Question about Stevia......

[Beth-VT]

Our natural foods store has Stevia liquid in two types.

*One is a Stevia Concentrate which is dark brown in color and contains Stevia/water 4:1

*One is a Stevia Extract which (although in an amber bottle) appears to be clearer in color) and is Stevia/vegetable glycerin at 60% I think.

I'm sure that the concentrate, because of the dark color, would darken your balm, but if you only need a drop or so maybe it's not a factor.

But I'm wondering if one is better than the other, or gives noticeably different results. TIA.

[Rebecca_IA]

I don't think you'd want to add anything that contains water to a lip balm recipe, because it's all butters/oils and unless you add something to incorporate the water, the water wouldn't blend in. Although at one drop per batch.

Last I had read about stevia is that it was okayed by the FDA as a food additive, but not sweetener, what effects would that have on adding it to lip balm? Or has the FDA changed it stance on stevia?

[RobinInOR]

As of Dec 2004, stevia *still* isn't "legal" as a sweetener. Stupid

I *have* tried it in a lip balm, though and all I can say, it's a PITA to get incorporated. I've tried the liquid (water based), and the powder. Too much work for something so little.

[Rebecca]

I tried the stevia too and to me it made the lip balms taste horrible.

[Fairy_Light]

Hey... I haven't tried Stevia but I have tried and still use Sucralose with is the main ingredient in Splenda not normally available to the public. Atleast not in stores and what not. I have a friend who just got out of a bakery business that has a mess of it she is looking to get rid of. I hosted a co-op on it and not too many people were interested. It's expensive per say but concidering a bb size ball of sucralose will sweeten a gallon of tea it's one of those things were a little bit really does go a LONG way. I normally make a non flavored batch of lip balm and sweeten it to an extreme. Then filter out what's left of the sucralose that didn't incorporate into the lip balm mixture and put it in a container for using as the sweetener when I make flavored lip balms. Then you just add a little bit of the sweetened lip balm to your batch and there you have it... Sweetened lip balm. I have more information on it if you are interested just pm me.

HUGS

[hem06]

As a long time Low carb dieter, I love Stevia and use it all the time!

However, TOO MUCH Stevia is very bitter and has an awful aftertaste, so it is better to put too little IMO. For instance, in a cup of coffee...I dip the TIP of my teaspoon into the powder, and that is all I need.

I have fiddled with lots of things for my lip balms, I just give em away, so no biggie....but I used Splenda in one recipe and it was a big hit! I think my dh puts it on just to eat!