Homemade Natural Chapstick

I frequently experience dry and chapped lips and often use chapstick as a means of solving the dryness and providing me with moisture and comfort to my lips. Today, I want to share with you a simple tutorial on how to make your own chapstick with 3 completely natural ingredients. They happen to be my favorite: shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax. These ingredients help moisturize, sooth, heal, and restore dry lips naturally. They grow in creation and team up together for a very effective lip balm! The balance in the ingredients gives it a very moisturizing and non-greasy affect. It blends into your lip in a matter of a few seconds and does not leave a glistening oil appearance. This recipe is so easy, it would make great Christmas stocking stuffers. And the beauty of it is that this simple recipe also makes a fabulous hard lotion bar – perfect for dry and cracked skin. You can easily make a smaller or larger quantity as desired. Any extra can be made into a hard lotion bar by pouring into ice cube trays.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons beeswax (about 1 oz)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons shea butter
12 lip balm containers
dropper

Directions:

1. Melt beeswax in a small pan or crockpot over low heat. Add coconut oil and shea butter until all ingredients a melted. Add a few drops essential oil if desired. I did not use any essential oil and it is smells wonderfully like honey!
2. Using a small medicinal dropper, pour the melted liquid into your lip balm containers. Add a few extra drops to the top after filling each container as the ingredients will shrink as they cool.
3. Cool completely to harden. Cover with cap and decorate or label as desired.

Enjoy nice cool and refreshing natural lips!

I purchased all the ingredients, including dropper and lip balm containers from Mountain Rose Herbs.

This video is offered courtesy of Made On Hard Lotion bars, where you can purchase these lovely lip balms already prepared for you!

About Lindsay

Lindsay Edmonds is first a lover of Jesus, wife, mother of four, homemaker, and writer. She loves inspiring women around the world toward simple, natural, and intentional living for the glory of God.

85 Responses to Homemade Natural Chapstick

  1. Clarissa December 14, 2012 at 11:53 pm #

    Lindsay, thank you for this recipe, I just made it and really like it. However, it is a little stiff for me. Is there anything I can add to it to soften it up just a tad??

    • Mary February 16, 2013 at 1:10 pm #

      I use double the amount of coconut oil and it still keep sits shape but it glides much better.

  2. Hannah December 7, 2012 at 9:08 am #

    Just made this for everyone on my Christmas list, including the guys! I will definitely be coming back to this time and time again.

  3. rose June 27, 2012 at 11:09 am #

    Rele cool! But can I find chapstick tubes at hobby stores?

  4. Charlee K February 8, 2012 at 2:31 pm #

    So excited to find this recipe on your website! Being allergic to soy, which is found in most chapsticks, I now have a recipe to do it on my own! :) Thank you for sharing!

  5. Rachelle December 15, 2011 at 11:01 pm #

    Before I started making this recipe I watched the mountain rose video of chap stick making. They use a lot less beeswax than this recipe does. He did use sweet almond oil and his ratio was 1 cup of oil to 2 ounces of beeswax. Do you know why he didn’t use as much? Is it because he used a liquid oil instead? I’m wondering if I could use less beeswax next time. Thanks for your time.

    • Lindsay December 16, 2011 at 4:46 pm #

      The liquid oil would certainly give it a softer texture. Coconut oil gets so firm that the chapstick is a bit stiff. I can see the benefit of decreasing the beeswax as that might be a contributing factor as well.

  6. Vicki Alessi December 5, 2011 at 6:54 am #

    Liindsay, did you use the beeswax pastilles or filtered beeswax from the Mountain Rose Herbs?

    • Lindsay December 5, 2011 at 4:29 pm #

      I’m pretty sure it was the pastilles.

  7. ~M November 28, 2011 at 6:41 pm #

    I first bought 1 gallon of unrefined virgin coconut oil (cold-pressed) from MRH two years ago for $37+shipping; now it’s $59+shipping (shipping is also more). I’m wondering whether you still find MRH to offer the best price on coconut oil? How does it compare to, say, Tropical Traditions? Thanks!

  8. Rachelle November 28, 2011 at 12:16 am #

    Hello, I would like to make this recipe but I’m concerned that it will be glossy. I would like to make some for the men in my life so I need it to have a matte finish or close to it. How does this chapstick look once applied? Thanks in advance!

