Stevia sweetener in lip balm

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Nadidi

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2024
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Location
Canada
Hi !
Newbie here, i've been looking up different ingredients to start making lip balm but im kind of stuck on something.
I want to make my lip balms sweet but realized that most stevias sold are either liquid, that im guessing will not dissolve in oil or, powdered stevia which is probably the same issue.
I've come to understand that if I use an emulsifier like lanolin, it will keep both the oil based and water based ingredients together but I don't quick understand how that works, how much emulsifier should I add and at one point should I do it in the process?

Also, I know since i'm adding a water based ingredients to my balms, ill need to use a lip safe preservative, but which ones are best for lip balms?

Thanks in advance ! :)
 
Welcome! To make it easy on yourself, consider pre-sweetened lip balm flavors. Wholesale Supplies Plus has a nice selection of pre-sweetened flavors.

Nature's Garden carries unsweetened lip flavor oils. According to their website, they recommend sweetening lip balms with powdered stevia that is mixed with maltodextrin. They say that it mixes well with lip balm base without feeling gritty.

ETA: you can also use Loran baking flavor oils. Many of them are sweet, as well.
 
Welcome! To make it easy on yourself, consider pre-sweetened lip balm flavors. Wholesale Supplies Plus has a nice selection of pre-sweetened flavors.

Nature's Garden carries unsweetened lip flavor oils. According to their website, they recommend sweetening lip balms with powdered stevia that is mixed with maltodextrin. They say that it mixes well with lip balm base without feeling gritty.

ETA: you can also use Loran baking flavor oils. Many of them are sweet, as well.
Thanks for the reply !

But isin't maltodextrin powder as well ? How would I add it with the rest of the ingredients to make them stay together ?
 
The stevia powder and maltodextrin come packaged as a single product, like this. You would mix this in with the ingredients of your lip balm, stirring well to incorporate. Even with an emulsifier, however, you will get some settling of the powder in the melted base.

That's why I prefer pre-sweetened flavor oils. They are so much simpler.
 
The problem with adding water-based stuff to products that are normally anhydrous is you also have to use a preservative not just an emulsifier. The issue of reliable preservation opens a big enough can of worms that I personally would avoid this idea.

Lanolin can hold some water within its structure, that's true, but it is not an emulsifier. Perhaps you're confusing it with lecithin?
 
The problem with adding water-based stuff to products that are normally anhydrous is you also have to use a preservative not just an emulsifier. The issue of reliable preservation opens a big enough can of worms that I personally would avoid this idea.

Lanolin can hold some water within its structure, that's true, but it is not an emulsifier. Perhaps you're confusing it with lecithin?
I might yes 😅 iv been seeing so many different things and names online that I might of had them confused. Very new to this.

I know a lot a small brand companies that have sweetened lip balms and im trying to figure out how they do it.

I've looked those up as well but shipping to Canada is insane, a lot of the times its double the amount of the actual product just in shipping, if not more ! :(
 
know a lot a small brand companies that have sweetened lip balms and im trying to figure out how they do it.
Take a look at their ingredient list and that should tell you. If you need help interpreting that, post a copy of the label here and we will help. 😊
 
Take a look at their ingredient list and that should tell you. If you need help interpreting that, post a copy of the label here and we will help. 😊
This one brand has these ingredients:
Olive oil, substainable palm oil, beeswax, coconut oil, castor seed oil, stevia, aroma, mica

i've looked it up and in this case is the palm oil working as an emulsifier ?

But there are three other brands that don't seem to list any:

1- Beeswax, Shea butter, Coconut oil, Olive oil, Vitamin E, Sweet Almond oil, Stevia, Flavor oils
2 - Coconut oil, Beeswax, Flavor, Cocoa Butter, Essentiel oil, Shea butter, Vitamin E, Stevia
3 - Beeswax, Olive oil, Coconut oil, flavor oil, Stevia

Is it possible that you don't need to add the emulsifier to the list of ingredients ? Or maybe they just buy a sweetener like one dmcgee5034 mentioned, so no need to add more then just "stevia" in the ingredient list
https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-b...ls/lip-smacking-sweet-flavor-oil/V000139.html
 
Last edited:
I've looked those up as well but shipping to Canada is insane, a lot of the times its double the amount of the actual product just in shipping, if not more ! :(
Check into some of the Lorann candy flavouring oils; if you have a Bulk Barn near you, they carry some. Also, some of the Canadian soap suppliers carry lip balm flavour oils. Depending on which part of Canada you're from, check out Candora, Windy Point, Voyageur; I'm sure there are others as well. Most of the lip balm flavourings I use are from Windy Point (Calgary).
 
This one brand has these ingredients:
Olive oil, substainable palm oil, beeswax, coconut oil, castor seed oil, stevia, aroma, mica

i've looked it up and in this case is the palm oil working as an emulsifier ?

But there are three other brands that don't seem to list any:

1- Beeswax, Shea butter, Coconut oil, Olive oil, Vitamin E, Sweet Almond oil, Stevia, Flavor oils
2 - Coconut oil, Beeswax, Flavor, Cocoa Butter, Essentiel oil, Shea butter, Vitamin E, Stevia
3 - Beeswax, Olive oil, Coconut oil, flavor oil, Stevia

Is it possible that you don't need to add the emulsifier to the list of ingredients ? Or maybe they just buy a sweetener like one dmcgee5034 mentioned, so no need to add more then just "stevia" in the ingredient list
https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-b...ls/lip-smacking-sweet-flavor-oil/V000139.html
I haven't heard of anyone using an emulsifier per se. According to the Nature's Garden website, they recommend simply stirring in the dry powdered blend of stevia + maltodextrin, along with their unflavored oils. That would be consistent with the labels you are seeing, as well.
 
I haven't heard of anyone using an emulsifier per se. According to the Nature's Garden website, they recommend simply stirring in the dry powdered blend of stevia + maltodextrin, along with their unflavored oils. That would be consistent with the labels you are seeing, as well.
I've been looking up stevia + maltodextrin and its actually hard to find, but I found this brand
https://www.amazon.ca/-/fr/gp/product/B00068PCTK/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A310ZHU8BGITXU&psc=1

The one you showed me was a bit expensive

I remember buying powdered stevia in the past and it probably didn't have it in because it never dissolved in oil.
 
Last edited:
I do like it - it’s just the right sweetness to balance out any flavor oil. Let us know what you think once you get it and use it. 😊
I don't know what im doing wrong but I can't get it to work :( no matter how much of it I add to my mix, it doesn't turn out sweet, at all
 
Back
Top