Erin's Lip Balm Formulation - Day 1

Earlier this week I received an email from Erin, who was asking for assistance with two test lip balm recipes she had. She wanted something that ” didn’t leave lips feeling like you’ve been sucking on a melted candle”. Erin, I couldn’t have thought of a better description! I remember when I first started making lip balm. I have made fluid gloopy messes to lip balm “candles”! Let’s head of the kitchen for some testing and we can help Erin formulate something she would be proud to make. Come join us!

Erin’s first test recipe was the following.

#1 Test Recipe

2 tsp Beeswax

3 tsp Castor Oil

3 tsp Jojoba Oil

1 tsp Vitamin E

Here is Erin’s second recipe.

#2 Test Recipe

2 tsp Beeswax

6 tsp Castor Oil

1 tsp Vitamin E

Erin, I think this is a great start. I really like Castor Oil in my lip balms because they impart a smooth creamy feeling. I love it when things glide onto my lips without any effort at all. Let’s see if we can formulate your dream lip balm.

One of the first concerns I have with both of your formulations it that they are done by volume. Here is where a great formulation can be turned into that lip balm candle. You have to ask, how do you measure these products? Take beeswax for example. Do you pack it in? Do you let it rise over the top? Is there a lot of space? Are you measuring it when melted? Or when working with liquid oils you allow it to over flow? Do you scrape out your measuring spoon? Do you measure a scant teaspoon?

Measuring these ways aren’t necessarily bad, they just make inconsistent products when comparing one batch to another. This is where a scale becomes critical. Not having a scale for making your products is like trying to knit without needles or drive without tires. Sure, you can do it, just not very well. A scale is important if you fall in love with a formulation or are thinking of selling your product or giving it away. Guaranteed, you or someone else will want another lip balm just like the first. What a mess if you can’t recreate what you did!

First, let’s head to the kitchen to change these volumes into weights. That will make it easier to alter our recipe from there.

Erin’s recipes in weight.

#1 Test Recipe

7 grams Beeswax

9.3 grams Castor Oil

8 grams Jojoba Oil

3.5 grams Vitamin E

#2 Test Recipe

7 grams Beeswax

18.6 grams Castor Oil

3.5 grams Vitamin E

Now that we have changed this to weight, come join us tomorrow as we formulate Erin’s dream lip balm!