creamy lip balm

[cottoncandy]

I have a nephew in Iraq that I would like to make some lip balm for, but it has to be in a squeezable tube. I ordered the tubes from BC, and need a recipe for lip balm. The ones I have are all solid for the chapstick like tubes. Any help appreciated.

[blazerina]

I couldn't be for sure but I think that it would still work. Balms are not always really as solid as you might think. But it depends on where you live, time of year, etc. Sometimes the heat of a hand or lip can make it turn to something very soft very fast. I would suggest maybe adding a bit more oil % (glycerin or Apricot Kernal, both, etc.) to prevent the setting up. OR there is one ingredient that you use less of as well.... I think it's Shea. It's the butters that give balm their 'stiff' properties. Good luck.

[TexasBrat]

They have one on their site for those tubes.

This is a basic recipe you can try, or you can substitute some of the oils and butters listed for others of your preference. Tweak the formula until you come up with a blend that feels good to you!

4 oz. Shea Butter

4 oz. Coconut Oil 76 degree

3 oz. Castor Oil

2 oz. 100% Soy Flakes (All-Soy™ or EZ Soy™)

2 oz. Rice Bran Oil

1 oz. White Beeswax Pastilles (can be adjusted up or down to make firmer or softer)

1 oz Kiss Kwenchers™ Flavor Oil

Optional - 1% or more Vitamin E may be added to help inhibit rancidity

Optional - Mica powders may also be added for a shimmery looking gloss!

Proper ingredient label would read:

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soy) Oil, Oryza sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Beeswax, Flavor, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Mica.

Weigh ingredients on scale. Melt all ingredients in a double boiler or small electric hot pot. Stir well, and pour into lip gloss tubes (you can make holes in a slab of styrofoam to set them in to hold them upright). For easy filling, use a small funnel, or pinch a dixie cup to form a spout and pour from the cup. Snap applicator into neck, and screw on cap. Allow to fully solidify before labeling. Our 1 3/4" x 1/2" labels fit these perfectly! This recipe should fill approximately fifty 10 ml lip gloss tubes.

[blazerina]

Ok, lest I look too dumb for very much longer, lol... I need to correct myself. It's not the butters it's the beeswax that gives balms their density. I totally forgot about beeswax:o The less beeswax, or any wax- which ever your recipie calls for...the softer it will be. I used the BCN-like version that is in the recipie section and made everything from lotion sticks to lip gloss to solid perfume to itch relief salves all by changing up the amounts and ratios of oils to beeswax.

[Laura]

i have a few of the lip squishie ones (flicker's recipe from BCN posted above) in the squeeze tubes and it really is a nice soft recipe.

[TexasBrat]

i have a few of the lip squishie ones (flicker's recipe from BCN posted above) in the squeeze tubes and it really is a nice soft recipe.

Good to know it is a good one, I was thinking of ordering some containers to try. I just ordered the Lip Glaze from Just Scent and I think it would work in those squeeze tubes also.

[3bees~1flower]

i'd like to try (with my own tweaks) this recipe, but the one time i tried using soy wax in a lip balm it set up all grainy....how do you prevent this from happening?

[Flicker]

Since that is my recipe maybe I can help I've never had soy turn grainy BUT I have had shea do it. Was it maybe the shea that caused it? Shea is one beastly picky little butter with temps. I find when I use it in recipes I like to heat it and SLOW cool it before adding it to my other melted oils at closer to a congealing point then blending. As long as I do that I don't have a problem. I do have to say that recipe is super easy though and with more beeswax it is harder and with less it is more squishy. LOL Let me know if you have any questions on that recipe. I have used other oils and butters in it as well

ETA: Omit the castor and add in a heavier oil like avocado etc to give it less gloss. The castor makes this one pretty glossy looking.

[3bees~1flower]

hi, flicker...thanks for the input...the one time i used soy wax, it was the only thing i had changed in my recipe...i don't use shea on a regular basis...or at all in lip balm, for that matter....you know how in a candle if soy is added too hot to the jar it sets up funny? that's what it seemed like the soy n the lip balm was doing....kwim? if you don't add the shea to the rest till it's starting to set up, how doyou get it in the itty bitty tubes? i am going to alter it a bit (as it's a sickness in me to NOT be able to leave a recipe as is...<blush>) thanks for your help!

[stacien]

Make sure you put some Titanium dioxide in it. Iraq is a hot blistering country in the sun. If he uses anything that induces a shine it will predispose him to sun burn on his lips from the suns rays.

I would limit any oils or butters at all that run the risk of going rancid. Keep it plain and simple but effective.