Lavender Frankincense Vegan Lip Balm (+printable labels)

This nourishing vegan lip balm is easy to make and perfect for gift giving – made even easier by using the pretty printable labels below!

tube of lip balm in a small bowl of frankincense resin with fresh lavender sprig

Today’s recipe article was contributed and written by a recently-retired blogging friend who kindly offered to share her old site’s most popular recipes with my website readers. ?

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you. It’s a softening, healing, moisture-locking lip balm. And it’s vegan!

I have been wanting to try Candelilla wax for the loooooongest time, but never bought any. Finally, I decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did.

I’ve always used beeswax in my products and I love it. It seals in moisture and provides that much-needed barrier against the elements, whether it’s rain or shine, beeswax is almost unparalleled. But then came Candelilla wax.

In just two days use of this lip balm, I could feel my lips softer and more nourished than I could believe.

I typically put lip balm on at night before bed so it can do its magic overnight and when I used this, I woke up with traces of it still on. Amazing!

Oh, and did I mention, this all-natural lavender frankincense lip balm smells ridiculously good. The combination of lavender and frankincense is just right. Maybe it’s just me but it seems as the though the Candelilla wax really amplifies the scent of the essential oils.

I think it may be due to the fact that beeswax, while it smells amazing in its own right, has a slight honey scent to it and that masks the natural essential oil fragrance.

What is Candelilla Wax?

If you’re not familiar with Candelilla wax, then here’s just a bit of history. This wax is plant-based. The plant itself is native to Mexico. The stems stand up straight and tall, like a candle with a waxy coating. Hence, the Spanish name, Candelilla.

The plant leaves are boiled in water which allows the wax to rise to the top to be skimmed off. Then we use it for a plethora of things including body products and chewing gum.

Candelilla wax is dense and has a high melting point so it takes a little while to melt into liquid.

Also, good to know, a little goes a long way. I’ve already made a couple of other products and I’ve barely tapped into a 1/4 of the bag.

(Jan’s note: When substituting candelilla wax, I always start with half as much as the recipe suggests for beeswax. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 ounce of beeswax, try using 1/2 ounce of candelilla wax instead.) ?

small bowl of frankincense resin with sprig of fresh lavender

Other Ingredients You’ll Need

The other ingredients in this recipe are mango butter, calendula-infused safflower oil, lavender essential oil, frankincense essential oil, and copaiba essential oil.

Mango Butter

— is a super hard butter that melts fairly quickly and full of nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, oleic acid and stearic acid. It’s used to firm, soothe, and soften the skin.

Calendula Flowers

— are beautiful and fantastic for so many skin issues including eczema, minor burns, and chapped lips.

To make calendula oil: Check out 10 Things to Make with Calendula Flowers

Safflower Oil

— is also full of nourishing nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K which make it great for cooking use but also great for the skin. My favorite thing about safflower oil is that it rates a 0 on the comedogenic scale which means it’s a non-pore clogging oil.

Lavender Essential Oil

— is not only calming for the senses, it also contains skin healing properties. It’s considered an anti-depressant, antiseptic, and even a bug repellent.

Frankincense Essential Oil

— is widely known for its anti-aging abilities. Regular use of this has been shown to minimize the appearance of fine wrinkles. It’s also an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and tonifier.

Copaiba Essential Oil

— is one of those unique oils that enhance other essential oils in all-natural products.

When used in this combination, you get a moisturizing, age-defying, good-smelling treat for the lips. Yes, since it’s an all-natural product, it can be used other places such as hands, cuticles, feet, and elbows.

Some links on this site are affiliate links; I only recommend products I personally use and enjoy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

tubes of lip balm on a wooden background with bowl of resin and sprig of fresh lavender

Yield: This recipe will yield about 5 tubes of lip balm depending on generous you are with your portions.

Ingredients Needed

  • 3/4 Tbsp Candelilla Wax
  • 1 Tbsp Calendula-Infused Safflower (or regular safflower oil)
  • 1/2 Tbsp Mango Butter
  • 3 drops Lavender Essential Oil
  • 2 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
  • 1 drop Copaiba Essential Oil

Directions to Make

  1. Add candelilla wax, calendula oil, and mango butter to a double boiler and allow to melt, stirring when necessary.
  2. Remove from heat, add essential oils, stir and pour into lip balm tubes or tins.
  3. Let sit until hard and enjoy!

