To continue the theme of DIY natural lip care recipes, I am sharing this recipe for homemade herbal lip balm. I love mine homemade lipstick AND colored lip balm, but sometimes I just want something for dry lips. After gardening or outside in the wind/snow, my lips can start to chap, but I don't want color or shine.
This recipe is also great for boys and kids as it is not brightly colored or strongly scented. The natural lip balm uses an optional nourishing herbal infusion that helps heal and protect the lips. You can also leave out these ingredients for an unscented version that still provides hydration. Plus, it's easy to add a little more healing scent and fragrance with essential oils if you want.
I also love that this herbal lip balm lasts practically forever as a little goes a long way. Organic lip balm is also great for stocking stuffers and small gifts!
Herbal lip balm
The herbal ingredients are naturally moisturizing, antibacterial and anti-fungal. Some people have had success using it for it accelerate the healing of cold sores. It also has no petroleum or synthetic ingredients like most commercial lip products, so you can feel safe using it on yourself or your kids.
Here I used a mixture of echinacea, comfrey, plantain, calendula and a few others. Chamomile and lemon balm are also nice botanicals to add. Lemon balm specifically helps with cold sores, so it's a good addition if they're a problem for you.
Other nutritional components
I use a liquid oil thickened with organic beeswax as the base of the herbal lip balm. Some seed oils, such as almond, apricot, and avocado oil, work well here. However, apricot and avocado are thicker and need to be thinned with something like olive oil, sweet almond or coconut oil.
You can also replace some beeswax with shea butter or cocoa butter. Keep in mind that shea butter is much milder than beeswax, so you may need to reduce the liquid oil slightly to compensate.
Flavoring your herbal lip balm
I usually leave this unscented, but you can add some fragrance with essential oils if you prefer. Sweet orange, lavender, and even frankincense are some good options. Or sometimes I'll add some mint. You can also make a chai version with some cinnamon leaves (not the bark) and cardamom essential oils.
Phototoxic essential oils, such as bergamot and lime, should not be used.
How to insert the oil
There are several ways to infuse herbs into liquid carrier oil. The longer version is to combine the herbs and oil in a glass jar and let it infuse for 2-4 weeks. You will want to shake the jar occasionally. The fastest option is to use a double boiler. Place the herbs and oil in a double boiler for 1-3 hours over low heat until the oil turns a deep green color.
After injection, strain the herbs by pouring the mixture through a cheesecloth. Let all the oil drip off and then squeeze the herbs to extract the remaining oil. Compost your plants when you're done.
You can store your finished creation in a tin, or use a lip balm tube for even easier application.
Herbal healing lip balm
This nourishing lip balm is infused with healing herbs for chapped and sore lips. Great for all ages and boys too!
Yield: 4 ounce
-
Pour the herbs into the liquid oil. See above for more details.
-
Heat 1/4 cup of the infused oil in a double boiler with the beeswax until melted and blended. Save the extra oil to use on wounds/cuts or another batch of lip salve.
-
Remove from heat and stir in essential oil and vitamin E oil (if using).
-
Pour into small containers, glass jars or lip balm tubes and use on dry or chapped lips.
- Store in a cool, dry place and use clean hands to apply.
- This will last for about 6 months if stored properly (slightly longer if you use vitamin E oil).
Another easy DIY I love is mine Mint Chocolate Lip Scrub.
Do you ever get chapped lips? Have you ever injected an oil? Let me know below!
