# Sinking lip balm



## Aromasue (Apr 11, 2011)

Hi all,

I made a lip balm the other day and someone said stand the container in a little cold water to cool the bottom faster. Did this but they sank in the middle when cooled. Anyone know why.

Sue


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## Tabitha (Apr 11, 2011)

In 10+ years of lip balm making I have never heard of putting your containers in cool water.

Sinking is common though. There are 2 main ways to remedy that. You can pour a little cooler, which is tricky because it can harden before you get the tubes.  But what I prefer, is to fill the tubes  mostly full & allow it to harden, then go back & top them off.


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## agriffin (Apr 11, 2011)

Yes, and I think cooling them down faster creates more of the dimpling.  So putting them in cold water is probably not a good idea.  Just let them harden in room temp.


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## Aromasue (Apr 12, 2011)

Thank you both. Wouldn't recommend the water thing either as the water seeps through the twisty thing at the bottom.

Did try the pour a little cool and pour the rest but then got a bit of divide when I twisted them up, attached but you could see the difference. 

Will give that a go again on todays batch and let you know.

Sue


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## carebear (Apr 12, 2011)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> In 10+ years of lip balm making I have never heard of putting your containers in cool water.
> 
> Sinking is common though. There are 2 main ways to remedy that. You can pour a little cooler, which is tricky because it can harden before you get the tubes.  But what I prefer, is to fill the tubes  mostly full & allow it to harden, then go back & top them off.


Mine is a hard recipe, so if I "top" them, the little bit comes off when people apply the lip balm. LOL.


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## crafty86 (Apr 12, 2011)

@ carebear - whats your recipe for a hard one? Mine are so soft they almost melt in your pocket


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## carebear (Apr 12, 2011)

hmmm - well, my recipe seriously is a trade secret.  I worked long and hard to develop it - and spent oodles of money.  

sorry.


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## Genny (Apr 12, 2011)

crafty86 said:
			
		

> @ carebear - whats your recipe for a hard one? Mine are so soft they almost melt in your pocket



If you're looking for a harder recipe, maybe post the one you're using and we can help to see if there's anything you can do to harden it up.


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## crafty86 (Apr 12, 2011)

OK. I use coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and beeswax. I figured doing more beeswax would work...but I dont want the main ingredient to be beeswax any ideas?


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## Lindy (Apr 12, 2011)

Try splitting it up like this:

1/3 Beeswax
1/3 Soft Oils
1/3 Hard oils/butters

Like Carebear mine is a harder lip balm and if I top it up after cool down the top bit comes off.  Mine do sink at the center but I really don't worry about it.

Good luck and have fun!


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## Bubbles Galore (Apr 13, 2011)

I really don't mind seeing that little dimple.  :wink:


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## Earthchild (Apr 15, 2011)

I have conquered lip balm dimpling!  Pour until your balm just tops the twist-up stick in your tube.  Allow it to set just slightly, not all the way.  Fill the rest of the way with a pipette.  Perfect!  If you let it set all the way before topping your top will break off, if you don't let it set enough it will dimple.  Just practice and you will get it.  While I don't suggest cold water, a tip I picked up from the blog at MMS is to cool your tubes in the refrigerator before filling.  This helps your balm set up faster and it will not contribute to dimpling - cooling speed isn't the issue, gravity is.  The cold tube trick does work well, but I always forget to chill the tubes ahead of time!


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## Tabitha (Apr 15, 2011)

You can roll it up a 1/4 turn & scrape it w/ a knife too.


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## saltydog (Nov 10, 2011)

Wow, I know this thread is old, but it was EXACTLY what I was looking for.
Seek, and you shall find..thanks, yet again, SMF


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## Sunny (Nov 10, 2011)

I kinda like the dimple myself, does not bother me at all!

The same thing happens to me that carebear described if I top it off. First time using it and a glob comes off on your lip!


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## saltydog (Nov 10, 2011)

tasha said:
			
		

> I kinda like the dimple myself, does not bother me at all!
> 
> The same thing happens to me that carebear described if I top it off. First time using it and a glob comes off on your lip!



tasha, i don't mind the dimple either, I was more concerned with a chunk of lip balm coming off if i did the top-off technique that I had read about. 
After reading these posts, I think I'll just pour the whole thing at once and scrape the top clean.


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## carebear (Nov 10, 2011)

I now use a filling tray with a lip - overpour and scrape off.  It's a pain, but it works for the most part.  My formula is quite brittle so I actually need to remove the excess and the tubes before they are completely hard.

