I can't emphasize enough how much I need chapstick around me. Constantly. I have them stashed all around the house, and whenever I fly on planes, I bring multiple versions to double and triple check to make sure I'm not stuck away from the precious stuff.
And you know what else? These make an easy holiday gift. We're talking 15 minutes from start to clean up. You can do this.
In a pot over medium heat fitted with a double boiler, melt a little bit of beeswax.
Then add some coconut oil.
Then add some (a few tablespoons) honey and stir (might I recommend a plastic utensil OR a junky spoon you'll only want to use for stuff with beeswax).
Edited 5/22/12: if you are having trouble with "lack of measurements", it is because I just eyeball it. The measurements depend on how many tubs you want to make, and how big the tubs are. Start with about 1/3 cup of beeswax (solid), 1/4 cup of coconut oil, and 4 tblsp of honey.
Pour in to your containers of choice.
Let set for about 15 minutes, and then you're good to go!
If you want to "flavor" this, you have two options. You can add essential oils to the double boiler when everything is melted, or you can add a few drops of essential oil in to your container. If adding them in the containers, you'll want to stir with a toothpick right after you've incorporated the melted mixture.
For a harder chapstick, you'll want to go a bit heavy on the beeswax. For a softer chapstick, add more honey and a few drizzles of olive oil and/or almond oil and/or jojoba oil.
Can you tell me exact proportions?
ReplyDeleteYolanda, I don't measure. I'm what my family calls a "dump cook". I did a "double" batch above. For a smaller batch, I would say maybe 4 tblsp of beeswax, 10 tblsp of coconut oil, and 3-4 tblsp of honey. for the essential oils if you use them (I don't because it dries out my lips), maybe 25 (ish) drops?
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am a "dump cook" too, but I have had only a small amount of experience with beeswax and have no idea how much to use to make this stiff enough. I will try it! After I round up some suitable containers. :)
ReplyDeleteDump cooks feed the world! That needs to be needlepointed on a pillow.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that the measurements were of the items in "hard" form for the beeswax and coconut oil. For the beeswax, a little goes a long way. If you want the chapstick more like vaseline, go very light on the wax.
The silver tins are from an amazon purchase I made last year, and the glass jars are from Sunburst Bottle Company. They're about $.80 each I think. It's hard to tell by the photo, but they're pretty big!
What do you think about an empty (very clean) old glue stick? Or even an old chapstick case? So it would be more like a "Chapstick"? Do you think that would work? Can't wait to make this, by the way, because I am addicted to chap stick!!
ReplyDeleteI think it would work great! I would probably lean towards trying it with a chapstick container before a gluestick, but that is just me.
DeleteI'd love to hear if it turns out. Please check back and let me know if you end up making it!
Mrs.N. check on line under chapstick tubes and you will find lipbalmtubes.com where you can purchase brand new tubes to fill with your own chapstick fairly inexpensively.
DeleteSarah, I LOVE your lip balm and solid lotion recipes! Just made my first batch this morning, and gave you props on my blog ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greenorganicmama.com/2012/02/homemade-lip-balm-solid-hand-lotion.html
Wow, thank you so much for the linking! I'm glad you love the lip balm and lotion bars! The microwave trick is genius!
Deletewhere do you buy beeswax?
ReplyDeleteI've bought it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UBK5II?ie=UTF8&tag=thisb02-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B003UBK5II but you can also find it locally.
DeleteShockingly I just found a national honey producer locator: http://www.honeylocator.com/locator/find/
Also check out "bees" or "beekeeping supplies" in your yellow pages.
And/or hit a farmers market. Those people will likely know bee people.
Hobby Lobby carries beeswax in 1lb blocks.
DeleteWhere did you get the jars?
ReplyDeleteThose ones were from Sunburst bottling company. They sell wholesale prices. I've seen them at the fabric store as well for about $1.00. If you have a Joanns, and a ton of coupons, they'd be the same price as Sunburst.
Deletesuper timely response but... thought you might like to keep an eye out for those little glass jars that jellies come in from popular holiday baskets. My in-laws bring them back for the kids form hotels and when they go on holiday. The kids think the personal size is fun and I reuse the jars for all sorts of fun stuff. Freecycle postings also yield these!
DeleteGood Luck!
Just made this today and had an issue with the honey and wax separating. Any clue as to what might have gone wrong? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDid it separate once the chapstick cooled, or before? I've made tons of these, and I had one container separate (the other from the same batch didn't separate at all). Shoot me an email and we can troubleshoot it.
DeleteMade this today and my honey seperated also. All the honey came out in the last jar. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteShoot me an email and we'll troubleshoot it. The other person who had this issue has (likely) pinpointed it to product she used.
