Lip Balm Questions

[Catscankim]

In addition to body butter, I decided that I needed lip balm in my life. I feel like using Chapstick brand makes you need more chapstick LOL.

Anyway. two questions...

I filled all the tubes, but the balm shrunk as it cooled and I had to top them all off. Is this normal?

All the tutorials I watched say to "let set up before you put on the caps". How long are you supposed to let sit or use? I'm not in a huge hurry, just something that I was wondering. They've been on the counter for 20 min now, and they look pretty set up, I just don't want to go ruining all of them by testing to see if they are ready.

I used Mountain Rose Herbs tutorial which called for 1 cup sw almond, 2oz beeswax, and 1 teaspoon EO. I halved the recipe, but feel like I could have used more Lavender EO, unless I am noseblind to it right now lol. Definite possibility.

 

[dixiedragon]

Yes, that's normal. The outside cools a bit faster and clings to the side of the tub, while the inner part cools more slowly and has time to collapse/sink inward.
Are you using a filling tray? I have the silicone one from Crafters' Choice and I cannot recommend it enough lol. Hobby Lobby carries a small plastic one that holds 12 or so tubes, but the problem is that there is some variation in size sometimes in teh tubes and not all tubes fit. The silicone one has enough give so there is room for error.

You need to put your lip balm in the fridge or freezer right after pouring. This stops it from getting grainy. The grains are caused with the stearic acid (mostly in the shea butter) cools slowly and has time to separate out.

I leave my tubes in the fridge for a half our or so - enough time that the are cooled. Then I remove the tubes from the tray, and cap them. Then scrape off /pop off the hardened balm from the tray itself. the tubes get put on a clean paper towel or dishtowel to absorb the condensation that forms on the cold tubes.

Hope this helps!

 

[amd]

I only top mine off if I have a bit left the mixing cup (which usually doesn't happen because I've got the recipe dialed in pretty tight), so what I do is run my heat gun over the tops until the divet goes away. Doesn't take much. Generally my work area is pretty cool (unless it's summer) and I don't melt my balm super hot, so that my balms are set within 10-15 minutes - maybe? I've never really timed it.

I use the silicone tray from WSP mentioned above, and typically do 3 batches of 12 in it (different flavors) so the tray leaves me a blank row between each batch. By the time I've poured the 3rd flavor, cleaned up, and hit the tops with the heat gun, I'm ready to cap.

 

[AliOop]

^^^ Dixie Dragon nailed it. Like her, I love love my silicone tube filler tray!

I will only add that you never want to cap anything that is still cooling, whether that is lip balm, lotion, body butter, deo, etc. Otherwise, condensation will form on your product. Moisture = bacteria and mold. Not what we want on our carefully crafted stuff!

ETA: agreed that chapstick causes me to constantly need more. Also love amd's method of evening out the tops with a heat gun. Def gonna try that!

 

[dixiedragon]

I personally like the divet, lol. As long as the tube is full enough that the plastic screw thing in the middle isn't exposed. The divet says "New tube!" and that's always fun.

 

[dixiedragon]

BTW, here's a pretty standard formula:
https://library.rusticescentuals.com/learn-to-formulate-a-recipe-for-lip-balm/
20% Beeswax
25% Butters/Oils that are solid at room temperature. These butters are on the soft side. (My personal favorite is ultra refined shea. Less likely to become grainy. Mango is good too. Some people like babassu)
15% Butters that are hard at room temperature. These butters are on the brittle side. (honestly I think cocoa butter is the only "brittle" butter. I like to keep both regular (chocolaty scent) and descented on hand.)
40% Oils that are liquid at room temperature. (This is where creativity comes in. I personally like a combination of avocado and apricot kernel)
These percentages should equal 100%.

To make the math simple, a 100 gram recipe gets you about 23 tubes. I like to do a 200 gram recipe. For this recipe, I use 1 teaspoon of flavor/scent.

 

[Catscankim]

I don't know that I will be making it enough to invest in extra supplies like the tray right now. They were easy enough to fill with a pipette. It was a fun project, and I gave a lot away last night and it was a big hit. As most of you know, I can't sell BnB products down here in Florida unless I invest in a workspace, which if I keep going with my experiments and projects, might be a definite possibility in the future lol. Gotta get my soapy business off the ground first.

