Sleep balm beginner!

[LoveSonam]

Hi!
(Second thread yay!)
I am yet to make my first ever sleep balm and with so many great DIY recipes out there, I was not sure If I need a preservative? My basic ingredients so far are:

Sunflower seed oil 1tbs
Beeswax 1tbs
Jojoba oil 1tbs
Lavender EO
Bergamont EO
Jasmine EO
Ylang Ylang EO

I have no idea about ratios of hard to soft oils and if that matters but I guess I will find out. However, is there anything else I need to think about?

Thank you!!

 

[DeeAnna]

You don't have any water-based ingredients in there, so you're good -- you shouldn't need a preservative.

The ratio of wax to oils depends on how firm you want this product to be. If you're wanting something like a lip balm texture, I use 31-32% beeswax with the rest being oils and scent -- your sunflower, jojoba, and EOs.

It's best to measure by weight to get the best consistency -- beeswax in particular varies a LOT if you try to measure the unmelted wax by volume.

Also remember the amount of EOs will affect the texture of the balm. I use about 1% total EOs (by weight) in this 31-32% wax blend. If you're using a higher % of EOs than I do, you'll probably have to increase the beeswax percentage to get the same level of firmness.

Kudos to you for wanting to learn about preservative use -- good for you!!!

 

[LoveSonam]

You don't have any water-based ingredients in there, so you're good -- you shouldn't need a preservative.

The ratio of wax to oils depends on how firm you want this product to be. If you're wanting something like a lip balm texture, I use 31-32% beeswax with the rest being oils and scent -- your sunflower, jojoba, and EOs.

It's best to measure by weight to get the best consistency -- beeswax in particular varies a LOT if you try to measure the unmelted wax by volume.

Also remember the amount of EOs will affect the texture of the balm. I use about 1% total EOs (by weight) in this 31-32% wax blend. If you're using a higher % of EOs than I do, you'll probably have to increase the beeswax percentage to get the same level of firmness.

Thank you DeeAnna! That makes a lot of sense - that I have not otherwise thought of! Thank you for your useful advice!

 

[justjacqui]

Although you don't need a preservative, you might benefit from a small amount of an antioxidant such as Rosemary oleoresin. This becomes important if you use oils with short shelf lives that are prone to oxidation (E.g. Grapeseed Oil). I think that sunflower and Jojoba have good shelf lives so don't worry about it too much unless you start changing oils.