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If you are looking for a 100% cruelty-free vegan lip balm recipe, it is best to make your own vegan lip balm recipe with a beeswax substitute like candelilla wax. There are several alternatives to beeswax but candelilla wax is my favorite.
Lip balm is one of the easiest DIY beauty product you can make at home. If you are vegan or like me concerned that using beeswax may support the disappearance of bees then carry on reading!
Did you know that many bee farmers clip the queen bees’ wings, and kill the drone to avoid swarming? Swarming is when the bees start moving from the beehive to another location to find more pollen. Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honey bee colonies. Bee keepers also damage and kill bees when harvesting the honeycomb and use artificial food or pesticides if the beeswax is not certified organic.
“Like other factory-farmed animals, honeybees are victims of unnatural living conditions, genetic manipulation, and stressful transportation“
If you are interested in learning more about the honey industry, you can read more on Peta’s website.
What is candelilla wax?
Candelilla wax is a completely plant-derived wax, produced from the South American candelilla shrub. Candelilla wax is high in both fatty acids and resin, which makes it a great substitute for beeswax in homemade beauty products. It is quick absorbing and also very emollient, making it great to soothe chapped lips!
Candelilla wax is harder than beeswax, so you will need to take this into account when making your own lip balm. It’s melting point, around 70 degrees Celsius, is also higher than beeswax’s 63 degrees. It can also take up to three days to harden after melting, which means that your lip balm will take longer to set. Patience is a virtue!
That said, its natural anti-inflammatory properties and moisturizing capabilities make it an excellent choice for vegan lip balm recipes.
Other vegan wax alternatives to beeswax for homemade lip balms
If you cannot find candelilla wax or want to experiment with other waxes, there are several other options:
Rice bran wax is made by cold-pressing rice oil. It has a high melting point around 80 degrees Celsius. It’s high antioxidant content can provide a boost to dry lips and help to prevent oxidative damage.
Carnauba wax is harvested from trees in Brazil. It is a hard wax like candelilla, with a high melting point of 82 degrees Celsius. The price is higher than beeswax, but because its harder, you will not need as much.
Soy wax is derived from soybeans and has the same hardness as beeswax so it can be used in the same ratio in traditional beeswax recipes. That said, it can be a bit tougher to work with because its melting point varies and can be anywhere between 49 and 80 degrees Celsius. Most soy in the United States is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides, so be careful to choose a non-GMO, organic soy wax for your lip products.
Sunflower wax is created from sunflower oil. Its melting point is around 78 degrees Celsius. As a harder wax it can improve texture in your lip balm. It is high in linoleic acid, which helps to fortify and nourish the skin.
Creating flavor in your homemade lip balm
Once you have selected the primary wax for your lip balm, you can create different flavors and scents by using essential oils. Most essential oils carry their own health benefits, and can also be selected for their nourishing properties.
Peppermint essential oil is a common choice for lip balm. It is soothing and refreshing on the skin, and is naturally antimicrobial. It will tingle your lips and as an added benefit, it can even help make breath fresher!
Coffee essential oil is also a good choice for lip balm, and has an invigorating effect on the body and mind.
You have plenty of options when it comes to making vegan lip balm at home that is full of clean, nourishing ingredients and completely cruelty free. Candelilla wax makes an excellent substitute for beeswax, and because it harder, you can actually use less and save money!
By getting creative with essential oils, you can create homemade products that are just as luxurious and interesting as store bought items, and with only ingredients that you trust.
Vegan lip balm recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp of Candelilla Wax
- 6 tsp of organic coconut oil
- 2 tsp of organic refined Shea Butter
- 15 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Instructions
- Melt wax, oils and butter in a double boiler on low heat.
- If you do not have a double boiler, simply use an aluminium bowl placed in a pan filled with warm water.
- Once everything has melted, mix well with a spoon.
- Add the essential oils.
- Pour into lip balm containers right away.
- If it has already starting to harden, don’t panic! Put it back into the double boiler for a few seconds until it melts again and pour the rest in the containers.
- Let it cool for one or 2 hours until it has completely solidified.
- Apply on your lips as often as needed!
- The shelf life of this vegan lip balm is about 1 year, depending on the shelf life of the oils and butters you have used. It does not need to be refrigerated.
- Yield: about 1.5 oz (7-8 plastic lip balm containers).