Mountain Rose tutorial called for Calendula infused sweet almond, which I plan on making for my next batch. I might make a few different infusions while I am at it and make a nice healing balm. I'd rather make infusions instead of using EOs for safety reasons, especially for a product that you put on your lips. Plus I will experiment with some of your recipes, so thank you for them!! The basic recipe I made yesterday is really nice on its own and everybody who got one last night absolutely loves it. I would love to add butters and such and do some more experimenting. Plus I would like to make it slightly harder. I had to warn everybody to not keep it in the car or in their pocket cause it did seem to have a pretty low melt point lol. I kept one in my pocket on purpose, and while it didn't melt back to liquid, it did get kinda soft, but then back to solid quickly.

And yeah, I did go noseblind to the Lavender EO. People smelled it right away, where as I barely smell it at all.

 

[amd]

They were easy enough to fill with a pipette.

A trick that I did before I got the filling tray is to use a big rubber band to bunch my tubes into a bundle - seems to make them a bit more stable when filling. I used the medicine plunger type dispenser thingy (yes that's the technical term) like this to fill the tubes until I developed a steady hand with the pyrex measuring cup.

 

[Catscankim]

BTW, here's a pretty standard formula:
https://library.rusticescentuals.com/learn-to-formulate-a-recipe-for-lip-balm/
20% Beeswax
25% Butters/Oils that are solid at room temperature. These butters are on the soft side. (My personal favorite is ultra refined shea. Less likely to become grainy. Mango is good too. Some people like babassu)
15% Butters that are hard at room temperature. These butters are on the brittle side. (honestly I think cocoa butter is the only "brittle" butter. I like to keep both regular (chocolaty scent) and descented on hand.)
40% Oils that are liquid at room temperature. (This is where creativity comes in. I personally like a combination of avocado and apricot kernel)
These percentages should equal 100%.

To make the math simple, a 100 gram recipe gets you about 23 tubes. I like to do a 200 gram recipe. For this recipe, I use 1 teaspoon of flavor/scent.

Getting ready to make a batch using this recipe. If I use non-deodorized cocoa, will the final product smell like cocoa? I want it to, so I don't have to add anything to it. Trying to keep it natural (no FO). The EO that I have probably won't smell good with cocoa butter, but the natural smell of cocoa would be nice....if that all makes sense LOL

Edit: I made this with 20% beeswax, 25% refined shea, 15% cocoa butter, 40% avocado. This is so good. I love it and thank you. And to answer my own question...very nice light smell of cocoa. i may never use another lip balm again LOL. I actually just ordered labels for the tubes. I can't sell them, but I am happy to give them away. I am really excited. This is probably the best I've ever used.

I had Bergamot all measured and ready to put into the batch to match up with the cocoa, but then I was afraid of photosensitivity with the bergamot, so I didn't. The cocoa butter smell alone is nice and very "Floridian". All I need is for one person to come back from the beach with burnt lips from the bergamot LOL.

 

[dixiedragon]

Getting ready to make a batch using this recipe. If I use non-deodorized cocoa, will the final product smell like cocoa? I want it to, so I don't have to add anything to it. Trying to keep it natural (no FO). The EO that I have probably won't smell good with cocoa butter, but the natural smell of cocoa would be nice....if that all makes sense LOL

Edit: I made this with 20% beeswax, 25% refined shea, 15% cocoa butter, 40% avocado. This is so good. I love it and thank you. And to answer my own question...very nice light smell of cocoa. i may never use another lip balm again LOL. I actually just ordered labels for the tubes. I can't sell them, but I am happy to give them away. I am really excited. This is probably the best I've ever used.

I had Bergamot all measured and ready to put into the batch to match up with the cocoa, but then I was afraid of photosensitivity with the bergamot, so I didn't. The cocoa butter smell alone is nice and very "Floridian". All I need is for one person to come back from the beach with burnt lips from the bergamot LOL.

Sorry, just now saw your question. I also love the mild natural cocoa butter scent. It combines weirdly with some flavors - I have an Asian Pear flavor that I LOVE but it is weird with the cocoa butter.

 

[kasilofchrisn]

I just make for my own use and gifting.
I use a filling tray for mine and that is truly the best/easiest way to go.
They are not that expensive and last forever.
I also use the heat gun to remove the divot. I guess that's just how I've always done it.
I usually use peppermint EO and sweet almond oil infused with rose petals from my roses and Alaskan fireweed flowers I harvest in the wild.
And a bit of vitamin E oil.
Though I have some other idea

s in mind with wild chamomile and shea butter.
I buy the label blanks and my buddy does the design and printing for me.