    • Lindsay November 28, 2011 at 9:32 am #

      This recipe is definitely not glossy. It’s rather firm and dry.

  9. Ali November 6, 2011 at 7:00 pm #

    if i wanted to use this recipe and sell them for what it cost me to make them, maybe a little more for time & effort, could I? thanks in advance

  10. Chase September 4, 2011 at 4:26 pm #

    Will the shea butter and coconut oil make it flavored because I was to add my own flavoring so would I have to put those 2 ingredients in? Thank you

  11. E July 31, 2011 at 8:23 pm #

    I would like to make this and simply store it in a container and apply it using my finger. Would it work that way, simply being poured into a container, like the tubs of lip balm instead of a stick of lip balm?

    • Lindsay August 1, 2011 at 6:04 am #

      Probably not. This chapstick gets pretty thick. But you could surely give it a try.

  12. Lori June 13, 2011 at 7:02 am #

    how many chapsticks does this recipe make?

    • Lori June 13, 2011 at 7:03 am #

      oops! never mind…i see 12 :) thank you!

    • Lindsay June 13, 2011 at 1:34 pm #

      Roughly 10 as pictured.

  13. Chrystal April 16, 2011 at 5:09 pm #

    I had the same “grainy” issue (all items purchased from mt rose herbs as well) – I added a little Vit E and the grainy went away and moved to silky smooth.

    • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:42 pm #

      If you melt down your shea butter first, put it in the fridge and then melt it again with your oils it will be smooth.

    • katie January 8, 2013 at 1:35 pm #

      I made two batches….one with orange essential oil and one without. The batch with the orange essential oil did not get grainy at all and that’s how I always make it now :) Hopefully that will help if anyone else is having trouble with the grainy-ness!

  14. Priscilla March 23, 2011 at 5:35 am #

    Is there a more economical way to purchase coconut oil in smaller quantities than a gallon?

    • Jennifer August 16, 2011 at 4:38 pm #

      check out vitacost.com or a local natural food store. but we love coconut oil in our house. we bake everything with it, use it in stir frys, put it on dry irritated skin, use it for massages. :) its a wonderful thing to have in the house. plus its packed with lauric acid and is good for you!

    • Amanda July 3, 2012 at 10:45 pm #

      I buy my coconut oil at Walmart in the aisle near regular cooking oils. Its 31.5oz for $5.62. I use it in my lotion, lip balm, deodorant and insect repellant.

  15. Megan December 27, 2010 at 6:42 am #

    How long will i be able to store/use this chapstick? Will it “go bad” after a while? Thanks!

    • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:45 pm #

      It depends when you purchased your oils and what their shelf life is, each oil varies. I typically tag on an extra 3 months since you do not know when the manufacturer got the oils. Also, store your oils in the fridge to prolong their shelf life. They definitely have a shelf life of about a year and I would recommend those you give it to use within that frame as oils do go off.

  16. mj December 15, 2010 at 8:53 pm #

    i made this tonight and they turned out great! Question: how do you clean your glass dropper?

  17. Sunny December 14, 2010 at 1:16 pm #

    I made this lipbalm, and after a few days it became a bit grainy and when you apply it, it is a bit scratchy to the lips. I am not sure why this happened, I followed the recipe exactly. Any thoughts?

    • Lindsay December 14, 2010 at 1:28 pm #

      This may be due to the quality of your ingredients. I have not experienced this problem.

      • Sunny December 14, 2010 at 1:56 pm #

        I bought the ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs, so I wouldn’t think that would be the problem. I guess it’s just due to the cold weather. My husband keeps his lipbalm in his pocket where it stays warm, and he hasn’t noticed this issue, whereas the tube I keep in my purse has changed textures.

        I really enjoy your website, by the way. Thanks for all of the work you put into it; it is a very helpful tool to those of us trying to live more ‘natural’ and, primarily, more Christ-centered lives. :)

    • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:47 pm #

      It’s the shea butter. Melt first, put in the fridge, and then melt again with your other oils. You will no longer have the problem.

      • Alexandra July 18, 2012 at 10:12 am #

        How long do you melt it for?

