Home made lip balm is the healthiest thing you can put on your lips.

Here’s the thing

Rumour has it, our lips are 100 times more sensitive than our finger tips and they tend to dry out quickly due to the lack of sweat glands on the area. If this is true (which I don’t doubt), then we really ought to give them their worthy share of care and attention.

Nobody wants dry cracked lips, and I don’t think any of us really like putting stuff on our skin without being able to pronounce half the ingredients on the packaging. Beauty and skin care products are so chemically laden these days it’s scary.

Treat your lips to a healthy wholesome deep moisturising balm, straight from your own kitchen, and give the toxins a miss for a change!

I think you’ll find this little recipe works wonders, particularly during the colder months when skin takes a harsh beating from the elements.

The recipe

This simple lip balm recipe is far purer than most products you see in the shops – I’m open to adding to it, but it provides a very good basic balm with the hand full of ingredients below.

Give it a try, see what you think!

Ingredients

Natural beeswax (approx 1cm – 1.5cm cubed, don’t over do it or the balm will be too hard and caked on your lips)

Raw shea butter ( 1 teaspoon)

Coconut oil (1 teaspoon solid)

Maunka honey (1 teaspoon – I like the high strength UMF 15) or other honey

Cold pressed rosehip Oil (3/4 drops)

Peppermint oil (about 4 drops – or more if you like it extra minty)

I know some people like to add other things, like sweet almond oil – I guess you can try different things and figure out what recipe you prefer.

Makes at least three tube lip balms

This is all pure, and better value for money than buying from the shop. You might tweak the measurements and ingredients once you adapt i to suit you, or add other ingredients to it, but it gives you a starting point.

Melt the bees wax first because it takes ages – it melts quicker if to can break it up into smaller slices with a sharp pointed knife….you might want to leave it on a hob in a glass jug in a pan of hot water for a few minutes – stick with it!

Then add the coconut oil and shea butter to melt – keep giving it a good stir until the mixture is runny with no lumps or bits.

 

2. Give the mixture a good stir until it runs smooth with no lumps of wax, use a spatula to help it along.

3. Last but not least, add a few drops of peppermint oil and stir again.

4. Carefully pour the melted mix into empty lip balm tubes (or small balm pot) – you’ll need to be fairly quick before the mixture starts to solidify.

5. Voila!!! You have home made lip balm  – just give them 5 mins or so then they’ll be good to go, along with your lips!

These balms would also make good natural protectors on sensitive areas that burn easily in the sun.

….and just a few more things:

Beeswax: contains vitamin E, nourishes and moisturises, forms a protective layer.

Manuka honey: I can’t stress just how powerful and beneficial this product is – Manuka honey has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties (it is known to be more effective than antibiotics). You can apply Manuka honey to your skin neat from the jar – for a variety of topical treatments, and of course it works wonders on the inside too – take a teaspoon of the stuff raw now and again – especially when snuffles and colds are rampant.

Peppermint: as well as being a calming scent, apparently, peppermint oil makes your lips look/feel a bit plumper, as well as smelling and tasting fresh – pucker up then!

Shea butter: lots of vitamin E, great for elasticity and hydration.

Coconut oil: deep moisturising and reduces inflammation, plus antibacterial properties.

Rosehip oil: helps regenerate skin cells and tissue, smooths lines and wrinkles, moisturises, fades scars.