Thursday, October 12, 2017





Lip balm 101



Way back in January I began to search for the best and easiest recipe to make my own lip balm.  Many attempts later I think we have a winner.  I embrace a simple life and like recipes that don't require buying extra ingredients or equipment that take up space in my home  Economics and my valuable time play leading roles in selecting the best recipes.   Homesteaders must accomplish many task daily.  

The first thing we need to talk about is carrier oils.  There are many to choose from but I urge you to use oils that are readily available and in your budget.  Also, you need to do some testing to make sure you aren't sensitive to the oil.  (Just put a bit on your lips and see how you react).


Here are a few options for carrier oils:

Olive Oil-used in many cosmetics and available in most pantries

Sunflower Oil-heals damaged skin

Apricot Kernel Oil-for sensitive and mature skin

Avocado Oil-rich and slow to absorb

Castor Oil-adds gloss and smoothness to lip balm    

Next ingredient

Beeswax

I went to Fain's Honey located east of Llano, Texas and bought a slab of beeswax that might possibly last my lifetime. The beeswax candles from Market Square in Mason are pure beeswax and safe to use for this project.

An optional ingredient
Butters such as Shea, Cocoa, or Mango

Now for the recipe:

3 parts carrier oil

1 part butter

1 part beeswax

Combine ingredients in small pan then place the pan inside another pan with water to make a double boiler.
Beeswax is flammable so best to be safe.
Warm slowly until beeswax is melted then pour into lip balm containers.

Additions to lip balm

You can add your favorite essential oils.
For color you can add mica powder, here is a link to the brand and color that I use.

https://www.amazon.com/Powder-Metallic-Cosmetic-Slice-Moon/dp/B008KN18SC/ref=sr_1_12_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1507828870&sr=8-12&keywords=mica+powder+cosmetic+grade


About Deodorant

We discussed three options for deodorant at our class.  This article by The Healthy Home Economist will give you great incentive to make your own.

https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/10-reasons-why-store-deodorant-stinks/

Here are direction how to make a deodorant close to organic name brand deodorants.
http://www.sixfiguresunder.com/?s=deodorant

This article is a recipe you can use to make stick deodorant.

http://www.thankyourbody.com/homemade-deodorant-stick-recipe-sensitive-skin/

And then we have my simple recipe for deodorant that works great for us.
Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, stir then adjust to consistency you like.  You can adjust recipe with the seasons.




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