This lip balm is nice and smooth, it is also glossy and shiny depending on how much you put on.
Please do let me know in the comment below if this vegan lip balm recipe is helpful and if you have any questions!
Don’t forget to share it with your friends on social media, we need to spread the word on how easy it is to make vegan lip balm at home.
I hope you have enjoyed my recipe, please share the love and rate ***** in the comments below!
I’m Eve, a DIY organic skincare recipe creator since 2010 that loves to make a big mess in the kitchen!
I’ve embarked on a journey to empower women to ditch all the chemical-filled commercial beauty products and to share how to make your own organic beauty recipes at home towards a healthier lifestyle.
Homemade face & body creams, body butter, lips balms, face masks, shampoos, and all-natural perfume will have no more secret for you!
I am self-taught, read many books, and spend many hours in the kitchen creating brand new homemade beauty recipes. All my recipes are unique and are tested on humans!
In 2016, I studied Aromatherapy and became certified by the School of Natural Health Sciences.
O goodness this recipe is perfect I added 15 drops of frankincense and my lips feel amazing I have made chapstick for a few customers but I had one ask if I could make one without beezwax and I found this recipe which I will now use for myself thank you!!!
Thank you for the recipe and information on ingredients to use. I made it following the recipe, however I’ve found that since the ratio of coconut oil (which melts easily) to other ingredients is higher, it liquifies too easily. What would your suggestion be to avoid that from happening? Thanks!
Please do not use aluminum bowl for cosmetic making. Only use glass or stainless steel bowl. Thank you for your attention go this issue.
Why?!
The same best practise rule applies to cosmetic making as it does to cooking – aluminium reacts with low pH (acidic) & high pH (alkaline) ingredients such as fruit acids etc., allowing aluminium particles to leach into the finished formula. As adjusting a formula’s pH is usually the last stage in the making process, & it’s difficult to know if you’ve kept your formula between 4-9pH during the making process, it’s probably better to be safe, & stick to glass or stainless steel.
TBF, I can’t imagine the recipe author doesn’t know this, so it’s probably just a proof-reading oversight.
Can you use any other kinds of oil beside coconut?
Author
You could but it would change the texture of the lip balm! If you want to make a lip balm without coconut oil then take a look at this recipe: https://www.organic-beauty-recipes.com/diy-lip-balm-recipe/
I did 2 batches, one with cinnamon and peppermint essential oil. I used lip tins I bought on amazon. Mine came out really good. Thanks, fun and easy to do! Really lovely blog/information.
Author
so glad to hear Raya, please spread the love 🙂
This is an excellent recipe! My lips feel amazing! I am making it for my whole family for the upcoming Christmas holiday!
Author
awesome, thank you andrea!!
Hii I’ve just attempted my first batch, and they are currently cooling. My trouble now is cleaning it all from the equipment I have used. Any tips please?? Xx
Author
Hi Amie,
For cleaning, please let all the equipment you have used run under hot water in your sink so the wax melts. Let it run for a little while until the majority of the wax is gone, then use dishwashing soap and a sponge to clean the utensils.
Hi — wax flakes vary in size depending on the brand, so a recipe calling for one teaspoon isn’t all that useful. Perhaps you could weigh the amount you use and convert it to grams for us?
Author
my recipe is forgiving but since you ask:
1g candelilla wax
6g coconut oil oil
2g shea butter
Is this candedilla wax considered organic? Or like the other vegan wax substitutes you introduced….are they all considered organic?
Hey, if I want to make the lip balm more creamer for long lasting do I add for Shea butter? I don’t want it to be harder, I like the consistency I just want it to stay longer and keep my lips smooth. I’ve noticed when I first tried my lips got chapped in like an hour or so.
Great!
Thanks for posting the link to the PETA article on the honey industry! I’ve been curious about the environmental and ethical aspects of using honey and beeswax. I searched for information on that before, but did not find a lot of good info. This article was very informative and even has a good list of sources for further research. I had no idea that honey bees were not native to the United States. Our native bees may not produce honey and beeswax for our consumer needs, but they are just as important for pollination. I was also surprised how the bees are manipulated in ways that disrupt their natural life cycle, productivity, interaction, etc. In my opinion none of it sounds ethical in a animal cruelty aspect, and I would rather support the awareness of the importance of native and wild bees, and not so much the honeybee industry.
