Coco Kahlua Lip Balm + Simple All-Purpose Balm Recipe: For Gift-Giving, or Anytime

Homemade lip balms are one of the easiest last-second gifts to present to friends and family. They're simple, fun, inexpensive, and require few ingredients. Keeping a few butters oils, and waxes on hand can help you yield a variety of different gifts! This year I'm sharing a couple of balms we formulated in herbalism class. Get creative, the sky is literally the limit with these.

Kahlua Chocolate Sunrise Lip Balm

- Cocoa Butter .3 oz
- Hershey's Cocoa Powder (or cocoa powder, whatever you have on hand) 1/4 tsp
- Stevia Coconut Oil Sweetener - 6 drops
- Olive Oil (I used one I'd infused in healing calendula petals) - .2 oz
- Kokum Butter - .10 oz
- Kaluah - 10 to 15 drops (You can sub with something like coffee)
- Pumpkin Seed - .2 oz
- Aloe Butter .10 Aloe oz
- Beeswax - .3 oz
- 10 - 15 Drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
- Tibetan ochre mica (1/4 tsp, optional)

*Note: All oils and butters can be subbed with other oils and butters you have on-hand

Directions: On low heat, simply melt everything together, then pour into your tins! You can melt it in the microwave but this changes the molecular structure of your beeswax and makes it less anti-microbial and healing. But the product will still work; not a big deal. I use a homemade double boiler method where I put a small bowl inside of a pot of water (filled to where it goes up to half the bowl). I melt all the ingredients until they're fully incorporated, then pour it into the containers. Do it quickly because it starts to solidify fast once it's off the heat!

Simple, Basic Recipe

1 Teaspoon Beeswax
A Few drops Flavor oil of choice
1/4 teaspoon jojoba oil
1 Teaspoon shea butter

Just like your expensive lipsticks, balm, and lotions, don't leave these in the heat or in a hot car too long or they'll melt!  Have fun making balms for the holidays- or whenever you need them. You can, of course, pour these into Chapstick containers you order as well. Just pour it with the bottom twisted all the way down and let it set until ready!

SURPRISE, Giveaway: The first three commenters will get a lip balm in the mail from me! :) Leave your e-mail address so I can e-mail you to get your address!

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