# Pouring Things Like Lip Balm



## Nate5700 (Apr 16, 2019)

So, I'm not really planning on doing a lip balm soon, but I had a thought that is sticking in my brain. You see, I had enough trouble just pouring the melted lotion bar and deodorant into 2.2 fl oz twist tubes from the Crock Pot without spilling it. How on earth would you get it into a teeny tiny lip balm tube? Maybe you'd use a very small funnel, but then how would you keep that from getting clogged up with wax? This may drive me crazy for the rest of the day.


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## earlene (Apr 16, 2019)

I used a measuring cup with a pour spout to pour the lip balm into the tubes.  I did not do large numbers of tubes at one, time, so it didn't cool too fast to pour.  However, when I set it down after filling the tubes, it did, but it's easy to warm up in the microwave oven to pouring consistency again.  A tiny funnel could work, too and also can go in the microwave (in a small bowl) to soften any cooled balm.


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## cmzaha (Apr 16, 2019)

Beakers would well for pouring lip balm if you do not have one of the lip filling trays. If I am going to pour a few I hold my tubes together with a rubber band and set them on an hdpe cutting board in case I spill some. I think around ten tubes will hold with a rubber band but have not poured lip balms in a long time.


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## amd (Apr 16, 2019)

I do like earlene, I make mine in a pyrex measuring cup and use the microwave to melt things. The largest batch I've ever done is 50 tubes. Most of my batches are 12 tubes so I have plenty of time to pour before it even thinks about setting up.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 16, 2019)

Lip balm tray.
https://www.bulkapothecary.com/lip-...MI7vPenInV4QIVFVYNCh0viwYMEAQYASABEgJ0X_D_BwE

Hobby Lobby has a small one:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-H...MI7vPenInV4QIVFVYNCh0viwYMEAQYBCABEgJkgvD_BwE

I heat my balm in a glass measuring cup. I put the tray on a sheet of wax paper. I sorta half-way aim for the holes. When the tubes are full, put it in the fridge or freezer. When it's a bit solid, scrape off the top and put it back in your measuring cup. Then let it solidify the rest of the way.  Some people use a toothpick or a string to make a "bridge" for the balm to follow from the spout to the tube - I am not that gifted, lol.
I like to use the wax paper b/c when I spill (not off), I can easily scrape it off the paper and put it back in the measuring cup.


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## atiz (Apr 16, 2019)

I also just pour from a beaker or measuring cup. I think I tried to use a syringe kind of thing once, but it wasn't worth the hassle really.


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## Nate5700 (Apr 16, 2019)

Thanks all. I guess I'm not the first one to think of this problem.



earlene said:


> I used a measuring cup with a pour spout





dixiedragon said:


> Lip balm tray.



Seems like a combination of these things would work the best. The lip balm tray looks particularly useful for this.


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## steffamarie (Apr 16, 2019)

I made my lip balm base in a really small container with a very precise pour spout and it worked nicely. I only poured about 6 and I did have to reheat it in between because it was such a small quantity.


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## IrishLass (Apr 16, 2019)

I make small batches of lip balm, sometimes making just a single tube at a time. I don't have a microwave, so I came up with my own little double boiler system that utilizes *silicone egg poaching cups* that float on top of simmering water in a pot, which allow me to make and pour my small batches of lip balm very easily with no spillage (once I got my pouring angle right, that is). I spell out how I use my little system here: *https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/lip-balm-process.61820/#post-622779*


IrishLass


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## Mel55 (Apr 27, 2019)

I only make a few tubes at a time and find a teaspoon works perfectly.


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## SoaperForLife (Apr 28, 2019)

I melt mine using a double boiler and then pour some into a glass pyrex measuring cup.  If you heat the pyrex in the microwave briefly before adding the solution, you'll have less initial hardening.