If your lip balm turns out too soft, just melt it again and add a pinch more wax. If it turns out too hard, melt it again and add more oil.

For more information about making lip balms, check out:

How to Make Your Own Lip Balm Recipes

thumbnail of printable lip balm labels

Printable Labels

Here are several label options for you:

Just print out onto sticker paper or waterproof paper and attach to your lip balm tubes.

Full sheet of labels with space for ingredient list

Full sheet of labels without space for ingredients

Individual label with space for ingredients

Individual label without space for ingredients

FREE RESOURCE

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19 Comments

    1. Hi Seetha, Thank you! I’m so glad you like the recipe! :) Yes, you could definitely use shea or cocoa butter instead. Since cocoa butter is a little harder than shea or mango, it might also make your lip balm a little firmer, so you might want to use a tiny bit less cocoa than if you use shea. You can always melt the lip balm back down if it turns out too hard/too soft and add ingredients to adjust. Lip balm is very forgiving. :)

    1. Hi Michele, Thank you so much for asking! I no longer sell products, but you can find many wonderful handmade items over at Etsy.com. :)

  1. Hi, thanks for the recipe! I was wondering, why did you choose safflower oil over a different kind of oil? And could it be replaced with another oil like olive, avocado, or coconut?

    1. Hi Elise, The blogger friend who created this recipe chose safflower because it’s nourishing, but you could definitely use other types of oil! One of my favorites for lip balm is sunflower oil, but olive or avocado would both be wonderful options too. You can give coconut a try, though some people find that coconut oil makes their lips and skin more dry/flaky – so just keep that in mind as a potential side effect for some (but not all!) users. :)

  2. I made a small batch of these but can’t detect any smell. So sad. I waited till the mix cooled too, so EOs were not heated up too much. Have you had this experience before? I don’t understand how I can’t smell even a trace of EOs.

    1. Hi D, Thanks for letting me know! I’m so sorry to hear that!
      This recipe was created by a retired blogging friend who shared it here, so I’m not very familiar with it as I am my own recipes.
      It looks like it has a little under a 1% dilution rate, so you have a small amount of room to add another 2 to 3 drops to the recipe.
      It may also be brand dependent. I’ve noticed some brands (like the NOW brand) don’t smell quite as strong as ones from places like Mountain Rose Herbs.
      I still like & use some of the NOW brand essential oils, I just find I have to add a few extra drops when I use them. You may have to do that, depending on your brand.

  3. I just came upon your website..what a joy! I plan on making the lavender frankincense lip balm. Providing those beautiful labels was so nice and I will definitely print them once my labels are delivered.
    Do you happen to have the recipe in grams?
    thanks

    1. Hi Charlene! So happy to hear you like the website & labels! :)
      I didn’t create this recipe – a retired blogging friend did – so unfortunately I don’t have the weight amounts.
      However, here’s a rough guideline I follow when converting recipes:
      1 tablespoon of oil = about 10 to 12 grams
      1 tablespoon shea, mango, etc butter = about 14 grams
      1 tbsp packed wax = about 10 grams
      I hope that helps, but the nice thing about lip balm is that it can be remelted a few times while you get the recipe just right. :)

  4. I immensely enjoy your blog and have made your lotion bars and gave them as gifts! I value your research and generosity… Thank you! I am going to try forage the purple dead nettle next! ?????

  5. Jan, I love your website. I appreciate all the time and effort you have put in. You have such well thought out, practical recipes and I love the way you include the benefits of the individual ingredients. We keep bees and I have been making apothecary products for a few years and share them with friends and family. Often people express an interest in learning more about how the things I share are made and I have recommended your website to several people. You are a great resource and wealth of knowledge. Thank you so much. ;-)

    1. Hi Colleen, Thanks so much for the kind words! I appreciate them! ❤
      Thank you too for referring people to the website! I’m happy to hear you find it useful. ?

  6. I finally made this , with beeswax, and doubled e amount of oils by habit.
    It was a good, lovely texture too with the organic sunflower seed oil!
    As much as I love compatible, I used several drops of Roman camomile here.
    Thnak you!

  7. Wow my talk text was terrible.! Sorry….. I doubled the amount of essential oils and I love copaiba!
    Thanks!

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