I’m sure everyone missed me terribly while I was off for Winter Break. 😉 But Lenni’s back and here’s one of the projects I did to keep the kiddo busy that didn’t involve a screen: Homemade Lip Balm.

I got all the supplies from Amazon pretty cheap. Including the tubes and a new measuring cup to use just for this; it was about $50. For 25 tubes, that’s about a buck a tube and since they’re for my personal use, I can refill them.

I used a cup of beeswax and three tablespoons of coconut oil. I literally splashed a bit of almond and tea tree oil in there just for fun with no measuring.

I put two tablespoons of the shea butter in, too. I didn’t NEED to, per se but hey, why not?

I used the double boiling method as suggested by several blogs. That second picture there was me wondering if this stuff was EVER really gonna melt.

But of course, it did.

In the end I filled every tube with some left over that I tossed in the first receptacle I had within reach; which is why there’s cupcake wrapper shaped ones. It made a fabulous mess and the tiny funnels I bought were a waste. The balm dried and clogged them up. In the end, I just poured directly into the tubes. With a steady hand, it wasn’t as hard as you’d think.

Unfortunately, the final product is WAY too hard to use on my lips. I think the shea butter made it that way but I can’t be sure. You may think I wasted all this time and money on lip balm I can’t use but nope! I have also been searching for a suitable product to use on my dry heels and elbows and this stuff? A fucking miracle. I should have summer ready feet in no time.

This is not something I’ll be making to sell on my site. This is a budget project; a test to see if making my own simple beauty products will save me money. My lip balm addiction is well known among my friends so this seemed like the logical product to start with and with a little tweaking, I’m sure I’ll get the formula right so I don’t have to buy ChapStick in bulk anymore. :p And hey, $50 to keep the kid busy for a good solid hour? With a little lesson in science? Can’t go wrong with that.