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## Mobjack Bay (May 1, 2019)

I made my first batch of lip balm the other day. I poured the hot balm into the tubes using a little pottery cream pitcher that I bought in Stockholm many years ago. It has a delicate spout that pours cleanly and the pottery holds the heat so the balm doesn’t solidify while pouring.  I had enough to almost fill 11 tubes, I thought.  But when it cooled, the lip balm in every tube was concave rather than flat across the top.  There is also a little circular hole/channel going down through the balm in every tube.  I guess the mixture contracted as it cooled?  For those of you who have experience filling tubes - is there a way to avoid this, or is it just a matter of topping off the tubes after they cool?


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## SoaperForLife (May 2, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> But when it cooled, the lip balm in every tube was concave rather than flat across the top. There is also a little circular hole/channel going down through the balm in every tube. I guess the mixture contracted as it cooled? For those of you who have experience filling tubes - is there a way to avoid this, or is it just a matter of topping off the tubes after they cool?


This is fairly common - don't top off the tubes because the top layer won't bind with the lower layer and eventually the two will separate while being used.  The easy fix for this is: as the mix starts to cool in the tubes and settle, run your heat gun (or perhaps a hair dryer if you don't have a heat gun) on low over the tops so that the mixture remelts and then add more lip balm to them.  Another way to do it is add more mixture to each tube and then run the heat gun over the top, melting everything once more.  If you wait until the mixture is really cooled, you run the risk of melting the tubes as you will need more heat to melt the balm so don't wait too long.


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## Mobjack Bay (May 2, 2019)

SoaperForLife said:


> The easy fix


 Thank you @SoaperForLife.


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## Susie (May 2, 2019)

7 lip balm tubes are held by a rubber band.  If making more, I just made another bundle. 
I used freezer paper under my tubes. 
I used  Pyrex measuring cup that then gets set on a heating pad on high. 
I used  a hair dryer set on high heat, low fan.  But I found if you put a tiny bit of lard in the mix, it stuck together without need for reheating.  Also, cooling at room temperature helped avoid the hole down the center.

See, we all have similar solutions to the same issues.  I think that is so cool!


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## dixiedragon (May 2, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> I made my first batch of lip balm the other day. I poured the hot balm into the tubes using a little pottery cream pitcher that I bought in Stockholm many years ago. It has a delicate spout that pours cleanly and the pottery holds the heat so the balm doesn’t solidify while pouring.  I had enough to almost fill 11 tubes, I thought.  But when it cooled, the lip balm in every tube was concave rather than flat across the top.  There is also a little circular hole/channel going down through the balm in every tube.  I guess the mixture contracted as it cooled?  For those of you who have experience filling tubes - is there a way to avoid this, or is it just a matter of topping off the tubes after they cool?



I think I get my lip balm hotter than you. You don't want it to slowly solidify in the tubes - you want it to stay mostly liquid until you put it in the fridge/freezer to quickly cool. I fill mine, then go back and gentle top off. You want it to have a slightly domed top, like 1 water drop.


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## Mobjack Bay (May 2, 2019)

Thanks @Susie!  I never would have thought of putting lard in lip balm, but I will try it. My dad and I both have major problems with chapped lips. I’m going to visit him next week, so I will give it a try and bring him some to test. He’s already been a good sport testing my soaps!



dixiedragon said:


> you want it to stay mostly liquid until you put it in the fridge/freezer to quickly cool.


 thanks @dixiedragon!  I appreciate the tip. Can you explain to me why you want it to cool quickly?


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## dixiedragon (May 2, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> Thanks @Susie!  I never would have thought of putting lard in lip balm, but I will try it. My dad and I both have major problems with chapped lips. I’m going to visit him next week, so I will give it a try and bring him some to test. He’s already been a good sport testing my soaps!
> 
> thanks @dixiedragon!  I appreciate the tip. Can you explain to me why you want it to cool quickly?



When butters - I think shea is the worst - cool slowly, the stearic acid starts to solidify and cool faster than the other components of the shea butter, making it grainy.

https://bettersheabutter.com/grainy-shea-butter-heres-fix/

I've tempered shea butter but it didn't help me - not sure if I did it right. My preference is to melt the lip balm thoroughly - make sure there are no non-melted crumbs or bits. Since I use beeswax in my lip balm (you probably do to), that means the shea is very much melted by the time the beeswax is. You also want it to be hot because the beeswax will start to cool and solidify on the side of the container, which means you have less mixed in your lip balm. If you are starting to get semi-solid balm on the inside of your container when you pour, heat it up again.


