Make Your Own--Natural, Non-toxic, Herbal Lip Balm

Did you know that cherry Chapstick contains ingredients linked to cancer? Check it out on Skin Deep's website.

Know what's protecting your lips by making your own lip balm. Kids will love it too! Be a GREEN PARENT and reuse old lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss containers while making this natural lip balm with the kids.

Got girls? Alkanet root imparts a pink to red coloring to the balm also offering protective, emollient properties. The longer it's simmered, the richer the red will be. Find it in a local herb shop or online (Mountain Rose Herbs). Perfect for little ladies!

Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar's recipe:

INGREDIENTS

makes approx. 4 oz

• 3/4 tsp alkanet root (optional)
• any emollient herb (calendula blossom, chamomile blossom, plantain leaf, etc)
  
• 1/2 cup almond or grapeseed oil
• 1/8 cup beeswax
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• essential oil to taste, start with a few drops (vanilla, mints, orange are pleasant)
• Containers - clean and recycle used lipstick, gloss, and/or chapstick tubes/tins or purchase new (The Ponte Vedra Soap Company). Will need roughly 16 - 1/4 oz containers.
  
• a small funnel (not absolutely necessary, but very helpful for filling tubes)
  
  
  

If using alkanet, simmer the root in the oil over low heat in a double boiler (make one by using a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan filled with 1" - 2" of water. The bowl should be above the water, not in it.) for about 15-20 minutes or until the oil has become a reddish black color. The deeper the color the redder your lip balm. Strain through a double layer of cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer. If using other emollient herbs, simmer in oil in the double boiler over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Add beeswax, honey and essential oil then taste test. Test for consistency by putting a dime size drop of the mixture on a plate and putting it in the freezer for 3 minutes. If the sample is too hard, add more oil; if it's too soft, add more beeswax.

Pour into containers. If the lip balm starts to cool and harden, clinging to the pot, just reheat. Let cool completely before capping containers.