  18. Emma December 10, 2010 at 2:59 pm #

    Hi! I have all of the ingredients to make this chapstick. I noticed, however, that the shea butter in your recipes are white. I went to my local whole foods store and they only have yellow shea butter which technically shouldn’t be called “shea butter” because it comes from a different tree. Do you think it will still work the same? It doesn’t smell very good and is neon yellow, so I am worried about how it will effect the look/smell of the chapstick.

    Thanks!

    -Emma

    • Lindsay December 13, 2010 at 8:03 am #

      Actually, raw shea butter is more yellow in color and does have a unique smell. Does your container say raw? The pictures can be hard to come out with the exact color with the flash and all. Raw shea butter is far more effective than the bleached white alternatives in the regular grocery stores.

      • Emma December 15, 2010 at 6:26 am #

        I went to Earth Fare, which is an all organic store, to get the ingredients. They had a big container of shea butter and you can just scoop out how much you want and then pay by the weight. So, i didn’t see the container. But I am assuming it’s raw… just curious if it was supposed *that* yellow! I looked on some websites to find a cream color shea butter and it says it is “refined”… i am new to the “natural living” thing so I don’t know… but is refined the same as raw?
        -Emma

        • Lindsay December 15, 2010 at 2:31 pm #

          Refined is not raw. Refined shea will be white and not have any smell. If it was yellow, that is pretty much a guarantee that it was raw. Sounds like you got the right thing!

  19. Cassandra Marie December 4, 2010 at 8:09 pm #

    Love this! I made some today. My mom and I are going to give them to our co-workers and stocking suffers for family, a perfect gift. Thanks for posting this!

  20. Melanie November 24, 2010 at 9:06 am #

    Thanks, Lindsay! That’s another great post! I think that my friends and family will all be getting homemade lip balm for Christmas this year. Thanks again for the wonderful blog!

  21. Melanie November 24, 2010 at 9:02 am #

    Thanks, Lindsay! That’s a another great idea! I think that all of my family members will be getting homemade lip balm this holiday season. Thanks again for your great blog posts!

  22. Renea November 23, 2010 at 8:22 pm #

    I’ve been looking for containers to use for this and couldn’t find anything without having to pay high shipping. Today I was at Michael’s craft store and spotted little round bead containers with screw on lids. I think they might work great for lip balm! $5 to $10 depending on how many containers (9-20).

  23. Colleen @ DrMomOnline November 21, 2010 at 7:22 pm #

    Excellent idea! I hadn’t thought of making this… but my two little dry-lipped angels will LOVE this! (Sounds like a worthy home school project, too!) Thank you!

  24. Marti November 21, 2010 at 6:08 pm #

    I always carry my chapstick in my pocket…will this melt?

  25. Havilah November 21, 2010 at 4:10 am #

    Lindsay! Thank you so much for your blog! What a blessing :) I made this a few days ago sans essential oil and my husband and I love it! <3

  26. Kirara November 19, 2010 at 3:07 pm #

    Any suggestions for replacing the coconut for those of us allergic to it?

    • EllaJac November 23, 2010 at 7:23 am #

      a berry-farmer, beekeeping friend of mine makes a lot of this stuff. She uses sweet almond oil in her lip balm, and says other things will work too. I’m not sure if the proportions are different – the other oils are liquid at room temp – but maybe a little research will answer that? Good luck!

    • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:49 pm #

      jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil….I would use a lighter oil to contrast the shea butter

    • Amanda July 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm #

      You could try grapeseed oil. I use it in my lotion. I buy it at Richard’s Whole foods store. 16oz bottle is $7.49

  27. Chocolate Hazelnut Mommyhood November 18, 2010 at 1:20 pm #

    Oh Thank You ,Thank You, Thank You for this! I am super excited to try this – immediately!!!

  28. Jospehine November 18, 2010 at 12:54 pm #

    I am interested in making this. However I live in Texas and when I made the homemade deodorant I couldn’t keep the coconut oil it from melting. :( Will I have the same problem with the chapstick? Thanks so much!

    • Lindsay November 18, 2010 at 1:40 pm #

      You’ll have to store it somewhere below 76 degrees.