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## IrishLass (May 2, 2019)

I do things just like Dixie, because I use butters in my balm formulas and also candelilla wax, which is much harder than beeswax.

I heat till thoroughly melted, and then I heat an extra 7 to 10 minutes beyond that, which is time enough to take care of any tiny, un-melted bits anywhere. Then I pour 3/4th's of the way from the top of my tubes and stick the tubes immediately into the freezer. The balm contracts/sinks down as it cools, but I don't let mine cool all the way until completely solid- only until it's Vaseline-like instead. Then I remove and top off.

With practice, I've become very adept at pouring my top-off to a nice dome shape.

From there, they go into the fridge to completely solidify.

I do not use a heat gun and my balms do not separate. Well, let me clarify that.....my balms do not separate just as long as I don't keep them in the freezer until solid before topping off. There's a sweet spot time to take them out so that the top-off will not separate. That sweet spot for me is when it's reached a Vaseline stage.  


IrishLass


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## dixiedragon (May 2, 2019)

If you want to top off and it's a bit more solid, use a toothpick to stir it up, so it's broken up vs smooth, then pour your hot liquid balm.


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## herrenfam (May 12, 2019)

I use 9 ounce paper cups from the store to mix and store small amounts of ingredients. They can be squished in half at the rim so that you can pour directly into the lip balm holder from the paper cup. I also pour when the lotions are still warm so the flow of oils into the balm holder is smooth and perfect.


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## MGM (May 12, 2019)

Am I the only one who uses a pipette to transfer? So much easier than actually pouring. You might get some solidified in the pipette at the end of the batch, but you can just squeeze it out of the pipette back into the Pyrex and re-melt and use. Or, just keep it in the pipette for your own lips. My arms are always very moisturized when I'm making lip balms and testing....


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## kasilofchrisn (May 12, 2019)

I use the silicone lip balm filler trays.
I wouldn't make lip balms without them!
They are not that expensive.
These work better than the plastic trays because they stretch to fit different brands of tubes that might not always be the exact same size around even though they hold the same volume.
Mine holds 48 tubes and I've made several hundred balms with them.
You don't need to make that many though.
You can partially fill the tray with however many you need and they still work.
After heating in my double boiler I test the temp with a plastic coffee stir stick.
If it deforms the stir stick it will deform the tubes. Stir sticks I got for free from work as I only needed a few.
After filling I let them cool a bit then hit with a heat gun to fix the divot on top.
This is what works for me and is as hassle/mess free as it gets.


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## MGM (May 13, 2019)

I have seen those trays, but wonder at the waste....do you just scrape what's on the top of the tray into the tubes? I know it's not, but it seems unhygienic to me! Just need to get over that.
The other thing is, I really only make 5-7 tubes of a particular recipe at a time...I may make 20-30 tubes at a time, but they're all different flavours and colours ;-)


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## kasilofchrisn (May 13, 2019)

MGM said:


> I have seen those trays, but wonder at the waste....do you just scrape what's on the top of the tray into the tubes? I know it's not, but it seems unhygienic to me! Just need to get over that.
> The other thing is, I really only make 5-7 tubes of a particular recipe at a time...I may make 20-30 tubes at a time, but they're all different flavours and colours ;-)



There is very minimal waste.
I scrape off the top and reheat.
If your careful and precise at pouring there is zero waste.
I'm not that steady handed but my friend Jane did it no problem. 48 tubes and she didn't spill a drop.
I wash mine in the dishwasher along with the other tools after scraping them clean first.
You could also sanitize it just prior to using it.
You could load 20-30 tubes and fill them with different flavors easily enough.
Just make sure there is a tube in each corner to hold the tray up properly.
I have a friend who prints all of my labels.
If I spill any on the sides it's a royal pain to get them clean so the labels will stick.
To each their own but like I said I wouldn't do lip balms without my silicone trays.


