Lip Balm Basics: Butter University / College of WaxyOil

So, I decided to make my own lip balm, and have a few recipes to try, now I need to pick the ingredients.

I want to keep it 100% natural, and I want to research and learn bout all the different oils/butters/ waxes, but don’t even know where to start. Some vendors, describe certain properties, but some don’t and I don’t even know what to do with some of the info. Should I worry about the comedeogenic index, for lips ? What do things things smell like ? Is there a ranking of the most moisturizing ? Will Olive Oil in my Lip balm smell like dinner ? Does Lanolin taste like mutton ? Meltpoint, Graininess, allergens, shiny v. sticky. Have I lost my mind?

Then, what about stuff like.. omg, THIS:

“The major fatty acids in olive oil triacylglycerols are:
Oleic Acid (C18:1), a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. It makes up 55 to 83% of olive oil.
Linoleic Acid (C18:2), a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid that makes up about 3.5 to 21% of olive oil.
Palmitic Acid (C16:0), a saturated*fatty acid that makes up 7.5 to 20% of olive oil.
Stearic Acid (C18:0), a saturated*fatty acid that makes up 0.5 to 5% of olive oil.
Linolenic Acid (C18:3)(specifically alpha-Linolenic Acid), a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid that makes up 0 to 1.5% of olive oil.”

So. I’m happy to research and order some stuff and test batch, I sort of don’t even know where to start with the research, and, there is a lot to consider. Any ideas ?

Thank You.

OK, let's take this one issue at the time, shall we?

1. Most oils that are safe for you to eat, are safe for lips/skin.
2. You really only need to understand the fatty acids if you are making soap.
3. Most edible oils carry very little (if any)scent once they are mixed into lip balm.
4. Oils other than edible ones can be used for lip balm.
5. Some butters, like cocoa and shea, need to be tempered before using in lip balm to avoid graininess.(just Google tempering cocoa butter or shea butter to get specifics)
6. If you have not made homemade lip balm before, you need to start with very small batches to learn what you like, and what you don't before ordering expensive stuff.
7. Do you have trouble with comedones(blackheads, whiteheads, zits, pimples, etc)? If not, then the comedogenic properties are not very important to you. If you do have trouble with them, then it probably is fairly important.

I would begin with a simple Walmart type recipe. One where you can buy almost if not everything from Walmart. Olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax or soy wax. Figure out what proportion of which ingredients gives you a texture(or hardness) you like.

My basic lip balm recipe is:

Coconut oil(solid at room temperature)-10g
Olive oil(the yellow stuff, not EVOO)-12.5g
Beeswax-7.5g
Vitamin E 1000 IU capsule squirted in.(snip the end with scissors)

I melt these in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave, heating 30 seconds at the time. I tried the double boiler method, but got water droplets in it.(which can lead to spoilage) I then let the whole thing cool off to test the texture. Add essential oils if I am making it for someone else. If it is too hard, add 2-3 g more olive oil. Too soft, add 1 g of beeswax. Cool this batch off, then retest. This makes me around 7 tubes of lip balm. Which lasts me about 6 months. I usually clean and sanitize 8 tubes just in case.

Take notes of what you added, and what you think of each batch. Once you get your first basic recipes made and figure out what proportion of liquid oils to solid oils/waxes you like, THEN you can go substitute out different oils and butters. Be very sure to write down everything. And I do mean everything. You may forget that butter A makes your lips more chapped, or that this wax needs a much higher proportion than beeswax. But your notes won't forget. Keep the failure recipes also. Write down WHY they did not work. This is how you will get to your own perfect recipe.

oh wow, Wow, thank you so much ! Thanks !

I did find this interesting site, today, it lists butters, the properties, shelf life, and consistency.

http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/butters.html