Cera Bellina and Shea Butter in lip balm

[Megan]

So I started experimenting with Cera Bellina in a lip balm. I started at 10% (because I have 10% shea butter and I thought a 1:1 would be a good place to start. Melted fine, looked great the first week or so, but now is blooming again! I was going to go down to 5% because I thought the 10% was too "greasy"/soft feeling, but now I'm not even sure I can because I'm already getting bloom. This is even quicker than when I don't use the cera bellina!

One thing about the bloom I do notice is that it isn't crystals like I will eventually get in my lip balm that I can feel, but it definitely is not aesthetically pleasing.

I am considering dropping my shea to 5% but I really don't want to get rid of it completely, and don't want to go to shea oil either. I'm using refined shea.

Could anyone offer any advice, tips/tricks, sources to using shea in a lip balm and not having it bloom.

 

[Millie]

It is funny, I have only had a problem with graininess in my balms when using Cera Bellina. So I stopped using it. I think it is user error on my part, but balms are so simple and I have no problems when I don't use it, so why bother?

I don't use shea butter in them, so can't help you there. I guess I must have at one time if I was working with CB but apparently I migrated away from that so ignore the first post.

*sigh* coming back to this hobby is not like riding a bicycle.


(Sorry Relle, when I tried to edit the post to add this, it started getting all wonky)

 

[shunt2011]

I've not used Cera Bellina so can't speak to that. However, I have been testing using the lotion bar additive from WSP. I bought a pound of it on sale.
So far it's been working great. I have lip balms that are 6 months old. Not grainy yet. I used it at 2%.
https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/smooth-creamy-lotion-bar-additive.aspx

 

[cmzaha]

I've not used Cera Bellina so can't speak to that. However, I have been testing using the lotion bar additive from WSP. I bought a pound of it on sale.
So far it's been working great. I have lip balms that are 6 months old. Not grainy yet. I used it at 2%.
https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/smooth-creamy-lotion-bar-additive.aspx

The lotion bar additive from WSP is Cera Bellina

 

[Skylantern]

I've not used Cera Bellina so can't speak to that. However, I have been testing using the lotion bar additive from WSP. I bought a pound of it on sale.
So far it's been working great. I have lip balms that are 6 months old. Not grainy yet. I used it at 2%.
https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/smooth-creamy-lotion-bar-additive.aspx

Hi Shari,

Looking at the ingredients from WSP, wouldn't this just be rebranded Cera Bellina?

CC Smooth & Creamy Lotion Bar Additive INCI: Polyglycerol-3 Beeswax
Cera Bellina INCI: Polyglycerol-3 Beeswax

I know there's a few other WSP and Lotioncrafter products that I've discovered to have been renamed and made a private label item. Is this another case similar to NatraSorb vs Tapioca Starch where it's physically different in structure?

 

[shunt2011]

@cmzaha Yes, it is. I didn't check that part out. Just renamed something else. But, it's been working for me so far. Still testing.

 

[Megan]

@cmzaha Yes, it is. I didn't check that part out. Just renamed something else. But, it's been working for me so far. Still testing.

I really hope I can go down in percentage... I will still try the lower percentage experiment then. Maybe it's some weird fluke where I used too much.

 

[Blace]

I really hope I can go down in percentage... I will still try the lower percentage experiment then. Maybe it's some weird fluke where I used too much.

Hi Megan! Did you ever have any luck with cera bellina? I'm in the same boat with trying to get my balms to stop blooming.

My formula currently uses 24% unrefined (but not raw) shea butter to 5% cera bellina.
I've also tried tempering my entire stock of shea butter at 175f for 20 minutes, then quickly cooling it before adding it to any of my recipes. But the crystals always seem to come back, even if slowly.

The closest thing to a "recommended percentage" for cera bellina I've found says "1%-30%", which is hardly helpful.

 

[Megan]

No, I totally took the shea out of my formula. I tried a high percentage of the cera bellina (like 10% I think) and a low percentage (around 2%) and for a while I thought it was working, but then they managed to bloom again. I had the best luck with the 2%, but after about four months I got blooming again. It wasn't the same as it was initially, and the texture was a lot better overall in terms of there was no "sandy" feeling, but the appearance was not something that I wanted.


I still have to try to figure out what to do with like 2 lbs of cera bellina now! haha!