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## dixiedragon (May 13, 2019)

MGM said:


> I have seen those trays, but wonder at the waste....do you just scrape what's on the top of the tray into the tubes? I know it's not, but it seems unhygienic to me! Just need to get over that.
> The other thing is, I really only make 5-7 tubes of a particular recipe at a time...I may make 20-30 tubes at a time, but they're all different flavours and colours ;-)



I scrape the top, remelt and pour. I am careful to keep things clean. I use a dough scraper like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stain...ocphy=9052156&hvtargid=pla-306143543904&psc=1

Got mine at Wal-Mart. I wipe it down thorougly, then run it through the dishwasher. The scraper and the pouring tray are sealed into a ziplock bag between batches. 

Hobby Lobby has small trays that holds 12 tubes, which I really like. Wish somebody would make a mini tray in silicone!


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## MGM (May 13, 2019)

@kasilofchrisn you make it sound very appealing....
Maybe if I ever go big time! ;-)


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## dixiedragon (May 13, 2019)

If you do spill some on the tubes, you need to use a de-greaser to get them clean. Alcohol works pretty well. I also use Krud Cutter, which says it's a degreaser on the bottle.


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## lucycat (May 14, 2019)

I wouldn't make lip balms without a filling tray.  A total game changer in terms of ease and they aren't expensive.


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## Zany_in_CO (May 14, 2019)

I use a 1-cup Pyrex to pour straight into the lip balm tubes when the balm is 160°F or cooler. Hubby made me a tube holder by drilling 5/8" wide X  3/4" deep holes into a scrap piece of 9" X 1.5" redwood that holds 25 tubes. The holder is stained and varnished so it's easy to wipe off -- ready for the next use. Works for me.


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## melinda48 (May 16, 2019)

kasilofchrisn said:


> I use the silicone lip balm filler trays.
> I wouldn't make lip balms without them!
> They are not that expensive.
> These work better than the plastic trays because they stretch to fit different brands of tubes that might not always be the exact same size around even though they hold the same volume.
> ...


Ditto!


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## SoaperForLife (May 17, 2019)

I just rubber band together however many tubes I need and pour using a pyrex measuring cup with a spout.  I have one of those filling trays but decided that it was more trouble than it's worth as it's another thing to wash.


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## melinda48 (May 17, 2019)

I have a tray that I love as it fits any tubes I use. Helps keep things neat and tidy. Don’t really enjoy making lip balm anywhere near as much as Soapmaking however but I do it.


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## kasilofchrisn (May 17, 2019)

I guess for me it's much easier to clean 1 filler tray than 48 individual lip balm tubes that I then have to apply labels to and the counter top etc.
And since the filler tray fits in my dishwasher with my small double boiler, Pyrex cup and other tools used it's not really that big of a deal.
I think, for me anyways, that I'm not quite steady enough to pour the tubes without spilling a little here and there.
I know some people can as my friend Jane did it,  but I'm not quite skilled enough at tube filling.
That's a consideration for many people.
Can you pour steady enough not to spill?
If not then a filler tray is a great way to go.


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## amd (May 17, 2019)

I use the rubberband technique, but I always end up spilling. After my last round of lip balms (only 48 tubes) and having to wipe each one down before I could label, I added a tray to my wish list (just waiting for a sale, lol). I think it would be faster to clean the tray than 48 tubes of lip balm - just wipe the tray, spritz with alcohol, and wipe again.


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## MGM (May 18, 2019)

I can see how you might spill more if you pour from a Pyrex cup, but with a pipette, it's easy to be clean. I may have to wash 1 in 25 tubes if I get shaky, and soap and water always works fine. I'm surprised no one else uses pipettes... It would never have dawned on me to pour into such a small target!


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## atiz (May 18, 2019)

I tried to use a pipette once but it got clogged quickly because of the balm solidifying and building up layers. I had it heat up again, but overall just felt like it wasn't worth the bother... but I didn't experiment with it much and probably wasn't the best kind of pipette either.
I also just use a rubber band and pour from a little beaker (like this) which is pretty precise. And then wipe down something if I have to. (But only make 4-5 tubes at a time, I might go crazy with 40 somethings....)


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