ISO Soy Lip Balm

[soygirl]

Do you have any kokum butter? It's great in lip balms.

No, but what is it? I've searched on the net, but can't seem to find a description. Is it from a plant seed, like Cocoa butter or what?

[edensong]

I thiink there was a recent kokum butter coop here. It's a wonderful butter.

You can read about it here:

http://www.oilsbynature.com/products/kokum-butter-refined.htm

[soygirl]

Wow, it sounds awesome. I'll have to try it someday, but for now I have to stop buying new butters for testing. My R&D budget for this year needs to be capped, no matter how much it makes me cry. I'm trying cocoa butter next, instead of the mango butter. I'll see what that does to the firmness. I'm actually trying to acheive two separate goals:

1. To replicate the balm recipe from my supplier as closely as possible by using only Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated soybean oil, shea butter and Vit E.

2. To create the world's best winter lip balm recipe, using soy wax instead of beeswax, and whatever else it takes. These cold dry Wisconsin winters are a perfect testing ground.

I really like my suppliers balm base, but I think I can do better:cheesy2:

[edensong]

Whereabouts in Wisconsin? I lived in Eau Claire for several years when I was younger. I remember -60 degree weather!

You might consider swapping some ingredients with others so you can continue R&D with new stuff.

[soygirl]

I live in Neenah, which is south of Green Bay - the other side of the state. Yep, it can get pretty cold with the wind chill added in. We've had lows around zero without the wind chill lately, but it's starting to warm up again. I can remember some - 60 degree weather. You step outside, take a breath in, and your nose hairs freeze togethersanta chee . Ah, that's living!

[soygirl]

Wednesday night I tried the basic balm/lotion bar recipe:

.5 oz soy wax

.5 oz shea butter (refined)

.5 oz coconut oil (I used virgin)

plus partial contents of vit E capsule

It came out EXACTLY like the lip balm base I bought. Well, that was simple. I guess I was trying to make it too complicated. Anyway, now I'm going to improve on that recipe. Danielle was nice enough to send me some cocoa butter. It's super hard. Even harder than mango butter. So, instead of upping the soy wax, I'm going to add some cocoa butter to the recipe, and maybe add a bit of jojoba oil for more moisture.

[celicagtca]

I just posted on the general bath and body and maybe should have posted here. I just purchased the Lip Balm from Bitter Creek and find it to be to muckyt for my liking. The ingredients are:

Soybean Oil

Beeswax,

Sunflower seed oil,

Cocoa seed butter

She butter

Vitamin E

Could I add cocoa butter to harden this up?

[daniedb]

I'm so glad you're having success! I'd love to hear more about the end result, if you end up adding the cocoa butter.

[julwid]

The soy wax is it the same as what you make your candles with. I am wanting to try lip balms and just not sure of what ingred. to use. THanks

[Ann M]

I had been looking forever for a soy wax lip balm. I played around with it and tried 1/3 soy wax, 1/3 mango butter and 1/3 virgin coconut oil. It took a few days to really get set up, but it is so smooth and creamy. I just love it. I also tried 1/3 soy wax, 1/3 mango butter and 1/3 coconut 92, but it felt too greasy and not as smooth. I love mango butter and it is fabulous in this recipe.

Ann

[soygirl]

I realize that I'm really late in following up on this, but I've been tweaking and refining my lip balm recipe for over a year now, and am finally happy. I gave up on using soy wax altogether - yes I was using the same soy wax as I used for candles - and created a recipe with soybean oil instead. Here's what I ended up using - can't remember the amounts, but you'd want to play around with the percentages until you get the hardness that you want anyway. Here are my ingredients:

Virgin Coconut Oil

Non GM (genetically modified) Soybean Oil

Unrefined Shea Butter

Unrefined Cocoa Butter

Candellila Wax

Vit E - a few drops

Melt everything together on low heat and add the shea butter at the very last. Remove from heat when shea is just melted and add the vit E. The chocolate smell of the cocoa butter masks the "funky" smell of the unrefined shea very well, but you can add flavor oil too if you prefer. Work fast and pour into containers immediately. You can up the candellila wax to make this recipe suitable for lip balm tubes. This makes a really nice buttery balm that makes your lips moist and smooth, and lasts for quite awhile. The one problem with using shea butter is that if this balm melts in the summer and rehardens, it will get grainy, but it makes my lips feel so nice, that's a risk I'm willing to take.

[stacien]

I am curious as to why you are not using beeswax. Soywax does tend to result in oral facial allergic reactions on a majority of consumer's. You are better off using Candellila wax.

[Abrien]

Great posts! I have followed the experimentation on this subject. I absolutely can not live without my lip balm. Have you had a chance to sell any yet soygirl? If so what is the response?

[dirtybirdsoaps]

You can always add some candelilla wax to harden it up and still keep it vegan.

[Candle Makin Momma]

some vegetarians won't use a product with beeswax in it because it is an animal derived product.

Can you get any of these ingredients at a local store? I'd love to play around with lip balms, but can't start buying tons of B&B supplies, too. lol My hubby would flip.

[gloworm]

Wednesday night I tried the basic balm/lotion bar recipe:

.5 oz soy wax

.5 oz shea butter (refined)

.5 oz coconut oil (I used virgin)

plus partial contents of vit E capsule

It came out EXACTLY like the lip balm base I bought. Well, that was simple. I guess I was trying to make it too complicated. Anyway, now I'm going to improve on that recipe. Danielle was nice enough to send me some cocoa butter. It's super hard. Even harder than mango butter. So, instead of upping the soy wax, I'm going to add some cocoa butter to the recipe, and maybe add a bit of jojoba oil for more moisture.

What didn't work out with this recipe? If it was exactly like the base you bought?

Glo

[Soapgirl]

The only thing with candelilla is the scent is so strong it will overpower what ever scent you put in. At least that is what happened to me with it lol.