Homemade: Chocolate Lip Balm

There are some things you do because you have to. Work comes to mind, along with taking out the trash. And then there are some things you do because you think you ought to. You know, things like brushing your teeth, and eating more broccoli. This project is not like any of those things. This project is one to do just for fun. And maybe for someone you love. Or at least someone who loves chocolate!

Chocolate Lip Balm

This is an amazingly easy to make chocolatey lip balm. It was inspired by this recipe at the Soap Queen blog. I tweaked it a bit to use only 3 ingredients I had on hand. Sometimes simpler is better, I think. You may need to adjust the final product a bit depending on the ingredients you use, and your personal preference.

ingredients for Chocolate Lip Balm

Since it’s a fairly small amount of stuff, I included the weight of the ingredients in grams. In general terms, it is 3 parts chocolate to 2 parts each of beeswax and coconut oil.

weighing the ingredients

You melt the chocolate, beeswax and coconut oil in a double boiler setup on the stove top. I used a small glass Pyrex measuring cup, set in a pan of gently boiling water. I also used a bamboo skewer for a stirrer.

melting the lip balm

To test the firmness of the lip balm, put a butter knife in the freezer for a few minutes. Then you can stick it in the melted mix and withdraw it. The lip balm will solidify quickly on the cold knife, and you can test the consistency that way. If it’s too stiff, add more chocolate and/or coconut oil. If too soft, add more wax.

testing the consistency

The chocolate you choose makes a big difference in the finished product. You want to use something with a high percentage of cacao in it. I used a 70% bittersweet for one batch, and a semi-sweet chocolate bar for another. Neither one had any milk solids in them, which do not work well in this recipe. It doesn’t have to be expensive chocolate either. I made one great batch using semi-sweet baking squares. You could easily make a vegan version of this by substituting candelilla wax for the beeswax. You will need to adjust the recipe, and use less of the candelilla than you do beeswax. I also used a nice organic, extra virgin coconut oil which adds a bit of flavor.

pouring lip balm into tube

Our well-stocked craft closet had twist-up lip balm tubes and nice little metal tins just waiting for me to use. If you don’t happen to have any on hand, any clean, small container with a lid will do. You can easily size the recipe to fit the container(s). Pour while warm and then let cool thoroughly before using.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about this little adventure as much as I have enjoyed making this yummy lip balm. And I want to give special thanks to my wife, who helped me setup the photo shoot, and lent her artistic eye to the proceedings. Shhhh, don’t tell her she is getting the lip balm for Valentine’s Day!

UPDATE: For a real taste treat, try making this lip balm using Coffee Infused Oil.