I love natural lip balms that smell like vanilla or berries, citrus or even peppermint and many other flavors that are sold, especially when they are made with organic ingredients!

I have been wanting to make my own lip balm for awhile, so this recipe is definitely something I’ll be making for myself in the near future—but first I want to use up my Certified Organic Badger Vanilla Bean Fair Trade Cocoa Butter Lip Balm. It has the USDA Organic seal, and all of the ingredients are natural with no bad stuff: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fair Trade Certified Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Castor Oil, Extracts of Vanilla, Seabuckhorn Berry, Rosemary, Rose Hip, and Aloe Extract. I paid $5 for this tube at my local health foods store. I just love the smell and the feel of this balm on my lips! I just want to eat it!

But back to the recipe, listed below is a rich lip balm that can be used all year round. You can also use it as a mild anti-bacterial ointment when applied to cuts and scrapes and helps prevent scarring.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon honey (I’m using raw honey!)

1 tablespoon soybean or almond base oil (almond base oil for me!)

1 1/2 teaspoons beeswax (make sure to get cosmetic-use beeswax)

5 drops vanilla essential oil (YUM!!!)

RECOMMENDED FOR: everyone, especially children-(flavor and texture are like vanilla honey fudge).

PREP TIME: approximately 30 minutes, plus 2 hours for flavor and consistency to synergize and set

BLENDING TOOLS: small whisk or spoon

STORE IN: small plastic or glass jars or tins (I’m using glass jars of past lip balms that I’ve used before-Burt’s Bees has their lip balms in glass jars-once they are empty, you can re use the jar).

YIELD: approximately five 1/4 ounce containers or 2 1/2 tablespoons

In a small saucepan over low heat or in a double boiler, warm oil, honey, and beeswax, until the wax is just melted.

Remove from heat, add the essential oil, and stir to blend. Set the pan in a shallow ice-water bath. Using a whisk or spoon, stir rapidly for 30-60 seconds until the honey is incorporated and the formula is like thick peanut butter. It will be a pale yellow-brown color.

Spoon the mixture into storage containers and cap. Let the mixture set for 2 hours before use.

No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and taste, please use within one year.

Source: Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles (2007)

My Certified Organic Badger Vanilla Bean Cocoa Butter Lip Balm!