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Zero Waste Chapstick & Lotion

Beauty

Last Updated on January 23, 2024

I’ve never been very good at being “girly.” I hate lip gloss. It’s sticky and I just can’t get past that.

I’ve also never really enjoyed taking the time to slather on lotion. It seemed to be temporary and never a permanent solution to dry skin.

I started doing some research on regular ol’ lotion and I realized that’s part of their composition. They temporarily quench your skin only to dry it out in the long run to keep you buying their product.

I started looking at some “better” high end, organic products. But, I really wanted to try and make my own. I’ve heard good things about whipping coconut oil, but it’s too hot here.

My coconut oil is liquid every afternoon in the summer. We don’t have AC or heat out here. So, I wanted to try a beeswax base.

I’ve always been a big fan of chapstick. I’m at the very end of my plastic tube so I got to work experimenting in the kitchen.

I learned a little bit of beeswax goes a long way. And, it is so luxurious. I started using it as chapstick, then I started rubbing it on my hands, and now I’d like to slather my whole body in this stuff.

Let me tell you, my skin is so smooth.

 Aren't these little bars darling?  Aren’t these little bars darling?

Citrus Beeswax Balm

1 Tablespoon of Beeswax

2 Tablespoons of Vitamin E Oil

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (I used amphora’s lemon olive oil)

10 Drops Orange Essential Oil

This recipe fills two .25 oz metal tins. I filled the bottom of my cast iron pan with a little bit of water and brought it to a simmer.

I put a small clean, dry mason jar on the pot and melted the beeswax inside. Then add everything else and stir.

Pour it into your tins. It will cool in about an hour. It’s around the consistency of vaseline. If you’d like it to be thicker add a little more beeswax.

I love that this gives my lips the quality of lip gloss without being sticky or having the nasty chemicals.

I’d really like to add a little beet juice to try and tint it (UPDATE: Adding beet juice is amazing for lip-to-cheek colour).

Do you have any natural beauty products you like or make? I’d love to hear about them.

12 Comments
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  1. This is awesome. I have perpetual dry skin and I understand your pain of no AC! My house is a cool 85 degrees at least a third of the year. A couple questions: does it make you greasy or does it take long to absorb in the skin? Also, do you think I can replace the olive oil with my supply of avocado oil? Thanks!

    1. No! That’s the great thing about the beeswax it really evens it out. It takes barely anytime at all to rub in. It’s very light not heavy and greasy. I’m pretty sure you can sub any oil. I know you can use all olive oil instead vitamin e, but it makes it a little greasier. I think avocado would be great. Let me know how it turns out!

  2. You could also try to whip your cream when it’s cooled down to give it a lotion-texture. The one I made is very much the same (with the addition of coconut oil) and I love it!

    1. I tried whipping coconut oil several times. And, after each afternoon I came home to liquid. I’ve been using toothpowder, and I thought I might try using coconut oil, but when I come home it’s completely separated, liquid oil on top or it’s hard as a rock. The pains of not having heat or AC. Haha. But, I’m glad it works for you!!! Did you use beeswax as well?

  3. It might work in hotter places but I find that beeswax gets too hard when it’s colder & I don’t like the taste it leaves. I replaced coconut oil with glycerol (which remains liquid) when making toothpaste and even if it separates, it’s soft enough to stir back together again.

  4. Any suggestion for all of your DIY recipes to replace the beeswax? I am vegan and do not support using beeswax, but am unsure of which other wax would react the same in your versions. Any advice, or suggestions would be helpful! Thank you so much.

  5. I did the recipe and added a bit of beet juice. The texture is somptuous. However, it ended up growing mold because of the water content. I’ll do a plain one tonight and might try again with powdered beet.

  6. Where did you get the tins you put your lip balm in? I only use burt’s bees peppermint chapstick but would like to make it myself so I can stop buying their plastic tubes. Also, how strong was the orange essential oil with just 10 drops? I love burt’s bees because the peppermint feels like it’s doing something to my chapped lips with it’s southing mint, but whenever I try to buy other natural brands with peppermint it’s never enough.

  7. Hi and thanks for so many of those great ideas. Can you suggest what you might put into the "recipe" if you wanted the lip balm to have colour?