What happened to my chapstick?

[My Mountain Soaps]

Hi there, I have made this recipe twice, the first time i went based off of the original recipes measurements of tablespoons. The second time, i weighed the tablespoon measurement and converted them to ounces. And something went wrong. The oils separated, and the chapstick is grainy.
Here is the recipe with old and new measurements:
2 tbs/1.5 oz coconut oil
3tbs/1.15 oz sweet almond oil
3 tbs/1.15 oz cocoa butter
1 tbs/ 1.3 oz beeswax
1 tbs/ .55 oz shae butter
1 tsp/ raw honey

What also changed between the first and second batch is that beeswax was refined again. The first time there was quit a bit of slum gum in it, so before the second batch i melted it, and gleaned it as best i could. the first batch was solid, smooth, and everyone loved it (I only made a few). The second batch ( i made FIFTY!!!!) im wondering how to fix them- either that or i'll have chapstick for a life time.

If you have any ideas as to what i did, i would love to know thanks

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm betting the shea is causing the graininess.

I'm also betting the "oil" at the bottom of the lip balm tube is actually your honey. You cannot mix a water-based ingredient like honey with fats and expect the mixture to stay emulsified. Yes, sometimes you'll get lucky, as you did in your first batch, but the emulsion will not be ~reliably~ stable without a chemical emulsifier.

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

oh ok. So if that is the case, how would you re-vamp this recipe? also, i have fifty of these tubes (Not all separated, but most are grainy, and the ones that i have tested have all instantly melted when touched to the lips) how do i re-batch this being they are in these tubes? i dont want to risk damaging these tubes.

 

[Obsidian]

Can't use just twist it up and break the sticks off? Wear rubber gloves and you should be able to use cool water and rinse the honey off of the waxy parts. Maybe use a toothpick to remove the left over bits in the bottom of the tube. If you can remove all the honey, just remelt it and re-pour. I tried to make balm with honey once, did the same thing, the honey just sank to the bottom. Now I use raw beeswax to help give it a honey flavor.
I had some lotion get grainy from shea butter, I did read that if you let it cool slower, then it won't do that as bad.

 

[judymoody]

Shea is prone to graininess. There is a product called Butter EZ that is supposed to help with graininess in butters. I have never used it personally but many lip balm makers swear by it.

Also, I agree, the separation is probably the honey. It's not stable in an oil-based product.

Personally, I would be concerned about reusing the tubes for sanitary reasons. Up to you, of course. If I were intending to sell, I'd cut my losses and pitch them.

p.s. also if you intend to sell lip balm at some point, chap stick is a trademarked name. Generic lip balm is less likely to get you into trouble.

 

[jcatblum]

For the work involved in removing the product & cleaning up the tubes I would throw them out & use new tubes. Sorry your batch didn't workout.

 

[Lin]

Ditto, the shea is probably the graininess and the separation the honey. I'd twist the tubes all the way up and break off the sticks, then use something like a chopstick to remove as much from the piece at the bottom. After thats all done put all the tubes in a large pot, squirt some dish soap in, boil some water and once it starts boiling take it off the heat, wait a moment, and pour it over the tubes. Soak until the water is cool and rinse all the tubes well.

Shea can become grainy from being overworked so honestly there isn't too much you can do there. Its kind of a problem ingredient in lip balm since the graininess is much easier detected by the lips.

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

p.s. also if you intend to sell lip balm at some point, chap stick is a trademarked name. Generic lip balm is less likely to get you into trouble. [/QUOTE]

you are very right, old habits die hard though
thank you everyone for your input. I think i will try to salvage these, and rebatch. i'll give them out to family/friends after a good cleansing. I just find it so odd that this was such a drastic screw up! especially for Christmas. ggrrrrr. oh well. thanks again everyone!

 

[pamielynn]

Personally, I would work your recipe in percentages. To me, this helps identify and correct problem areas - for example, if you only have 5% beeswax you'll know it's going to be too soft.

Also, I use Butter EZ in my lip balms - it really does help with graininess - especially if the balms, in use, will heat up and cool down as people travel around with them.

 

[neeners]

I've made some lip balms with shea butter (only for personal use), and every time it's grainy. I've given up on shea butter for lip balms. yesterday i made some lotion bars with bees wax, cocoa butter and coconut oil. so smooth! no more shea for me!

sorry you have 50 to redo. lip balms in the tubes are so time consuming!

 

[dixiedragon]

I use refined shea butter. So far, no graininess! (knock on wood).

 

[paillo]

I too gave up long ago on shea butter, honey and agave, because of separation, stickiness, and graininess. I've been using something more like my solid lotion recipes - mango and cocoa butters, beeswax, a little rice bran and sunflower oil, vitamin E. Very basic, I'd love to experiment more, but I only make them for personal use, family and friends. I love coffee flavor oil.

 

[100%Natural]

Shea Butter actually requires a quick cool down in order to not become grainy. When I put my body butters and lip balms in the fridge immediately after pouring they are super smooth. If I don't, they're grainy.

For what tubes cost, I would pitch that batch and start new. You don't want to end up with 50 tubes of contaminated lip balm. :-(

 

[neeners]

I too gave up long ago on shea butter, honey and agave, because of separation, stickiness, and graininess. I've been using something more like my solid lotion recipes - mango and cocoa butters, beeswax, a little rice bran and sunflower oil, vitamin E. Very basic, I'd love to experiment more, but I only make them for personal use, family and friends. I love coffee flavor oil.

really? I put my lip balms in the fridge right away and they're still grainy.....

 

[cmzaha]

I always cool my in the fridge and they do not become grainy using my raw shea. If I reuse my lip tubes because of a problem with the balm I break off the balm, spritz a chopstick with grain alcohol and remove the remaining balm from the bottom, then I spritz the entire inside of the tube with grain alcohol put the tubes back into the pour tray, cover lightly with a clean thin dish towel and let them sit until the alcohol evaporates. I do not sell them, but do feel safe in giving them away. It creates a big mess if you try cleaning them in hot water.

 

[Lin]

I reuse lip balm tubes for my personal lip balm, I buy new ones to sell or gift. I use the method I gave every time I clean lip balm tubes whether its a couple tubes or a large amount, I have about 25 or so that are for my own personal use. They were actually tubes I saved from purchasing chapstick from the point I wanted to start making it until I finally did. So I cleaned them before I used them the first time, I've cleaned them after using them up to refill, and after failed batches like when I tried honey.

The very first time I used them I also used a tiny brush to clean the inside, but that doesn't seem to be required with the ingredients I use. It did with the commercial petroleum type stuff that was in the tubes originally.

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

I have learned so much. thank you everyone, now to go about formulating a new recipe without honey and shae! i think i will read up on mango butter, that sounds so tasty