Lip balm advice.

[TashaBird]

So I made lip balm almost 4 years ago. I posted about it on here and was read the riot act because I’d used 10grams of honey to my 200g fats and butters. I’ve been waiting all these years for it to show any sign of spoilage or going bad. I’ve used it all day everyday, and I am at my last bit of my last tube. So, I respect the opinions and experience here, and in an attempt to “improve” my recipe I tried honey powder. I also used a different flavor combo: essential oil mixed w glycerine flavoring. The honey powder hasn’t really added any sweetness, and it is a tad grainy. Without the sweet the flavor has a tinge of bitterness. I’m still waiting for them to harden for the final test.
Now before I remake the flavor color combo that I and my customers have loved over the years, I want to get this right. My instinct is to remake it exactly as I did before. Why shouldn’t I use the honey? I know there’s a small percentage of water in honey. But I’ve had zero problems over 4 years.
Please advice, experience, and opinions

?

Anyone use monkfruit to sweeten lip balm? Something like this? https://a.co/d/3sF6Qiv

Ooh! I have glycerine! Can I sweeten lip balm with that?! Trying hard to use what I have on hand. Wish the honey powder wasn’t grainy!! Really just want to use honey like I did before, but trying to heed advice.

I think this’ll make more than 12 lip balms!

 

[Ephemerella]

So, I'm following this thread with curiousity, as I attempted lip butter with local honey and dealt with separation issues.

Best practices aside, may I ask how you incorporated your honey (not honey powder) into your lip balm? I'm intrigued that yours stayed blended, especially for all these years.

Thank you!

 

[Misschief]

Ooh! I have glycerine! Can I sweeten lip balm with that?! Trying hard to use what I have on hand. Wish the honey powder wasn’t grainy!! Really just want to use honey like I did before, but trying to heed advice.

Glycerin doesn't mix well with oils at all. I'd say that if you're not having any issues with the honey precipitating out, keep making it. Personally, I use oil-based candy flavourings. Lorann makes some that are suitable as do some soap suppliers.

 

[TashaBird]

So, I'm following this thread with curiousity, as I attempted lip butter with local honey and dealt with separation issues.

Best practices aside, may I ask how you incorporated your honey (not honey powder) into your lip balm? I'm intrigued that yours stayed blended, especially for all these years.

Thank you!

I just added it to the oils.

Glycerin doesn't mix well with oils at all. I'd say that if you're not having any issues with the honey precipitating out, keep making it. Personally, I use oil-based candy flavourings. Lorann makes some that are suitable as do some soap suppliers.

I e found some flavorings from bulk apothecary that I want to try. But how can I sweeten them? I read that glycerine will emulsify into the oils if it’s a low percent. You e tried it and had separation?

So, I'm following this thread with curiousity, as I attempted lip butter with local honey and dealt with separation issues.

Best practices aside, may I ask how you incorporated your honey (not honey powder) into your lip balm? I'm intrigued that yours stayed blended, especially for all these years.

Thank you!

I do think some honey has less water in it than others, and the heat of the butters and oils may have evaporated even more of it.

 

[Misschief]

I e found some flavorings from bulk apothecary that I want to try. But how can I sweeten them? I read that glycerine will emulsify into the oils if it’s a low percent. You e tried it and had separation?

Yup. I also tried a lip balm with honey and it separated as well. It's possible that it was too much honey, though.

 

[TashaBird]

Yup. I also tried a lip balm with honey and it separated as well. It's possible that it was too much honey, though.

Do you remember how much you used? I used 10 g honey in 200g fat and beeswax.

 

[TashaBird]

I love the idea of stevia, but I do not want it grainy. Anyone have a stevia oil that’s available on Amazon?

 

[Misschief]

Do you remember how much you used? I used 10 g honey in 200g fat and beeswax.

Let me see what I can find.... we had a discussion about it not that long ago.

Here's the thread: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/honey-in-balms.93519/#post-1013019

There's a picture in the thread of how my little experiment turned out. As you can see by the picture, I could not get the glycerin and honey to remain in suspension in the oils and waxes. One part each of the glycerin and honey was too much. I didn't do any further experimenting because I already have a recipe I love (and it's one of my bestselling products, item by item).

