After sitting for a little over a week it's grainy and has little air bubbles in it. It was the first time I have used Shea Butter for Lip balm, could this be the cause? To hot maybe? The first few days it was perfect. Can it be saved or should I toss and start over? Help, Help!
Lip Balm Issue...
- Thread starter nae65
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
I expect the graininess is from the Shea Butter - when you heat Shea it can get a little grainy. Not sure about the air bubbles though....
in theory you can temper it, but I personally have never had any luck with that.
I finally just pulled all the butters out of my formula and replaced with palm oil.
there is a product called butterEZ that is supposed to prevent graininess but I've not finished testing it yet (and it ain't cheap)
I finally just pulled all the butters out of my formula and replaced with palm oil.
there is a product called butterEZ that is supposed to prevent graininess but I've not finished testing it yet (and it ain't cheap)
Thanks so much. I guess I could try to temper it. Don't have much to lose at this point if it doesn't work. I'll look into the ButterEZ. Has anyone else ever worked with it before and if so how were your results? Any problems?
Thank you again
Thank you again
kslo78
Active Member
I thought I read somewhere that if you heat up shea butter and then cool it down really quick it avoids the graininess. I did a foot balm a few weeks ago and stuck it in the freezer to harden up. It had shea. I don't feel any graininess to it.
i just did a new batch of lip balm which i had to pitch because of graininess. i had changed two things....i added about 1 tsp of shea butter but i also used a different wax, instead of candelilla wax i used that other one that also starts w/ a 'c' but can't remember the name of it now....too tired to get up to look at the bag......i'm annoyed because i stupidly pour a batch 0f 50 lip balms and i'm going to either have to toss them all or say these grainy beauties for myself and my family. we' have a life time supply of yucky minty lip balms. oh well at least i ddin't make more.....i thought shea butter would be a good addition...what about adding tne shea butter after the wax is melted and when it is starting to cool down. i bought a vegan lip balm tnat has shea butter in it and also jojoba oil i'd like to make one like that. i'ts not grainy at all.....i wonder if they don't add the shea butter when it is barely warm....ill try that
madpiano
Well-Known Member
I make mine with shea butter an cocoabutter and no grainyness yet.
I put the cocoa butter, almond oil and castor oil and beeswax in a small pan and heat VERY gently until it just melts, then take it off the heat stir a while until they are fully melted, then add the shea butter and stir some more. After that add the flavour and pour.
It means I have to work very fast aftr the shea butter is added or it starts to set in the pot, but no grains yet and my daughter carries hers in her pockets, so it warms up and cools down all the time. They never last too long, but I have a jar here in front of me thats 2 months old and no grains in that one either (and it's been in the car and in the cold)
I put the cocoa butter, almond oil and castor oil and beeswax in a small pan and heat VERY gently until it just melts, then take it off the heat stir a while until they are fully melted, then add the shea butter and stir some more. After that add the flavour and pour.
It means I have to work very fast aftr the shea butter is added or it starts to set in the pot, but no grains yet and my daughter carries hers in her pockets, so it warms up and cools down all the time. They never last too long, but I have a jar here in front of me thats 2 months old and no grains in that one either (and it's been in the car and in the cold)
I've been having great success with the Butter EZ. From the INCI it seem's that it's basically coconut oil (go figure).
A few years ago I had great lip balms - no graining. But as soon as I got to the point of selling them- BAM!!! Grains. And then the damned things invaded my solid lotions.
Shea and cocoa butters - kiss of death
Kokum seemed stable - for a while
So I went to palm. But now with Butter EZ I'm back with my butters and happy as a clam.
= and yes candelilla wax can be problematic if it doesn't get fully and completely melted. since it has a high MP, you need to get your mix darned hot to be sure. It's MP is in the area of 160F.
(for reference, the MP of cocoa butter is about 98-100F, and of beeswax is about 145)
A few years ago I had great lip balms - no graining. But as soon as I got to the point of selling them- BAM!!! Grains. And then the damned things invaded my solid lotions.
Shea and cocoa butters - kiss of death
Kokum seemed stable - for a while
So I went to palm. But now with Butter EZ I'm back with my butters and happy as a clam.
= and yes candelilla wax can be problematic if it doesn't get fully and completely melted. since it has a high MP, you need to get your mix darned hot to be sure. It's MP is in the area of 160F.
(for reference, the MP of cocoa butter is about 98-100F, and of beeswax is about 145)
G
Guest
Great tips , thank you all , I haven't tried lip balms yet 
Kitn
Kitn
I discovered my shea butter had crystals in it when it arrived. I let it sit at room temp & whipped it. There were the crystals, so it wasn't from heating it. I heated it up to the melting point & held it there for 20 mins. No more crystals.
I don't use shea butter in lip balms anymore since it melts in warm weather.
I don't use shea butter in lip balms anymore since it melts in warm weather.