      • Brandi December 30, 2010 at 10:52 am #

        I just happened to read this. I live in TX too and would like to recommend you put this caveat in your post if an item needs to be stored below 76 deg. I did not have any idea. Not only would it affect me, but those I give gifts too. Thanks for this recipe! Just made some this morning. :-)

    • Miriam May 18, 2012 at 5:55 pm #

      I am new to making natural products. I just made a recipe similar to this…I substituted some oils. I live in south Louisiana. I work outside in the heat (even driving hot machinery) I keep my lip balm in my pocket and it does not melt. Below is the exact amounts I used.

      4 tsp Beeswax (I use Natural Pastilles)
      4 tsp Jojoba Oil (This is a great oil for lips)
      3 tsp Sweet Almond Oil

      Follow the same instructions as above. This feels great on my lips. It really improved my lips which had some serious damage to them.
      Hope this helps.

      Also for everyone, I bought my lips gloss tubes and a filling tray at http://www.elementsbathandbody.com
      It allows you to fill up to 50 lip gloss tubes at one time by pouring your product into the tray. It costs about $14 for the tray and the lip tubes were $0.25 per piece.

    • Amanda July 3, 2012 at 10:53 pm #

      My lip balm does not melt in the Florida heat. I use
      6TBS coconut oil
      2TBS Jojoba oil
      1oz beeswax
      a few drops of vitamin E oil.

  29. Tammie@Simple Healthy Tasty November 18, 2010 at 11:59 am #

    Oh how cool I’ve been trying to make my own lip balm. I made a bunch but it came out more like lip gloss. A little on the greasy side! Works great for me and my girls when we want glissening lips but mostly I just want a good balm. I can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing. I do have a deodorant with similar ingredients that works better then ANY deodorant I have ever tried. My recipe for that is at

    http://simplehealthytasty.blogspot.com/2010/08/its-no-secret-you-can-make-your-own.html

    I think I will for sure put some essential oils in the lip balm when I make it! Thanks again for sharing!

  30. Carrie November 18, 2010 at 7:50 am #

    I made this last night. Our health food store was out of shea butter so I used cacoa butter isntead. It turned out great. The beeswaz pellets and cacoa butter cost $10 total, and I used maybe an 8th of it to fill 5 lip balm containers. I think I am going to order the chapstick ones too and use them for Christmas gifts. I added 1 tsp honey to the mix nd did each container a different scent, peppermint, peppermint tea tree oil, orange, lavendar and one was just honey with no eeo. Love them!

  31. Emily @ Sustainable Food for Thought November 17, 2010 at 5:02 pm #

    My friend made me some homemade chapstick last year and we call it “Better than Burts!” It’s so great taking everyday items and learning how to make them yourself.

    We at Sustainable Food for Thought are hosting a Portland Hand Crafted Food Swap in which items like homemade chapstick would be the perfect bartering currency. Check it out at http://sustainablefoodforthought.blogspot.com/2010/11/december-hand-crafted-food-swap-at.html

    ~Emily

  32. Brandy November 17, 2010 at 4:00 pm #

    Awesome! Thanks for sharing this!!

    My wonderful husband already told me to set aside money from our tax return to build up our natural medicine stash … as well as getting the things I need to make homemade hard lotion, lip balm, deodorants, and toothpastes. I can’t WAIT to make this stuff!!!

  33. Lexie November 17, 2010 at 2:16 pm #

    Thanks for this. It has been one of my goals to start making my own products. This really helps!

  34. Jessica November 17, 2010 at 12:36 pm #

    I have a question: At the end of the post it says that the ingredients were purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs and at the end of the video it says they are from Oils By Nature. Which is the “better” company to purchase them from and why? I am new to this and don’t know anything about either company. I would really appreciate your input! I would love you make this!
    Thank you!

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:20 pm #

      Sorry…that was the tutorial by Hands On Lotion and she purchases her ingredients from Oils By Nature. I personally use Mountain Rose Herbs because they are local to me and I have always been satisfied with the high quality products that they sell. They also deliver in less than a week, so it is really quick!

  35. Sally November 17, 2010 at 11:21 am #

    Lindsay, have you used any other sort of EO or other? We are avid Burt’s Bees wearers, my husband and I, but the kids run from it. I am wondering what more kid-friendly options there might be. Of course, the EO could just be left out all together, right? Would that change the ratios of the liquids and mess up the whole kit-and-kaboodle?

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:21 pm #

      No, I didn’t use essential oil and it turned out beautifully! It smells wonderful.

