How to Make Lip Balm

Learning to make homemade lip balm will save you countless dollars and is also a fun DIY project. This project is beginner-friendly–all you need are a few ingredients and a little patience. You’ll be stocking your friends and family up on natural lip balm in no time, just like our homemade soap recipe and our DIY bath salts.

Lip balms are one of those necessities of life come a certain time of year (sometime between the leaves falling and the flowers blooming). Or maybe its when you’re on a trip somewhere with a drier climate than you’re used to. It seems like every few months I need to buy a new chapstick, but the problem is, I am quite picky about what I put on my skin. Crazy artificially-flavored chapsticks seem to have the corner on the market, and I am personally not a huge fan. 

I was ecstatic to come up with my own recipe for how to make lip balm. Since it was super easy to make, I went ahead and gave a few to friends and family. So, without further ado, here’s how to make homemade lip balm. 

The Benefits of Homemade Lip Balm

The natural ingredients in this homemade lip balm treat chapped lips in a holistic way. Rather than parabens and added chemicals found in store-bought balms, this recipe uses the bare minimum and works beautifully. Quality, organic ingredients like cocoa butter, beeswax, and natural oils boast many benefits. 

Cocoa Butter – Full of Vitamin E, cocoa butter adds a protective layer to lock in hydration and keep your lips healthy and happy. 

Beeswax – Found naturally amongst honey bees, beeswax is full of emulsifiers that seal lips to protect them from dryness. 

Coconut Oil – Containing lauric acid, coconut oil has healing properties for dry skin and lips.

Jojoba Oil – The antioxidants and fatty acids are wonderful for locking in moisture.

Sweet Almond Oil – The vitamins and rich texture break into chapped lips and heal from deep within.

Essential Oils – Food-safe and skin-safe essential oils add flavor and fragrance to homemade lip balm, if desired. Orange essential oil and sweet almond oil both contain healing properties for chapped lips. 

Add Flavor to Homemade Lip Balm

There are a number of ways to add flavor to homemade lip balm. One of the great things about this recipe, however, is that the beeswax brings a natural flavor to the balm. So you don’t need to add any additional flavor. We also love this DIY sugar scrub recipe for a natural beauty treat.

If you would like to add more flavor to homemade lip balm, here are a few easy flavor ideas to get started with: 

• coffee grounds
• vanilla extract 
• almond extract
• ground cinnamon
• ground cloves
• cocoa powder
• skin and food safe peppermint essential oil

Scan your pantry for more skin-safe and food-safe ideas. Comment below on your favorite combinations and flavors.

What You’ll Need

• 1 tablespoons beeswax
• ½ tablespoon cocoa butter
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil 
• 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
• natural flavors (optional) 

How to Make Homemade Lip Balm

Step 1

Here’s how to make homemade lip balm. Melt the beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil down completely. You can use a microwave-safe dish to melt it down, or simply use a stovetop. Stir until the ingredients dissolve together. Let sit for a few minutes. 

Step 2

Mix in any food and skin safe natural flavors that you desire into the melted compound. 

Step 3

Pour the mixture into chapstick containers or lip balm cannisters to harden and form that familiar lip balm texture we want. Let it sit for at least one hour, preferrably longer so that it creates a sealed finish. 

Tips for Making Homemade Lip Balm

Is this recipe vegan? 

No, it isn’t vegan. The beeswax is an animal product. If you don’t use animal products, swap the beeswax with a plant-based wax, like soy wax. 

Will this lip balm protect my lips from getting chapped?

Not necessarily! This homemade lip balm recipe helps prevent further cracking and dryness, however, the best way to address chapped lips is by drinking water and avoiding licking lips.