# Lip balm top edge...



## rosetown (Oct 19, 2015)

Hi!
I make my own lip balms in tubes. And I use those lip balm trays for 50 tubes.
after pouring the lip balm mixture in the tubes, then scrape of the overflowing mixture and pulling the tubes out from the trays, I always get ugly edges.
Not smooth and good looking edges. How do I get a nice top on the lip balms?
I always invent something but I just cant figure this out.
Don't know how to get professional looking top on them.

/Kind regards


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## shunt2011 (Oct 19, 2015)

rosetown said:


> Hi!
> I make my own lip balms in tubes. And I use those lip balm trays for 50 tubes.
> after pouring the lip balm mixture in the tubes, then scrape of the overflowing mixture and pulling the tubes out from the trays, I always get ugly edges.
> Not smooth and good looking edges. How do I get a nice top on the lip balms?
> ...


 
I would just hit them with a hot hairdryer or a heat gun.  I use a heat gun, not sure if the hairdryer would be hot enough but worth a try.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 19, 2015)

I do what Shari does. My heat gun has a low fan speed and I use that. If I use the higher speed setting, the air from the gun blows the melted balm all over. Not good!


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## cmzaha (Oct 19, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> I would just hit them with a hot hairdryer or a heat gun.  I use a heat gun, not sure if the hairdryer would be hot enough but worth a try.





DeeAnna said:


> I do what Shari does. My heat gun has a low fan speed and I use that. If I use the higher speed setting, the air from the gun blows the melted balm all over. Not good!


Just curious if you are using a lip balm filing tray? I ask because with the trays the balm pours higher than the tube and a heat gun will only cause it to melt over the edge and make a messy mess. What I do is try to remove them from the tray by twisting them a bit, but it will not always keep them from breaking off around the edges. When that happens I you a stainless frosting spreader to cut off the excess to give a smooth top, if you use a knife it can make the lip balm tube edge rough. The .15 oz the tubes hold is figuring on filling the tube to the top not higher. Also, after pouring I scrape off the excess before it is fully hardened and spread it over to cover up the divots on the top of the balms. If I have to trim the excess balm and still have a divot I take a little balm put it in the divot and hit with heat like DeeAnna Shari do. Problem with the tray filling is if you pull them to hard they will crack around the edge just the same as removing them to soon.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 19, 2015)

I am using a filling tray and I do pretty much the same as you do, Carolyn -- twist a bit to remove each tube from the tray while the balm is set but still pliable. If the result looks messy, I will cut/wipe off the top excess as you do. Sometimes (okay, I should say OFTEN) that doesn't give a good result, and then I mutter under my breath and reach for the heat gun.


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## cmzaha (Oct 19, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> I am using a filling tray and I do pretty much the same as you do, Carolyn -- twist a bit to remove each tube from the tray while the balm is set but still pliable. If the result looks messy, I will cut/wipe off the top excess as you do. Sometimes (okay, I should say OFTEN) that doesn't give a good result, and then I mutter under my breath and reach for the heat gun.


What happens DeeAnna? Mine are always nice and straight without damaging the lip balm tube? The frosting spatula I use is an offset stainless spatula. Yep, I find it hard at times to hit the exact moment to remove from the tray. Sometimes when I get to the last dozen or so they have set up to hard to give the clean edge


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## kumudini (Oct 19, 2015)

I haven't used a lip balm tray because I don't have one yet, but not thinking of getting one either. The most I've done is a dozen tubes and I hold them up with one hand while filling with the other, I like the control I have with this. So far didn't bother to cover the divots up but since I got myself a heat gun recently I'm going to use it next time I make a batch.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 19, 2015)

Hi there, Carolyn! My tubes are fine when I'm done -- it's more about how the balm looks at the top edge. I sometimes get a little unsteady when I twist the tube out and there's a little chip that flakes off the top edge. I think it's all about pulling the tube out of the tray straight, not cockeyed, and also about doing this at the right temp. Maybe I'm being overly fussy -- wouldn't be the first time!


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## cmzaha (Oct 19, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Hi there, Carolyn! My tubes are fine when I'm done -- it's more about how the balm looks at the top edge. I sometimes get a little unsteady when I twist the tube out and there's a little chip that flakes off the top edge. I think it's all about pulling the tube out of the tray straight, not cockeyed, and also about doing this at the right temp. Maybe I'm being overly fussy -- wouldn't be the first time!


lol, yep mine will get chippy too so that is when I shave off the top. I do not like selling chippy look balm and they still get the weight that is on the label.


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## IrishLass (Oct 19, 2015)

kumudini said:


> I haven't used a lip balm tray because I don't have one yet, but not thinking of getting one either. The most I've done is a dozen tubes and I hold them up with one hand while filling with the other, I like the control I have with this. So far didn't bother to cover the divots up but since I got myself a heat gun recently I'm going to use it next time I make a batch.


 
The most I make at any given time is between 6 to 12, too. Although I do have a filling tray, I stopped using it for the same reasons y'all are talking about. I get much prettier (and less messy) results by hand-pouring individually. Like Kumudini, I like the control it gives me. If I'm careful and don't rush things, I'm able to pour in such a way that it leaves my balms with a beautifully smooth, rounded dome with no divots.


IrishLass


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## shunt2011 (Oct 19, 2015)

I too hand pour. I generally do 15-20 at one time. I just rubber band them together or put them in a bowl of dried rice.  I like the little domed top.


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## pamielynn (Oct 19, 2015)

I hate my lip balm trays. After messing with them and getting that "chippy" look - I went back to hand filling them. I can fill with a cup and smooth them with the heat gun faster than using the trays and having to fix those "chips". 

