Olive oil lip balm is easy to put together, takes just four essential ingredients, and is a super budget-friendly alternative to commercial chapstick. Here's how to make your own olive oil chapstick in less than half an hour.
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I've been experimenting this year with different types of chapstick alternatives-- including shea butter lip balm and even honey lip balms-- and I've noticed that they all feel distinct from one another. This olive oil lip balm is certainly softer than others I've made, but it's also maybe the most hydrating.
This recipe makes twelve ounces of chapstick, which I've portioned into six two-ounce chapstick tubes. These would make perfect stocking stuffers, or they can be kept in the fridge or freezer for up to a year and pulled out as needed.
Olive oil chapstick ingredients
Though this recipe calls for six ingredients, you really only need three ingredients to make a healing olive oil chapstick: olive oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter. Shea butter can be used in place of cocoa butter (in equal proportions), but I wouldn't recommend skipping the cocoa butter altogether-- it's at least as moisturizing as olive oil, but it gives a smoother, less greasy feeling texture.
Here's exactly what you'll need:
- 4 heaping tablespoon beeswax
- ⅔ c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cocoa butter or shea butter
- ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
- 10-15 drops essential oil (optional)
You'll also need something to decant the balm into. I recommend these cardboard chapstick tubes, but you could also opt for small aluminum tins or even a small, 4 oz. Ball jar.
I like to use a homemade infused oil for balms and salves. For a healing olive oil lip balm to be used on chapped lips, I use either calendula oil or rosemary oil-- or you could use both!
How to make olive oil lip balm
Making lip balm is surprisingly easy and only takes fifteen or twenty minutes. To start, just add the beeswax, olive oil, and cocoa butter to a double boiler and set it over low heat.
If you don't have a double boiler, you can use a small pot of water and either a metal bowl or a tempered glass container, like a measuring cup or Ball jar.
Keep the ingredients on the double boiler until they've all melted together. If you're not sure about the consistency at this stage, dip in a metal spoon and put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. That hardened balm will be the consistency you can expect from the final product. For a softer chapstick, add more olive oil; for a harder one, add more beeswax.
Once you're happy with the consistency, remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for just a minute or two. Then add in your essential oils and vitamin E oils, if desired, and mix to combine.
Finally, pour the chapstick into the tubes (or jar, or tin) you'll be storing it in and let it rest until it's fully set. Beeswax has a tendency to crack if it cools too quickly, so there's no need to put it somewhere cold to solidify. Once the chapstick has hardened, I recommend storing it in the fridge until you're ready to use it-- this will help to extend its shelf life.
📖 Recipe
Olive Oil Lip Balm Recipe
A deeply moisturizing DIY lip balm that's easy to put together, takes just four essential ingredients, and is a super budget-friendly alternative to commercial chapstick
Ingredients
- 4 heaping tablespoon beeswax (30 g)
- ⅔ c. olive oil (115 g)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa butter (15 g)
- ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
- 10-15 drops essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Add beeswax, oil, and cocoa butter to a double boiler over low heat and melt until combined
- Remove from heat and add essential oils and vitamin E oil, if desired
- Pour into clean, dry container and leave to cool
- Once set, store in the fridge between uses. Should keep for one year.
Notes
- Some essential oils can irritate skin and shouldn't be used in lip balms. This includes clove and citrus oils.
- Olive oil chapstick can keep for as long as 18 months, but it's best to replace it annually.
- Homemade infused oil can be used for a more nourishing chapstick. I recommend rosemary oil, calendula oil, or yarrow oil.
Is olive oil better than lip balm?
Olive oil on its own isn't as beneficial as lip balm or homemade chapstick made with additional ingredients like beeswax, vitamin E oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter. While olive oil can be very moisturizing, adding it to a lip balm makes it easier to apply and comes with the added benefits of all of those ingredients.
Can you use extra virgin olive oil in lip balm?
Extra virgin olive oil is fine to use in homemade lip balm. Though it does have a shorter shelf life than refined olive oil, it also contains more of the polyphenols that help to protect skin from UV damage.
Can olive oil irritate lips?
Using olive oil on oily or sensitive skin could cause some irritation. Olive oil is also slightly comedogenic and doesn't absorb into the skin easily, so getting it on the skin around your lips repeatedly could cause breakouts.
Though olive oil is fantastically moisturizing, some studies have found that it can exacerbate eczema and have a detrimental effect on the skin barrier. But olive oil is also rich in the antioxidants that keep skin healthy, and it may even help to mitigate damage from sun overexposure, so it may work well for some and poorly for others.
I encourage you to do your own research, and maybe even start by just dabbing a bit of olive oil on your forearm or the top of your hand first, if you're worried that you might have a reaction to it.
Which oils are best for lip balm?
I personally enjoy coconut oil and sweet almond oil for lip balms. Sweet almond oil is particularly soothing, is less comedogenic than olive oil and coconut oil, and has a higher concentration of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
How long does homemade olive oil chapstick last?
Olive oil lip balm should be replaced each year, even if the olive oil that was used to make it had a shelf life of 18-24 months.
To extend the shelf life of your homemade chapstick, you can store it in the fridge or freezer until it's ready to use. Once it is in use, keeping it somewhere dark will avoid the olive oil degrading from sun exposure. Adding vitamin E oil, as this recipe calls for, can also help to extend the shelf life.
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