I personally prefer the rounded tip, even with the dimple, because it goes on smoothly.  But it doesn't look as professional as a scraped top - IMO.


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## saltydog (Nov 10, 2011)

carebear said:
			
		

> I now use a filling tray with a lip - overpour and scrape off.  It's a pain, but it works for the most part.  My formula is quite brittle so I actually need to remove the excess and the tubes before they are completely hard.
> 
> I personally prefer the rounded tip, even with the dimple, because it goes on smoothly.  But it doesn't look as professional as a scraped top - IMO.



I've looked at these- they look like they make a messy job much easier, although I prefer the rounded top, too. 
I gave my daughter a lip balm that I've been tweaking (she's a lipbalm fanatic) and she gave it her seal of approval, so I just may have to invest!


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## carebear (Nov 10, 2011)

I have the oval one here http://www.sks-bottle.com/Lip_Balm/Lip_ ... ners5.html
Note the lip that goes around the edge of the tray.  It's important.

I wish I could find a half sized one with a lip.  In oval.  Is that asking too much???


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## Sunny (Nov 10, 2011)

I like the rounded top as well but I'm thinking - it must be a heck of a lot easier to pour lip balms than the method I'm using now. Using a pipette to fill each one individually. Takes forEVER and the base starts cooling too quickly.


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## Soapy Gurl (Nov 11, 2011)

I have a two cup stainless steel measuring cup that I use to melt and pour out of.  I tried the pipette and it just made me frustrated.  This stays warm but I melt at very low heat and keep it at low heat.  I have to have a steady hand, but since I bought the filler tray I don't have to so much.

I pour mine a hair under the top, let that sink down and go back and top them off so the hole is filled up.  I have never had a piece break off.  It melts it enough that it sticks together.


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## Stacey (Nov 11, 2011)

Have you ever tried hitting the tops of the balms with a heat gun just to melt it a little then refill to the top?  It's a similar process with candle making.  

I've tried it and it works for me but I have a softer recipe so I don't know how it would work for you folks with the real solid balms.  I hit it with a little heat, and only top it enough to cover the dimple.  Just to round it off so to speak.


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## IrishLass (Nov 11, 2011)

When I make lip balm, I melt the balm in these silicone egg poachers:


http://www.amazon.com/Fusionbrands-3-In ... 505&sr=8-1

I float the poachers in a pot of barely simmering water and melt the balm in them. When ready to pour, I take the poacher out of the pot and wipe the water off the outside with a cloth. As I'm gently patting the water off (which only takes a few seconds), I choose a side of the poacher that I'll pour the balm from, and then I squeeze the opposite sides of the poacher in on that side so that it forms a lip or spout of sorts, and then I pour into my tube. The poacher really makes for easy-peasy pouring with zero wastage. I can't say the same for the pipette method I used to use (I got a lot of wastage with the pipettes).

I pour only 3/4 of the way up my tube at first and then I place the poacher back in the pot to keep the remaining balm warm and melted while I stick my partially filled tube in the freezer. I keep it in the freezer for only a few minutes- just long enough until the balm sinks and hardens somewhat (but doesn't get too hard- very important). Then I take my tube out of the freezer and top it off, making sure to pour carefully so as to keep the surface tension of the melted balm intact so that it forms a nice dome on top, and then I let cool and harden up.

Needless to say, this procedure of mine will no doubt prove very tedious for those who are making large batches of balm at a time, but if you're making small batches like me (one to four balms at a time), it works quite nicely.


IrishLass


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## carebear (Nov 11, 2011)

I have two of those!  Never ever used 'em for eggs - they've been in the drawer in the kitchen only because they are far too cool to throw away!

Now you've got me thinking!


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## IrishLass (Nov 12, 2011)

carebear said:
			
		

> I have two of those!  Never ever used 'em for eggs - they've been in the drawer in the kitchen only because they are far too cool to throw away!
> 
> Now you've got me thinking!



I've never used mine for eggs either!   


IrishLass


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## Sunny (Nov 12, 2011)

haaa those are cute IrishLass. You have the best ideas!


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## saltydog (Nov 12, 2011)

Silicon egg poachers are a FANTASTIC idea!
Especially for small batches. Also, I bet they're a heck of a lot easier to clean than anything else. 
Thanks, I'm totally stealing your method, IrishLass


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## IrishLass (Nov 12, 2011)

Go for it!

IrishLass


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## Lindy (Nov 12, 2011)

What a great idea!


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