  36. Cindy Wilson November 17, 2010 at 10:49 am #

    Thank you for the idea! I use chapstick (the healthy kind) a lot, and have always wanted to make my own!

  37. Natalie November 17, 2010 at 10:31 am #

    Do you know if this recipe gets firm enough to put in lip balm tins instead of tubes?

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:21 pm #

      Yes!

  38. Jules November 17, 2010 at 9:13 am #

    I love this. I’m making a bunch of other homemade gifts this year and these will go nicely. Where can I get the lip balm bottles and shea butter?

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:22 pm #

      Mountain Rose Herbs sells all the ingredients and lip balm containers. That is my recommendation.

  39. Monica November 17, 2010 at 8:44 am #

    Oh thank you! I have been looking for ways to get rid of my petroleum based products! I can’t live without chapstick though. Do you know where I can go to get these supplies?

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:26 pm #

      I provided a link in the post to Mountain Rose Herbs – which is my recommended source for all the supplies.

  40. Courtney November 17, 2010 at 8:43 am #

    I love this combination of ingredients. I use this combo for my lotion- you just melt the ingredients, put it in a muffin tin to harden and in an hour or so you have a lotion bar to rub on your body. Also, my husband has found it to be a great hair wax! Very versatile. I love simplifying things.

  41. Thea November 17, 2010 at 7:11 am #

    A few months ago, the container for my favorite tinted lip gloss broke, and I salvaged the gloss by melting a bit of it with some coconut oil and beeswax. It has become my new favorite! And I’m looking forward to making more tinted balm soon by adding some shavings of a favorite lipstick (that melted in the sun), so I’ll have to try adding some shea butter this time around. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    • Michele @ Frugal Granola November 17, 2010 at 9:09 am #

      You can naturally color your lip balm by adding in some dried beet root powder (also available from Mountain Rose Herbs), too, instead of adding in lipstick. :)

      Blessings,
      Michele

      • Katie November 17, 2010 at 10:32 am #

        That is exactly what I have been trying to do! I used fresh beet roots and they did not work. I wish I hadn’t just placed my order a couple weeks ago. :( Oh well, I’ll color my chapstick some other time. Or maybe I’ll dry my beets and try making them into powder myself. Thanks for sharing that tip!!

        • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:52 pm #

          You can use beet root powder to give them tint…I have tried beet juice before and it does not mix.

      • Beth @ Turn 2 the Simple September 16, 2011 at 12:53 pm #

        I’ve tried using the beet powder to color my lip balm but the powder did not dissolve, so it looks colored in the tube but doesn’t appear colored on the lips. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

        • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:53 pm #

          Micas, you barely need a pinch.

  42. Amanda November 17, 2010 at 7:05 am #

    Thank you!! I was planning to make lotion and chapstick for the women in my family as Christmas presents – and now I have a great recipe! :)

  43. Erin H. November 17, 2010 at 5:50 am #

    I need to try this. I wanted to let you know about pepperment oil though. I know a lady who makes natural body/face things and she said that the reason pepperment oil is in so many things that you buy is because A. It smells nice B. It drys out your lips and you keep having to use more! She recomends using another type of oil. I just wanted to share that with you. Have a blessed day!

    • Lindsay November 17, 2010 at 2:27 pm #

      Good to know. Thanks for sharing!

  44. Carrie November 17, 2010 at 4:46 am #

    This comes in perfect timing. I have saved a ton of little jars from sample sized toiletries and plan on making lip balm tonight. Stopping after work to get the ingredients.

  45. Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama November 17, 2010 at 4:33 am #

    You are always inspiring me! Thanks for this. I need to make this and your natural deodorant.

    • Linda December 6, 2010 at 5:51 pm #

      I was wondering if there is a substitute for shea butter since my daughter is tree nut allergic.

      Thanks
      Linda

      • Zeldaq November 8, 2011 at 11:27 am #

        I used Coconut oil, and hemp oil. The hemp is beautifully smooth on the lips. Gave the chapstick a funky green color.
        I also added chocolate Stevia for a hint of sweetness.

        As long as you have the wax, you can pretty much include any oil into it… Including vegetable, canola, and olive oil.

      • Katie November 14, 2011 at 7:54 pm #

        What about cocoa butter or mango butter?