DeleteCan you kindly share what was the root cause for the separation so others do not repeat it? I'd love to try this as I too am a chapstickhalic. :)
ReplyDeleteShe thought it had to do with the beeswax that she used. She just bought some random stuff from Hobby Lobby.
DeleteWhat beeswax do you recommend? Hubby is on the way to Hobby Lobby for last minute gift ideas.
DeleteWhat beeswax do you recommend? Hubby is on the way to Hobby Lobby for last minute gift ideas.
DeleteI buy mine from a local honey store, or from Amazon. I honestly don't know the difference between stuff at stores.
DeleteWhere did you get the container to put it in?
ReplyDeleteThe glass containers with the white lid came from sunburst bottling company. I've purchased from them before for my vanilla extract gift bottles. Good company, but you have to order before they tell you the shipping cost which is weird.
DeleteThe metal tins (which are my personal favorite) are from Amazon.
My honey also would not blend in. it stayed at the bottom of the pot. I bought my beeswax from Amazon and used a good raw honey. Can I fix this batch or try again and start over.
ReplyDeleteTry remelting it? Was your water in the pot warm enough?
DeleteSarah - love your products. Just an fyi to make your measurements easier, 4 tablespoons is the same as 1/4 cup. I noticed on one recipe you listed one ingredient as 1/4 cup and another as 4 Tbsp. As for things not blending in, I have found it takes a while to get honey warm enough to blend in; because it is so liquid, it looks blended in but it is not really MELTED together. Have to be patient! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteis there a difference between Coconut oil and Coconut Extract? i grabbed extract without thinking and i'm not sure if it will do the job. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteYep. Coconut extract is probably a coconut flavoring, but coconut oil is actually a fat used in cooking. You can find it on Amazon, or in the cooking oil section, usually by olive oils.
DeleteCannot wait to try this! I'm also addicted to chapstick and love three idea of making my own! Coconut oil, vinegar and honey have been my bffs all summer long, can't wait to look at some of your other recipes! All of my sentences have ended in exclamation points!
ReplyDeleteThank You! Lucky for me I have bees and an unlimited supply of beeswax. I am a Southern girl, we never measure in the kitchen
ReplyDeleteHello my name is Vanessa and I am also a chapstick adict.I keep them in every bag, room and drawer in my home. I really want to try this but I don't know where I can buy beeswax in my town.
ReplyDeleteIn your edited version you say 1/3 cup wax and 1/4 cup coconut oil....in the comment section one or two down, you reversed the numbers...which is correct? Thanks - looks great!!
ReplyDeleteBernie, it depends on how you want them to "set". If you want a softer "gloss", more coconut oil and less wax. If you want a harder true "chapstick", you'd want more wax and less coconut oil. It's not a perfect formula; you can mix and match to your preferences.
Deletedoes this have to poured into glass jars? i have a bunch of plastic ones id love to use for this
ReplyDeletealso curious if this could be done in a crockpot on high heat for large batches
ReplyDeleteThe point is just to warm the oils enough to melt them, then you blend them together. You shouldn't have a problem using a crock pot, but low heat would probably suffice. It depends on your pot - due to USDA safety regs, the newer slow cookers get significantly hotter than the old ones.
DeleteAlso, you can use plastic or glass. :)
thank you, cause i can not find a double boiler anywhere!!! i finally ordered one off amazon, but Im anxious to try this :)
ReplyDeletewhat about using baby food jars?
ReplyDeleteIt would be a huge chapstick, it would work!
DeleteWell mine also separated. Can you give me a hint why and what to do about it?
ReplyDeleteHave you let everything heat low and slow. It can't be rushed or it causes separation.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have just discovered your site and it is awesome...lots of great ideas to try. A question about the chapstick and other things you make that have natural ingredients, are you ever worried about them turning or going bad or rancid? I have never made something natural like this and want to try but I wonder how long they last without going bad if they even do...maybe this is a dumb question but things like this roll around in my brain...lol! Thanks in advance for your response.
Hi, and thanks!
DeleteMy thinking is that I'll be able to tell if something has gone bad - the smell, the look, etc. Also, honey is (I think) the only food that never goes bad. It makes me think that beeswax, a product of bees (like honey), has long-storing properties.
I work with someone who used to make her own natural lotion. She just found some in her garage that was over 8 years old, and was still perfectly fine.
honey is the only food that never goes bad because it is too dense for bacteria to go and people actually can use it as a natural preservative
DeleteThanks for the recipe, however mine keeps separating even though I reheated all three batches and tried over with each one. No luck. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteShoot me an email (contact info at the top of my blog) and let's try to troubleshoot it. My guess is it is either your beeswax, and or honey.
