So I may as well blog about something else I've been doing this week. And it helps me write down the recipe while I'm going too.
This week I made lip balm.
Now there are two schools of though with your basic lip balm. There's:
1/3 wax (beeswax, candilla wax, macadamia wax etc)
1/3 soft oils (liquid at room temp)
1/3 hard oils (solid at room temp)
The other school of thought is slightly more complicated:
- 40% oils liquid at room temperature (sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado, grapeseed, hemp seed, macadamia, olive, sunflower, etc.)
- 25% oils solid at room temperature (coconut, lanolin, palm, mango butter, shea butter)
- 20% Wax (beeswax)
- 15% oils brittle at room temperature (cocoa butter, palm kernel, etc.)
This is paraphrased from: http://www.lemelange.com/lip_balm_recipes.htm
Although I have made lip balms in the long dark distant past, I never made one that was "perfect". So I thought I would once again have a further play.
So the recipe I designed was:
2oz Cocoa Butter
2oz beeswax
2oz jojoba oil
2oz meadowfoam oil
a touch of honey to sweeten
This is:
1/4 solid room temp (cocoa butter)
1/4 wax (beeswax)
1/2 liquid oil at room temp (jojoba and meadowfoam)
Left it completely unflavoured. This produced a softer lip balm, better for tins rather than a tube. Should be very moisturising and perfect for a northern hemisphere winter. Might be a little too soft for summer. Made around 15 x 10ml tins. Its a tweaking of this original recipe: http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/recipe/recipe.asp?recipe_id=86
So today I'm going to try the other school of thought nd make a flavoured lip balm. My thoughts are:
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
2 oz. Shea Butter
1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz. Evening Primrose
1 oz. Jojoba
1 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
1 oz. Beeswax
1 oz Candelilla wax
1/2 tsp. Liquid Vitamin E
20 to 25 drops Flavoring Oil
This is:
40% liquid room temp
20% solid room temp
20% wax
20% brittle
Original recipe from here: http://www.tlcsoaps.com/lipbalm.htm
Should make a slightly firmer recipe. Also the addition of the candelilla wax should give it a shinier finish.
UPDATE: Ok I used apricot oil instead of almond oil and yes it did indeed give a firmer and shinier texture. Fells more like a lipstick where the first batch felt more like a balm or lotion.
I am happy with how both these turned out. Now to label and send off. Later! Gotta finish the cards first :)
Although I have made lip balms in the long dark distant past, I never made one that was "perfect". So I thought I would once again have a further play.
So the recipe I designed was:
2oz Cocoa Butter
2oz beeswax
2oz jojoba oil
2oz meadowfoam oil
a touch of honey to sweeten
This is:
1/4 solid room temp (cocoa butter)
1/4 wax (beeswax)
1/2 liquid oil at room temp (jojoba and meadowfoam)
Left it completely unflavoured. This produced a softer lip balm, better for tins rather than a tube. Should be very moisturising and perfect for a northern hemisphere winter. Might be a little too soft for summer. Made around 15 x 10ml tins. Its a tweaking of this original recipe: http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/recipe/recipe.asp?recipe_id=86
So today I'm going to try the other school of thought nd make a flavoured lip balm. My thoughts are:
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
2 oz. Shea Butter
1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz. Evening Primrose
1 oz. Jojoba
1 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
1 oz. Beeswax
1 oz Candelilla wax
1/2 tsp. Liquid Vitamin E
20 to 25 drops Flavoring Oil
This is:
40% liquid room temp
20% solid room temp
20% wax
20% brittle
Original recipe from here: http://www.tlcsoaps.com/lipbalm.htm
Should make a slightly firmer recipe. Also the addition of the candelilla wax should give it a shinier finish.
UPDATE: Ok I used apricot oil instead of almond oil and yes it did indeed give a firmer and shinier texture. Fells more like a lipstick where the first batch felt more like a balm or lotion.
I am happy with how both these turned out. Now to label and send off. Later! Gotta finish the cards first :)
