Using liquid stevia in lip balms

[Manda]

I bought some liquid stevia to try in my lip balms as some of the flavours I have need some sweetening, however, I have no idea how much to use or how to keep it incorporateded in the balm without sinking to the bottom of the jar as it sets.

I tried first just a few drops in a very small amount of balm but couldn't taste it at all. So then I tried 10 drops (about 1g) in 10g balm, thinking this amount would be overkill, yet I can only just start to taste it. Do you think this is too much? Can you have too much?

I'm wondering if the lack of sweetness is due to the stevia not incorporating in the balm well enough and just sinking to the bottom.

Any advice on appropriate amounts to use or how to get it incorporated will be appreciated!

 

[andreja]

I haven't made lip balm yet, but judging from what use, I guess that lip balm usually doesn't contain water. Is that right? If that's so, then when you add liquid stevia, you add water, which doesn't mix well with oils and butters, so you get emulsion that separates. So, you would need to add an emulsifier to stabilize the emulsion. But this way you'd get cream not lip balm.

 

[carebear]

yep - oil and water don't mix
(also oil doesn't mix with alcohol or glycerin)

sorry!!!

(this said, some say they manage by mixingmixingmixing- I cannot imagine how they make a stable product tho.)

 

[awi]

I have seen Stevia in a powder form....in little single serving size packets. Could you add it this way and dissolve it into the oils? I haven't made lip balm yet, so this is just an idea and I don't know if it would work or not!

 

[Manda]

Thanks guys. You're right, Carebear, about it not being oil soluble. Apparently it's "partially" soluble in oil according to the supplier so I guess next time I'll just mix it really really well and see if that works any better.