I know many people like the trays, but I just about snatched myself bald for 3 months trying to get the balms to look nice. Just sayin'! I know I'm adding nothing to this conversation 

ETA: I usually do about 200 at a time and still prefer hand filling... If anyone figures out how to get the tubes out of the tray without messing up the tops, please tell us all.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 19, 2015)

Well, I need to make a batch for my "peeps" who are starting to gently whine at me for lip balm. :mrgreen: 

One thought I had (oh, gosh, she's thinking -- there's trouble a' comin!) was that most of us seem to remove the tubes when the balm is still warmish. Maybe we should be going to the other extreme and chill the tubes in the fridge or freezer before removing them from the tray. Anyone given that a try? Or am I going to have to volunteer to be the guinea pig?


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## Susie (Oct 20, 2015)

Guinea pigs are cute and brave...

I also hand fill mine.  I rubber band 7 together in a group and patiently pour.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 20, 2015)

Oooookaaaaay.... 

It will be a couple of weeks before I can get to this, but I'll give it a try.


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## cmzaha (Oct 20, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Well, I need to make a batch for my "peeps" who are starting to gently whine at me for lip balm. :mrgreen:
> 
> One thought I had (oh, gosh, she's thinking -- there's trouble a' comin!) was that most of us seem to remove the tubes when the balm is still warmish. Maybe we should be going to the other extreme and chill the tubes in the fridge or freezer before removing them from the tray. Anyone given that a try? Or am I going to have to volunteer to be the guinea pig?


Yes, I have and it does not work well. The lip balm will usually leave a ring of balm around the tube holder holes when you remove the tubes. Of course this is going to depend on recipes a softer balm will sometimes remove cleanly after being chilled. I have no success at chilling my balms and removing from the tray, only thing accomplished is a chip all around the edge of the balm


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## DeeAnna (Oct 20, 2015)

Drat! 

Thanks for giving me the benefit of your experience, Carolyn! As always, your generosity is much appreciated.


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## pamielynn (Oct 21, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Well, I need to make a batch for my "peeps" who are starting to gently whine at me for lip balm. :mrgreen:
> 
> One thought I had (oh, gosh, she's thinking -- there's trouble a' comin!) was that most of us seem to remove the tubes when the balm is still warmish. Maybe we should be going to the other extreme and chill the tubes in the fridge or freezer before removing them from the tray. Anyone given that a try? Or am I going to have to volunteer to be the guinea pig?



I've tried this myself, and it didn't work for me - most of them either chipped or still looked horrible and needed too much time to fix. I've also noticed that putting balms in the fridge tends to make them crack from cooling too quickly.

I REALLY wanted those filling trays to work, but for me, they're just not worth the extra "fixin time".


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## rosetown (Oct 22, 2015)

*I tried removing them sooner *= To soft and not good.
*removing the lip balms from tray day after*= hard and much better edge.
just small corrections here and there. most of (50) them looked good already.

heat gun: inconsistency, will melt down the tube, make more mess than good.

*I think that the solution will be *to have a "mould" that you heat maybe with heat gun and press over, or just press (lip balms are pretty soft). Like the "old school" candle thing, that you use for putting them out. Like a thimble so to speak.  *The big brands and factory's make the tubes go under heated air or lights.* that melts it a bit. so its probably a solution that is best. but still hard I think...


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## shunt2011 (Oct 22, 2015)

I've never had my heat gun melt the tube or make a mess.  If you are, then you are holding it too close and have it too high.


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## Susie (Oct 22, 2015)

pamielynn said:


> I've also noticed that putting balms in the fridge tends to make them crack from cooling too quickly.



I have always put my lip balms in the refrigerator to harden up before topping and again before capping.  I have never had any cracking.  I leave them in there long enough to shrink down and firm up before capping, then they get stored in the refrigerator until time to use or give away.  Maybe its your recipe?


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## pamielynn (Oct 22, 2015)

Susie said:


> I have always put my lip balms in the refrigerator to harden up before topping and again before capping.  I have never had any cracking.  I leave them in there long enough to shrink down and firm up before capping, then they get stored in the refrigerator until time to use or give away.  Maybe its your recipe?



maybe so.


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## IrishLass (Oct 23, 2015)

I do something along the same lines as Susie, only I stick mine in the freezer (instead of the fridge) right after pouring the tubes 3/4's full. I only keep them in there for about 2 minutes total- just enough time for the balm to shrink down and firm up (only just). Then I take them out, top them off, and stick them in the fridge until totally set up before I cap them. And there in the fridge they stay until somebody wants one.

The only time I had any cracking with this method was the time I decided to try increasing my normal amount of kokum and candelilla wax. Bad idea. lol I ended up re-doing the whole batch via de-tubing the balms and melting it all back down with some extra oil to make it a little softer. Thankfully, it was only 6 balms and it was just for us.


IrishLass


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## shunt2011 (Oct 23, 2015)

I too fill mine about 3/4 full and then into the fridge they go for about 5 minutes.  Then I fill the rest of the way, complete with nicely rounded top.  Then back into the fridge for another 5 or so.  Works perfect especially when I'm making a bunch at a time.


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## coffeetime (Oct 23, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> I too fill mine about 3/4 full and then into the fridge they go for about 5 minutes.  Then I fill the rest of the way, complete with nicely rounded top.  Then back into the fridge for another 5 or so.  Works perfect especially when I'm making a bunch at a time.




They don't crack at the join point between the two pours?


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## shunt2011 (Oct 23, 2015)

Nope. Never had that happen. The balm going in is warm so melts the top a bit.


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