Deletewhat would you suggest i use to make them different colours? would food colouring (UK) be safe?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen online, if you want to make then tinted, use a little bit of your favorite lipstick in the mix. I haven't done it, so I can't really speak to it.
Deleteyay, I made it!! I added a few things. My concoction consisted of beeswax, olive oil, vitamin E oil, coconut oil, scented with lemon grass as a bug repellent. So far they smell and look great. It took awhile to get the oils to mix. Thank you for sharing;)
ReplyDeleteI Just wanted to comment to say THANKS for sharing this recipe. I made a batch today and I am already addicted! I'm planning on trying your lotion bar next! Cheers, Kate.
ReplyDeleteI found some small jars at Hobby Lobby in with craft paints. They are 35x20mm round about the size of a carmex jar. 4 for $2.99 plus I had a coupon.
ReplyDeleteI tried your recipe and found that when I melted everything together I could not get it to mix. The wax stayed at the top. The first several tubes I poured were white and waxy and the last few were gold and sticky and didn't set. Suggestions? Are my proportions wrong?
ReplyDeleteYou have to heat it slow and low; don't rush allowing all the ingredients to fully incorporate. I didn't have a problem with things mixing, so if you are, leave out the honey and see if that works better for you.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on making this in a couple weeks. The beeswax I have is from a health food store. I have access to local raw honey. I've even found a double boiler at a thrift store. Just one question...how long and at what kind of temp is "slow and low?" Would it be something like for 20 minutes at a simmer? Is there a temperature to strive for, like 100 or 140 degrees? And could I sub out some of the coconut oil so I could add part of an infused herbal oil?
Sorry for all the questions :) It's just such a refreshingly nice recipe and I want to make it right.
I've never temped the actual mixture, but my stove goes from 0-10, and I melt this on a 5 or a 6 for about 15-20 minutes.
DeleteIf you sub out coconut oil for a more liquid oil, I'd up the beeswax ratio to make the end product more solid.
Thanks so much, Sarah :) I really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI just made this! So awesome. I only used a tiny stick of wax, plus the other ingredients, and made a combination of 17 tubs and sticks. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI just made a few batches today. Very fun craft project for my daughter and I. I too had problems with the honey so on future batches we left it out. Had fun playing with proportions of beeswax to coconut oil. We also added a couple of chunks of lipstick to add a smidge of color.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering what was the purpose (if any) for the honey? Also, I have noticed all of my SPF 15 chapsticks had parabens in them, and one reason I made my own was to go chemical free... I still need to make some by summer with some SPF in there. Any thoughts on what to add?? thanks!! Ann
Coconut oil has some natural SPF to it. Hope that helps.
DeleteCoconut oil has an amazing ability to heal the skin and block the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun. One of the reasons why it is so effective in protecting the skin is its antioxidant properties, which helps prevent burning and oxidative damage that promotes skin cancer.
I found little plastic jars at Wal Mart. About the size of a lip balm container. They are pretty solid. Do you think they hot mixture would melt them or no? They come in colors and are found in the sample size section of the pharmacy area. Packages 2 for $1.
ReplyDeleteI must say, thank you soooo much!! I have spend way too much money on chapstick, especially the organic store bought for almost $4 a stick. I purchased from amazon 12 chapstick tubes and used you amount of ingredients above. I still have about half remaining. Do you think I can keep it in the jar and re-boil it when the other tubes come in?
ReplyDeleteThanks Again!!
Christina
I don't see why not! Enjoy
DeleteI've heard in the past "1 part beeswax to 5 or 6 parts oil." I used both castor and almond oil in the same batch, with a tiny dollop of petroleum jelly added for a bit of that glossy feel. Comes out great. Add some lavender and vanilla essential oil, very soothing.
ReplyDeleteI've heard in the past "1 part beeswax to 5 or 6 parts oil." I used both castor and almond oil in the same batch, with a tiny dollop of petroleum jelly added for a bit of that glossy feel. Comes out great. Add some lavender and vanilla essential oil, very soothing.
ReplyDeleteLove this!! My niece is in heaven!!! She loves it!!! I added peppermint oil and a little food coloring and it turns out wonderful!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! I am also having troubles with separation. I'll try reheating it all super slowly, and plan to stir it a bit between each pour into the containers. I added a Tbs. of aloe gel and 5 drops each peppermint and eucalyptus oils to try and mimic my husband's favorite chapstick (natural ice). Hopefully I'll be back soon with a successful report!
ReplyDeleteI one time bought some chap stick, and I immediately stopped using it for the taste on my lips was awful. Does this chap stick have a bad taste to it? Does adding the honey make it not have one? And is olive oil an okay substitute for coconut oil?
ReplyDeleteThere are 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup. maybe this will savesomeone from having to do an extra dish : )
ReplyDelete