As the holidays approach, we are always thinking about gifts for our friends and family, especially handmade gifts. This easy DIY cocoa lip balm recipe can be made with only a few simple ingredients. And, who doesn’t love a little TLC for their lips this time of year!? Ready to get started?
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Cocoa Lip Balm Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 teaspoons organic unrefined coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure, filtered, unbleached cosmetic-grade beeswax pastilles
- 1 teaspoon organic cocoa butter
- 2 capsules of vitamin E (optional)
Directions:
- Bring a small pot of water to boil. Using a heat-safe bowl, place the bowl over the boiling water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.
- Place the coconut oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter in the bowl. Stir regularly to diffuse the heat. As soon as the items are all melted, remove from the heat.
- Optional: Open the two capsules of vitamin E and stir into liquid.
- Transfer the liquid into small glass containers while the mixture is still in a liquid state.
- Let the lip balm cool before placing the cap on.
Lip Balm Variations
If you want to vary the above recipe, add some essential oils to make a scent that your gift recipient will just kiss you for. Tip: You will only need to use a very small amount, about 1 or 2 teaspoons for each batch. Here are a few variations you might consider:
- Peppermint or spearmint oil (minty)
- Orange oil (sweet)
- Camphor (good for cold sores; only use one drop due to how strong it is)
- Tea tree oil (antiviral and antibacterial but can be an overpowering scent)
- Vanilla (sweet)
- Almond (sweet and can be combined with vanilla)
If you want your lip balm more glossy, use 1/2 tablespoon of castor oil after your other ingredients have melted (while they are still in the bowl over the heat). Stir it in until it is well mixed and remove from the heat.
Personalize packaging for the person you are giving this to based on their interests. You can also make several variations of this and give your friends a selection of lip balms.
Bonus Recipe: Gentle Lip Scrub
A nice complement to this gift is a lip scrub, which is great to use when your lips are very chapped (and whose aren’t this time of year?).
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (warmed to a liquid state)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Mix together in a small glass jar. Rub a small amount of this on your lips, exfoliating the skin gently.
Feature image courtesy of Toan Nguyen.
Editor’s note: Originally published on December 3, 2014, this article was updated in December 2020.