Guest Blogger Thursday - Sami's DIY Lip Balm

Hello readers! I'm writing to you from sunny Los Angeles, where I'm visiting my uncle and hoping to do some shopping and cupcake eating!

Today, I'd like to share with you a fun and easy recipe for lip balm (I call it "Mind Your Own Beeswax Lip Balm," because I like my products to have sassy names). This recipe yields 1oz, but since 1oz is a lot of lip balm, I suggest using two 0.5 oz containers (I use tins because you can re-use/recycle them). Here's what you'll need:

• 2 0.5 oz tins 
• 2 tablespoons grated beeswax or beeswax pastilles 
• 3 tablespoons coconut, castor, sunflower, or jojoba oil 
• 2 teaspoons vitamin E oil (optional, but I recommend it for its super-moisturizing properties)

Directions:

• Melt the beeswax and oils together in the top of a double boiler, stirring semi-frequently to combine. If you don’t have a double boiler, put the beeswax and oils in a Pyrex measuring cup within a pot of water (see image above).
• Once melted, carefully remove from heat and poor into your tin, let cool for about 30 minutes or so and voilà! Your very own lip balm!

A tip on finding ingredients: most can be found at your local organic supermarket (Whole Foods) or farmer’s market if you live near one. I had a hard time finding beeswax, so I ended up buying most of my ingredients online from Mountain Rose Herbs. They sell a lot of excellent supplies for making your own cosmetics (essential oils, butters, hydrosols, massage oils, etc), plus a variety of spices, herbs, teas, and jars to put them in! Many of their products are also certified organic and/or fair trade, so I really love buying from them.

Happy DIY-ing and have a safe, happy, and healthy new year!

P.S. In case you missed it, check out my sugar scrub DIY!