Lip balms are created just like salves, differing only in the ingredients:
First, you make the medicinal oil.
Then, you add beeswax to turn it in to a salve.
I always put things like coconut oil and vanilla in my lip balm, starting out with almond oil base rather than olive: I prefer a lip balm that is soothing, vitamin rich, tastes and smells good without being too overpowering.
The oils with the longest shelf life are coconut and olive: Both are very healthy oils. Almond is a little lighter oil, and has a nice subtle fragrance. Coconut oil is solid or semi-solid at any temperature below 78°. Olive oil will begin to solidify at temperatures around 40°: Almond oil solidifies at even lower temperatures. You will want to keep this in mind when making your salves and lip balms, as this will make a difference in regions that experience significant temperature variations between seasons
A lip balm with lots of coconut oil will actually melt in you hands or on your lips. Too much coconut oil will make the “salve” more of a liquid on your lips. But the coconut oil is so nice to have as an emollient to moisten and nourish… adding a wonderful fragrance and taste.
Natural Lip Balm
- Make a medicinal oil using 1 cup comfrey leaves or 1/4 cup comfrey root and almond oil (or olive oil) to cover, plus a little more. Let this infuse nicely.
- Strain the herbs out and add the 1 tsp. Vitamin E oil, 1 Tbsp. Tea Tree oil or Grapefruit seed extract, 1-2 Tbsp. Coconut oil, and 1 Tbsp. Vanilla .
- Make this into a lip balm the same way you make a salve… by using bees wax. Pour this into containers immediately because it begins to cool right away once you remove it from your heat source.
You may – in step #2 – wish to add lanolin, an essential oil, or another flavoring. There may be other herbs you want to infuse in the oil, as well. Try licorice root, lemon balm, orange peel, or peppermint for variety: There are no limits to variations and possibilities! At Wilderness Family Naturals, it is our goal to offer on-site, everything you will need to make any of the recipes we offer here: If there is anything that we do not currently list (or you cannot find), please contact us! There are several nice containers available to put your lip balm in, fro your personal use, to sell, or perhaps give as gifts to your friends. Of course ,baby food jars work well, too! You will be surprised how well you will like this lip balm… and how economical it is.
The grapefruit seed extract is optional: I have discovered that part of the problem with chapping might be that the wet, moist skin is fighting fungus. Skin becomes chapped when exposed to harshness (of any sort) and moisture. Either protecting the skin or keeping it dry, will usually keep it from becoming chapped.
The same is true for chapped lips: If they are kept wet by licking alone, they will chap very badly… much worse than if left alone. And lips usually do not require lip balm during the summer, unless they are exposed to wind and sun. It is the wind, low humidity, or sun in the environment – or the extra moisture that licking your lips adds – that causes problems with chapped lips.
By adding the grapefruit seed extract, I have found that we do not need to use lip balm all the time. The GFS extract seems to keep any opportunistic organisms in check, and rather than using lip balm throughout the day during harsh winters, we find we only need to use it every few days. We live in very harsh elements up here: Temperatures can be -30° to -40° below zero, with high winds for weeks, and our wood heating system really draws the moisture out of our house.
Regaining Health Naturally’s how to use herbsreference.
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