Honey lip balm is a sweet and easy chapstick alternative you can put together at home in under half an hour. Here's how to make it and how to store it for a longer shelf life.
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Nothing sounds more soothing or nourishing for cracked lips than honey-- but then, that's a bit messy. Luckily, it's easy enough to add honey to any basic lip balm recipe without changing the balm's consistency too much.
This is a spin on my basic, all-around homemade lip balm. It's just as versatile-- add whatever essential oils (or even spices) you like-- and possibly even more soothing for chapped lips. It also takes about twenty minutes to put together, costs a fraction of what you'd pay for store bought chapstick, and can last all year. What's not to love?
Ingredients for homemade lip balms
This lip balm is made with just four ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, raw honey, and beeswax. Although you could forego the shea butter, I find that it adds a super moisturizing element that doesn't feel nearly as greasy as coconut oil. For added benefits, I like to use an infused oil like a DIY calendula oil or yarrow oil.
I also like to add vitamin E oil; being a natural component of the skin barrier that can become depleted in dry climates, it's both healing and deeply moisturizing when added to balms and salves.
Finally, essential oils are another optional ingredient. I like to use peppermint in DIY lip balms, but any essential oil that doesn't irritate skin would do-- so, avoid citrus or clove oils for this recipe. The amount added depends on preference, but I like to do 6-8 drops for a 4 oz. yield.
Here are all of the ingredients you'll need to make honey lip balm at home:
- Coconut oil
- Raw honey
- Beeswax
- Shea butter or cocoa butter
- Vitamin E oil (optional)
- Essential oils (optional)
To make any kind of lip balm or salve, I like to use either a Pyrex measuring cup or a stainless steel bowl. If you have a double boiler, that's ideal. If not, you'll just need a small pot and, of course, something to store your finished lip balm in. That's just three supplies, total:
- Tempered glass jar or measuring cup
- Small pot or double boiler
- 4 oz mason jar, 2 oz tin, or 2 oz cardboard chapstick tubes
You can find 2 oz. tins or cardboard chapstick tubes (1 or 2 ozs.) easily online, which is perfect if you're planning on making the lip balm for multiple people. Otherwise, I find that a small, 4 oz. Ball jar is the perfect size for storing one batch of this recipe.
How to make honey lip balm with coconut oil
Whipping up a homemade lip balm only takes about 15 minutes, with most of that time taken up measuring or weighing the ingredients. Recipes with honey aren't quite as straightforward as a typical DIY lip balm, but starting is easy enough: just add the coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax to a double boiler over low heat.
Once those ingredients are melted, take them off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. This is the time to add in any vitamin E oil or essential oils you like, as well as the honey.
The honey should be room temperature, as adding in cool honey will encourage the coconut oil to re-solidify too quickly. Slowly stream it into the mixture while whisking constantly to disperse it. Then, quickly transfer the balm to its jar, tin, or chapstick tube and store it in the fridge to cool.
The honey is heavier than the oil, shea butter, and beeswax, so it has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the mixture. For that reason, it's best not to add it to the double boiler-- it likes to sink and stick (or even burn) at the bottom of the container.
That's also why I recommend putting the balm in the fridge to cool quickly, if you're making it in a warm house. Usually-- like when making candles-- you want beeswax to cool slowly, so that it doesn't crack. But if you're making the balm in a warm house, that could give the honey an opportunity to begin to separate.
How to keep honey from separating in lip balm
To avoid the honey separating from the oil, let the melted ingredients cool slightly before incorporating the honey. Then, stream in the room temperature honey while whisking to emulsify and quickly pour the lip balm into its final container before putting it in the fridge to cool. Encouraging the lip balm to cool and set quickly after mixing in the honey will give it less time to separate.
Honey will want to sit at the bottom of the mixture when it's added in, as honey and oil won't fully mix without an added emulsifier. So the goal with this lip balm is for the honey to be dispersed in small beads. This will require some quick whisking, which can be done by hand.
If you find that the coconut oil is starting to solidify, you can try using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed-- this might create enough friction to keep the coconut oil melted while the honey is being mixed in. If not, move the mixture back to the double boiler on low heat and whisk constantly so that the honey doesn't sink and stick to the bottom.
📖 Recipe
Honey Lip Balm Recipe
A moisturizing, healing lip balm that's easy to put together and lasts all year
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon beeswax (15 g)
- 1 tablespoon shea butter (15 g)
- 1 scant tablespoon honey (15 g)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil (30 g)
- ¼ teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
- 5-10 drops essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- In a double boiler, melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax over low heat
- Remove from heat and let cool 3-5 minutes. Add essential oils and vitamin E oil, if desired
- Stream in room temperature honey while whisking
- Once combined, pour into tin, jar, or chapstick tube and let cool. Should keep for up to a year
Notes
- Honey and oil won't naturally combine, so slowly streaming in the honey while whisking will help to disperse it throughout the mixture.
- If the honey separates and sinks to the bottom, whisk quickly to reincorporate
- If the coconut oil solidifies while adding the honey, move it back to the double boiler on low heat, stirring constantly, until the oil is just melted
Can you put raw honey in lip balm?
Raw honey is fantastic for homemade lip balms. Similar to refined vs. unrefined oils, raw honey is actually going to offer more benefits for your skin than processed honey.
How long does honey lip balm last?
Homemade lip balms made with honey can last for over a year, but it's best to replace them annually. You can extend the shelf life of your lip balm by storing it in the freezer or fridge between uses and making it with newly opened coconut oil. If you make it using a different carrier oil, like an olive oil lip balm, adding vitamin E oil can also help the balm to last longer.
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