When creating your own homemade lip balm, you’ll often find that waxes like beeswax, soy wax, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax are commonly used as a base ingredient, also referred to as the foundation.
This is because they provide several benefits to your lip balm. Firstly, they act as a binding agent for all other ingredients such as liquid oils, colorants, and flavorings, helping to create a cohesive product.
Secondly, when mixed in proper proportions waxes add texture and firmness to your lip balm and keep it solid at room temperature.
Thirdly, waxes like beeswax have their own unique benefits such as providing a protective barrier on your lips, aiding in moisture retention, and having anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
If you prefer a wax-free or a vegan option for a lip balm base, hard butters such as shea butter, cocoa butter, and mango butter are excellent alternatives.
Since hard butters are technically solid oils, they can also act as a binding agent for other oils and oil-based ingredients in your lip balm. Hard butters also have a high melting point, so your lip balm can stay firm and solid at room temperature. However, keep in mind that hard butters do melt at a lower temperature than waxes and will melt if left in the sun.
Lip balm made with hard butters will have a silkier and creamier texture compared to lip balm made with wax. Additionally, each butter has its own unique benefits. For example, shea butter is rich in vitamins and fatty acids, providing nourishment for your lips, cocoa butter is known for its moisturizing properties, keeping your lips hydrated, and mango butter is high in antioxidants and emollients, providing your lips protection from environmental stressors.
See also:
- Note: Complete List of Carrier Oils
- Note: List of Plant-Based Carrier Oils
- Note: List of Animal-Based Carrier Oils
- Note: List of Plant-Based Carrier Oil Butters
- Note: Primary Ingredients for Homemade Lip Balm