DIY Cocoa Honey Balm

Lip balms are probably one of the easiest skincare products to DIY. There are numerous recipes online to choose from, but ultimately the formula you choose to use can be completely up to your preferences. If you are looking to make your own lip balm and don’t know where to start, my cocoa honey formula is a great beginners recipe, and works exceptionally well on a wide variety of skin types.

I have been doing my best to cut out products containing petroleum.  By doing so, I stopped buying many of the lip balms that I had grown to love, like the rose salve that I had made part of my nightly ritual for years and years.   

There are a ton of petroleum-free balms on the market, but there is always the benefit of choosing your own formula when making your own. Another plus is that you can make a big enough batch to share with friends and family, or stockpile for an apocalypse.

I have very sensitive, acne prone skin.  Coconut oil breaks me out like no other, and since this was going to be an all-purpose balm, I wanted to avoid using coconut oil if I was ever going to use it on my face.  I also didn’t want to use essential oils to add scent, as many of my friends have very conflicting tastes, and I was planning on making a humongous batch to give away.  I also wanted to use small metal tins for packaging, so that they could either be re-purposed or recycled when the balms were used up.

The recipe I threw together incorporates the beeswax I already had on hand from the beeswax wraps, cocoa butter, honey, and sweet almond oil.  I prefer a thicker balm formula that creates a barrier, and also wanted something with a gentle scent, so the beeswax and cocoa butter base with it’s natural scent was a perfect choice.  The sweet almond oil adds additional moisture, while honey adds more to that while also giving a subtle sweet flavour to the balm.  The end result was perfect, and my friends made sure to let me know how moisturizing it was and how great it smelled.

Ingredients/

Materials

1 cup of cacao butter

1/2 cup of beeswax

4 tbsp of sweet almond oil

2 tsp of honey

Small containers (I bought mine on amazon, just make sure to clean/sanitize beforehand!)

A double boiler (or homemade bowl and pot method!)

A glass measuring cup

The base of the balm.

Method:

Begin by melting the beeswax and cacao butter together in a double boiler. Once melted, add the sweet almond oil and honey and mix well. remove the top layer of the double boiler and place a heat-safe measuring cup into the boiling water to heat up. This is to prevent your mixture from hardening during the pouring process. Be careful not to get any water inside of the measuring cup.

This is when the chocolate and honey smell will fill your space…

Pour the balm mixture into the heated cup measure, and begin slowly pouring the balm into your tins, making sure to mix in between pours to avoid any separation.

You’re ready to begin pouring your balm!

Once you have filled your tins, allow for them to dry completely on a flat, level surface before covering. Keep an eye on any curious pets or children during this time to avoid any spills or contamination.

Once your balms are all dry, they are ready to use! you can now close the tins and apply some labels if you’re feeling fancy.

This balm is great for dry lips, cuticles, nails, knuckles, feet, or anywhere else where your skin may need a little TLC. The texture is pretty solid, so its best to apply it by taking a little piece out with your finger and gently massaging it in where you need it. I have been using it daily to help combat the dry, winter weather, and I can say that it has definitely soothed my dry, irritated skin. I hope you try this recipe out for yourself or experiment with creating your own formula! Everyone’s tastes are different, and DIYing allows you to customize to whatever your preferences are.