Homemade Lip Balm: It’s Not As Hard As It Looks

With all of the recent concerns over harmful chemicals in our primpers coupled with lack of regulation by government agencies, it's easy to see the appeal of making your own beauty products. What better way to guarantee the purity of what's going on your skin and into your body? Unfortunately, making our own perfumes and skin creams is a bit out of our skill range right now — we always end up with lumpy, weirdly colored goop that smells like patchouli and that weird person hovering at the farmers' market.

One product we have managed to re-create on our own, to mostly positive results: lip balm. What seemed like a daunting (and messy task) at first wasn't so scary once we did some research and figured out what we needed (hint: its not exactly what you think). And with the help of Marissa Shipman, CEO and creator of The Balm Cosmetics we were on our way. Shipman started her company in her kitchen with 11 books she'd ordered online. We aren't quite that ambitious but we had to admit, creating our own custom lip balm seemed beyond cool.

Marissa assured us, it isn't as hard as it looks. Phew. “All you need is beeswax, castor oil, and shea butter. Beyond those basics, food coloring, chocolate bits, and so many more creative ingredients can be added to have a lot of fun with making your own lip balm. The web is a great resource for finding at-home cosmetic recipes.”

Excuse us, did you say chocolate bits? We're hooked. Once you find the scent or flavor that suits you, there's no end to what you can create. Creating your own personalized concoction is as easy as melting your base (the three initial ingredients we already talked about), adding your flavor of choice, mixing evenly, and packaging it. You can experiment with different bases and essential oils until you get the perfect balm for you. And, with so many resources available online, there's no reason why you too can't be the next kitchen magician.