Burt’s Bees Original Beeswax Peppermint Lip Balm was my gateway product into the world of natural living…really.
I was a devoted conventional makeup girl and had a drawer full of the latest glittery, scented, brightly colored lip glosses available. And my lips were chronically dry (wonder if it was from the chemical cocktail I was slathering on multiple times per day). One winter, tired of Carmex and other restorative lip treatments, I grabbed a tube of Burt’s Bees at a checkout counter on a whim.
I loved the light peppermint scent and how well it nourished my lips. I became an exclusive Burt’s Bees user for years…
And then, as most stories often go in the land of corporations, Burt’s Bees was bought out by Clorox and their formula now contains canola oil and soybean oil (which I don’t eat and also don’t want on my lips).
So as most stories go, in the land of Katie’s endless DIY projects, I decided to create a homemade copycat version sans industrial seed oils.
This was the result. I recommend this as an easy lip balm recipe and it makes a great gateway product into the world of homemade deodorant and toothpaste. Fair warning, once you start making some natural products, you are just a hop, skip and jump away from detoxing your armpits and mud shampoo (not that either of those is a bad thing…)
Homemade Lip Balm
I’ve shared my shimmer lip gloss and homemade lip balm recipes before but this recipe is specifically designed to look, feel and smell like Burt’s Bees.
Another bonus, besides avoiding the franken-oils, is that this version is much less expensive than buying pre-made options like Burt’s Bees (and you can even re-use the tubes to save even more). I also omitted the lanolin in this recipe, since it irritates my skin and I haven’t found that it is necessary, but feel free to add a small amount if you have it on hand.
Kids love helping with homemade projects like this (and they are really fun for adults too!). This DIY lip balm locket is another fun way to take your lip balm with you.
Before you start, make sure you have the ingredients and equipment on hand.
- Beeswax
- Coconut Oil
- Shea Butter
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Lip Chap Tubes (can also make in a small jar and just use your finger for application if you don’t have these) I order 100 at a time since I give these away a lot. They cost $0.13 when I order this many.
- A plastic pipette (makes filling the tubes much easier!)
- A double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a small pan with boiling water
- A spatula
If you’re switching from conventional lipstick and want some color and shimmer naturally I recommend adding a tiny amount (1 tsp) of mica powder like this one. It has natural color and shimmer and blends perfectly. You can see an example in this post.
Imitation Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons beeswax pastilles
- 2 tablespoons shea butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 30+ drops peppermint essential oil
Lip Balm Instructions
- Melt beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler or small glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water, stirring constantly until melted.
- Remove pan from heat but keep over the still-hot water to keep the mixture melted.
- Add essential oils to your preference. I just added peppermint in this recipe. I recommend adding a few drops at a time and testing a tiny amount on your arm to make sure the scent is to your liking.
- Once you’ve added the essential oils, use the pipette or a dropper to fill the lip balm tubes. This must be done quickly since the mixture will start to harden as soon as it is removed from the heat.
- Let tubes sit at room temperature for several hours until cooled and completely hardened before capping them.
Notes:
Use an extra teaspoon or two of beeswax if you prefer a thicker and longer-lasting lip balm or slightly less if you prefer a smoother and softer lip balm. Since there are no water based ingredients, you can re-melt and add more of each ingredient during the melting process until you get the exact texture you want. When experimenting, I’ve put a few drops of the melted mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and let harden in the fridge so I could test it before putting the mixture into tubes. Have fun with it! This makes 12-14 tubes.
Another great DIY I love is my Mint Chocolate Lip Scrub for Deliciously Smooth Lips.
Ever made an imitation product? What was your gateway product into natural living?
Wondering if you’ve tried any lip balm recipes that provide spf. Can I just add some zinc to this? How much?
Did you ever get an answer with putting zinc in the lip balm. If so what did they say?
Raspberry seed oil and pomegranate seed oil are both natural spf30
I love making my own lip balm, and have you to thank for first inspiring me to start DIY skin care. I have been ordering the lip balm tubes from amazon as well. Do you have any concerns about the quality of the plastic? Have heard of essential oils interacting poorly with plastic. Trying not to overthink this…still feel the homemade lip balm is a good option and much better than anything we could buy. Thanks for all you do…LOVE your website!
I have heard that heating the shea butter, even in a double boiler, destroys the natural properties for which we would use shea butter in the first place. What’s your opinion?
I don’t think so.
Only use a low setting. Melt slow and thoroughly, don’t let it get too warm.
I was curious if this recipe needs to remain refridgerated especially in warmer weather?
Just curious since I am making it as a gift for my husband for xmas and will likely be in his truck. Which could get warm in summer time.
It depends on how warm it will get. Honestly I have not tested it in very warm weather (I experimented during the early fall ad didn’t have issues in 60 degrees or so).
Love your site and Love your recipes. Is it possible to cut this recipe in half?
You’d have to try and see 😉
I have made a few lip balms myself. I will try this one next. I love how they feel on my lips and that they are so moisturizing. Way better than store bought. I have a recipe that I found online a while ago for a lip gloss that is very simple. It glides on nice and gives a nice sheen as opposed to a high gloss finish.
1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil
1 teaspoon almond oil
1/2 teaspoon beeswax pastilles
Melt all in a measuring cup with spout in a pot with boiling water.
Pour into a tin and let cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
I especially like the flavor of coconut. Just thought I’d share.
I can’t wait to make the lip balm…I’ve been a Burts user for years and use their tinted lip balm instead of lipstick…can you suggest a way to add a little pop of color to the lip balm?
You can use a koolaid powder or a piece of an old lipstick for the color. I’ve heard you can use a piece of a crayon but I’ve yet to try that out.
You can use some alkanet root or a shimery mica powder for some color.
It seems like I should wash the plastic chapstick tube before using it but it also seems like it would have a tough time drying out. What do you suggest?! Thanks for sharing all your great recipes!
I was wondering the same thing. I have the supplies being shipped now, should be here tomorrow. I will be anxious to get started!
🙂
For a fun container, I used an empty glue stick from one of the students at school. I washed it with soap and water, and dried it with a paper towel. Any moisture I missed wouldn’t get mixed with the oil based recipe anyway. The kids were quite amused to see me apply “glue” to my lips!
As you pour the hot beeswax (which is heavier than water), it should push the excess water moisture up to the top of the balm. There it will either “burn off” or evaporate as your balm sets.
Hello! Thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to try it. 🙂 Any thoughts on storing the lip balm in small metal tins vs. the plastic tubes?
Those are great too! Have a few upcoming recipes in them 🙂
Hey ! I bought the WONDERFUL tube holder and it makes filling lip balm tube containers so easy. I’ve had it for years, but I probably got it from my hero in soap making etc…BRAMBLEBERRY…
persevere Katie,
laurie in st louis