More fun with lip balm!

Ok, I couldn't help myself, I had to make more lip balm, this time with more clove oil. I made a much smaller batch this time, and I think I'm going to stick to around this size batch for the near future. Here is what I did this time:


1 tsp Beeswax Pearls
1 tsp Shea Butter
2 tsp Sweet Almond Oil
.15 tsp Clove Oil
2 capsules of vitamin E
scraping of Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in 'Fig'

(made 4 tubes)

I didn't want to get the different batches mixed up since I increased the clove oil so much (not sure the exact percent since I couldn't measure accurately  but I know I filled a 1/4 teaspoon less than halfway, so I am sure its under 5%) and if anyone is going to deal with skin irritation side effects I would certainly rather it be me then a unsuspecting guinea pig, er, friend or family member.  So in order to keep batch 1 distinguishable from batch 2,  I scraped off a little slice of Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in the color 'Fig' and added it to the second batch for color. Worked like a charm, the color came out more of a warm tan instead of so yellow. So far I like it better! I will have to wear it for a few days and make sure there are no weird side effects, but it smells lovely!

A comparison between the colors of batch 1 (right) and batch 2 (left)

Fun with Lip Balm

It seems like every time I fall in love with a lip balm it gets discontinued. For a while it was Chapstick Fresh Effects Green Tea Mint or Mandarin Orange. Then all the stores in my area stopped carrying them. I tried Burt's Bees Clove. Omg, I loved it. Suddenly they all went on sale - I bought every tube I could find! Only to discover the sale I was so happy about was due to the fact they were being discontinued! Guh! I remembered an article that I read on a blog where the writer made her own lip balm. So off to google to research DIY clove lip balm! I ran across TONS of recipes  I was overwhelmed actually, so I ended up deciding to stay pretty close to the original post I read. Here is what I used:


2 tbsp Beeswax Pearls
2 tbsp Shea Butter
4 tbsp Sweet Almond Oil
1/4 tsp Clove Oil
2 vitamin E capsules

(made 17 tubes)

They turned out pretty nice, I like the color and texture but I had been hoping for the clove oil tingle I get from Burt's Bee's. I ran some calculations on my trusty TI-89 (well my emulator anyways since my calculators are all at work) and found I only used about 1% clove oil. I think I'm going to try another batch and up the percentage, first to double check what percentages are safe to use - don't want my lips to go permanently numb or anything!