very strong in your product and strong enough that it overpowers any added scent. So I use essential oils in my formulations, not for the scent, but for their benefits. For example I love to combine EOs with my neem oil products like lavender, tea tree, etc.

[CandleRush]

Regarding Honey,

honey powder is often used in face and lip applications, WSP has it.🌸

[NightLight]

You really don’t need honey. Lip balm in itself is moisturizing. Try different blends of oils and butters and you can create perfection!

If you want to get tech and make a honey lip balm your will have to use an emulsifier to incorporate the honey which is like a water ingredient into oil base, but this will take quite a bit of testing.

[CandleRush]

The powder is easier! True about the moisturizing oils and butters. Lots of nutrients in honey powder though, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and prebiotics.

i thing bee propolis powder may work as well, I’ve used it in my Salve concoction.

Edited March 17, 2019 by CandleRush

[NightLight]

The problem with powder it has to be ground super fine, micronized and that maybe not even enough for lip balm or you will feel on lips.

other body part different. Don’t forget if you are using beeswax you are using a bee product already.