Hi Eve,
I will try this interesting recipe on the weekend.
I have other recipes and would like to take candelilla instead of beeswax.
Do you have experience with the exchange?
Can I simply take the same amount?
Thanks!
Alley-Jean
I usually cut it in half if I’m converting from Bees wax to candelilla. i.e. is takes less candelilla because it is a harder wax.
Hi,
Great recipe. If I would like it to be a little harder in texture, what do I need to add more of?
Author
you can add more wax for a harder lip balm!
In your recipe it shows sheabutter refined. when they clicked on the link so I’m able to purchase it through Amazon it shows unrefined shea butter. What did you use for this recipe undefined or refined sheabutter?
Hi! What can be substituted for coconut oil? We have an allergy and I normally use sweet almond or grapeseed but just making sure everything will still set nicely. Thank you!
Author
you can replace coconut oil by almond oil or grapeseed oil. It will change the texture slightly but will work.
I just made this recipe, I converted it into grams so I can make small quantities. This yelds 10g, 1 to 2 small lip balm stickers.
1g candelilla wax
6g jojoba oil
2g shea butter
0.05g essential oil of preference (+-1 drop) I used litsea cubeba because it’s what I had available
I don’t know how it will turn out, it’s my first lipbalm I’m hoping for the best… ☺
Author
cool! let me know how that goes!
It’s great, very good texture, thanks for the recipe!
Author
thank you Raquel 🙂
Omg! I followed this recipe to the letter and it is beautiful. I used lip canisters instead of tubes, since it’s soft. I absolutely love it!! Trying it with other essential oils, like Sweet Orange. I wish I could put pics up to show you. 1 batch makes 12 lip canisters. So great! I can’t wait to share them with friends. It also stay on the lips longer, so you won’t need to reapply as often. Just fantastic!!
Author
thanks April, you made my day!
Hi there,
Does the calendula wax take a long time to melt entirely with the coxonut oil and Shea? It’s still pretty chunky in the mix…
Author
Hello! you have to wait until its completely melted, The melting point of candellila wax is melting point of 68.5–72.5 °C – increase the heat to medium high if needed but watch it so it does not burn.
What the difference Eid I use unrefined sea butter for the vegan lip balm recipe ?
Thank you
Author
it may be grainy in the end. But other than that, no big difference. Raw shea butter has more nutrients and vitamins than refined shea butter.
Hi, looking to flavour it with Strawberry essence. Would this work well?
Author
Yes, just ensure it is natural and food grade like this one here: https://amzn.to/2A2RGZs
I would start by adding just one drop to the recipe and test and adjust if you need later.
Usually its very concentrated so you don’t need a lot!
Mine leaked out the bottom. Should I have let it cool?
Author
yes, you have to let it cool, place it in the fridge to accelerate the process if needed.
Hi Eve
I am using Vegeline 65 which is composed of castor oil and carnauba wax. Does this just take the place of the candelilla wax?
thanks for your blog, great stuff x
Author
No this would change the recipe all together, you will need to do trial and error…have fun!
Hi!
I have carnauba wax, can I use this to replace the candelilla wax, do I use the same amount.?Do you know if they will come out the same? I am not sure of their similarities in making lip balms..
Hello
Does the coconut oil have to be melted for each teaspoon?
Author
no need!
Can I substitute a different oil than coconut?
Author
You could use castor oil which will give it more shine. You can also try with safflower oil or almond oil but it will change the texture of the lip balm.
My balm is very soft. I made it yesterday. Does it take more time to harden? Also, it seems to make my lips feel very dry within about 40 min of using it, and I have to continuously keep applying frequently. It feels like I didn’t do it right, but I followed the recipe to a T. Any advice?
Author
Hi kate, it hardens within a few hours, this lip balm is supposed to thick and soft so it applies easily. If you want it harder, then increase the amount of wax slightly.
Does the recipe change if I want to add Vitamin E oil?
Author
if its a few drops, you are fine. if you had too much, your balm will be too soft.
I’m having a problem with my sticks cracking. Any suggestions
Author
Hi Roger, did you use the exact same recipe? My lip balm is soft…you probably used too much wax.
Can this recipe be tinted? What’s a good source for tint?
Author
Hi Barbara,
Yes, you can always tint lip balms, I suggest micas or beet root powder.