The recipe I used was:

• 5 parts Beeswax
• 6 parts Shea butter
• 4 parts Coconut oil
• 3 parts Lanolin
• 1 part Glycerin
• 1 part Honey
• a small amount of essential oils or flavouring

 

[TashaBird]

Let me see what I can find.... we had a discussion about it not that long ago.

Here's the thread: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/honey-in-balms.93519/#post-1013019

There's a picture in the thread of how my little experiment turned out. As you can see by the picture, I could not get the glycerin and honey to remain in suspension in the oils and waxes. One part each of the glycerin and honey was too much. I didn't do any further experimenting because I already have a recipe I love (and it's one of my bestselling products, item by item).

The recipe I used was:

• 5 parts Beeswax
• 6 parts Shea butter
• 4 parts Coconut oil
• 3 parts Lanolin
• 1 part Glycerin
• 1 part Honey
• a small amount of essential oils or flavouring

thank you! I'll look at the thread you linked. I wonder if I had no separation due to the heat of my mix when poured, or because of the type of fats I used cocoa butter and tallow with just a smidge of jojoba. The last balm I had in my purse in Austin last weekend at 111F and it just barely slid a bit more easily in the cardboard tube! Still stayed totally solid and usable!

 

[TashaBird]

Has anyone used liquid sorbitol in lip balms? Does it risk separation? https://a.co/d/agqXjP6

 

[TashaBird]

Let me see what I can find.... we had a discussion about it not that long ago.

Here's the thread: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/honey-in-balms.93519/#post-1013019

There's a picture in the thread of how my little experiment turned out. As you can see by the picture, I could not get the glycerin and honey to remain in suspension in the oils and waxes. One part each of the glycerin and honey was too much. I didn't do any further experimenting because I already have a recipe I love (and it's one of my bestselling products, item by item).

The recipe I used was:

• 5 parts Beeswax
• 6 parts Shea butter
• 4 parts Coconut oil
• 3 parts Lanolin
• 1 part Glycerin
• 1 part Honey
• a small amount of essential oils or flavouring

May I ask what sweetener you use in your tried and true recipe?

 

[TashaBird]

Glycerin doesn't mix well with oils at all. I'd say that if you're not having any issues with the honey precipitating out, keep making it. Personally, I use oil-based candy flavourings. Lorann makes some that are suitable as do some soap suppliers.

I'm not seeing Lorann sweetener.

 

[Misschief]

The Lorann oils are available at any place that sells candy making supplies. They're usually used in baking and candy-making.

 

[Misschief]

May I ask what sweetener you use in your tried and true recipe?

In my basic lip balm, I use peppermint eo with a very light hand. In my flavoured balms, I use flavour oils from Voyageur or Candora (Canadian suppliers but most soapmaking suppliers carry flavour oils). I also use the Lorann flavour oils for some (as per my last post - available from baking and candy suppliers).

 

[TashaBird]

In my basic lip balm, I use peppermint eo with a very light hand. In my flavoured balms, I use flavour oils from Voyageur or Candora (Canadian suppliers but most soapmaking suppliers carry flavour oils). I also use the Lorann flavour oils for some (as per my last post - available from baking and candy suppliers).

The flavor oils that I bought and want to use do not have sweetener. I just want something easy that works. Great if I could get it on amazon so it comes quick! I almost bought that sorbitol I listed above, but I don't know if it mixes.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

In case it hasn’t been mentioned earlier, Majestic Mountain Sage makes sweetener for lip balms. I have this one, but I haven’t tried it yet.
https://www.thesage.com/products/sugar-baby-ii-flavor-oil

 

[TashaBird]

In case it hasn’t been mentioned earlier, Majestic Mountain Sage makes sweetener for lip balms. I have this one, but I haven’t tried it yet.
https://www.thesage.com/products/sugar-baby-ii-flavor-oil

What is it? What do you put on your ingredients?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

What is it? What do you put on your ingredients?

According to the product information sheet, it contains the artificial sweetener saccharin. The INCI is "flavor". I haven't used it yet.

 

[TashaBird]

Someone recommended a super fine stevia extract powder and I can't remember who, or find the comment. But, I ordered some and it came today and it's finer than powdered sugar and I'm SO excited! I think it could work well in lip balm!

 

[TashaBird]

Well, the stevia extract tastes great! It didn’t blend in as good as I’d hoped. But it mostly stayed suspended. This bit of sediment at the bottom was disappointing.