Soothing Chamomile Lip Balm {with printable labels}
This easy DIY lip balm recipe features dried chamomile flowers, for their skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Castor oil was also added since it gives lip balm a wonderful longer lasting feel and slightly glossy look. If you don’t have any on hand though, you can use more chamomile-infused oil in its place.
This lip balm is perfect for smoothing over chapped or dry lips and also makes a wonderful gift for the ones you love!
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For the Chamomile-Infused Oil
Before you can make the lip balm, you’ll first need to make a chamomile-infused oil.
To do so, fill a small jar (I used these 8-ounce half pint jars) about half-way up with dried chamomile flowers.
If you don’t grow chamomile, you can find dried flowers at Mountain Rose Herbs.
Cover with about twice as much as your favorite carrier oil, or to the top of the jar.
I used sunflower oil, but you could also try olive, sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado, hemp, and so forth.
For a quick infusion:
Set the jar down into a small saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Heat over a low burner for a few hours, keeping a close eye that the water doesn’t evaporate out.
Remove from heat and strain.
For a slower, more traditional infusion:
Cap the jar of flowers and oil and tuck away in a cabinet for around 4 weeks, shaking occasionally as you remember to. When the infusing time has passed, strain.
For a third option:
You could also set the jar of flowers and oil in a sunny windowsill for several days to a week to jump start the infusion. (Don’t store for long periods in sunlight though, as it tends to fade flowers and herbs over time.)
For the Soothing Chamomile Lip Balm
(Ingredients are by weight, but if you don’t own a scale, these measurements might help: 1 tbsp oil = abt 10 to 12 grams, 1 tbsp tightly packed beeswax = abt 10 grams.)
- 1 oz (28 g) chamomile-infused oil
- 0.5 oz (14 g) castor oil (or more chamomile-infused oil)
- 0.15 oz (4 g) shea butter*
- 0.5 oz (14 g) beeswax**
- optional: 8 to 10 drops peppermint essential oil for flavor/scent
*If allergic to shea butter, try mango, cocoa or avocado butter instead. If you can’t use any of those, omit the butter completely. You may need to adjust the beeswax a slight bit to compensate, but sometimes you won’t have to.
** For a vegan option, try using roughly half as much candelilla wax, instead of beeswax. You may have to remelt the lip balm a few times and tinker with the amounts a bit to get the perfect texture.
Yields: 12 to 14 tubes
Directions to Make
Combine the oils, butter and beeswax in a heat proof jar or empty tin can. Set the jar/can down into a small saucepan that has a few inches of water in it.
Set the pan over a medium-low burner and heat until everything is melted, keeping a close eye on things as it does so.
Remove the pan from heat and the jar/can from the pan. Stir in the peppermint essential oil if using.
Pour into lip balm tubes. Let cool and then cap.
For the Labels
You can find printable labels for this lip balm HERE.
Use the fit to page print option and print out on heavy duty waterproof label paper. (Regular sticker paper tends to peel off of the tubes.) I’ve had best results with this label paper from Rustic Escentuals.
You can also find other labels in this set (note cards, tea bag labels, bath salts tags) at THIS POST on chamomile care packages.
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I’ve been looking for a ‘stronger’ lip balm recipe! I use macadamia oil because its light, but i think its too light now. Will try this recipe :) thanks for sharing!
Hi Liz! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
Where can I purchase the tubes?
Hi Yarrow!
I got the ones shown from Rustic Escentuals, but I’ve also bought some from Bramble Berry that are similar (just not clear). I’m pretty sure I saw some over at Specialty Bottle’s site the other day as well, but haven’t tried theirs out yet.
Can you use a commercially prepared camomile essential oil?
Hi Melissa! You might be able to, but I don’t have any experience with how much you should use in a lip balm. You could contact the manufacturer of your essential oil and ask them what amount would be considered lip-safe. :)
Than you so much for the work you do. I started making soaps 2 years ago with your book and its grown into a business. I am forever a fan of yours.
Thank You is what I meant of course.
:)
Hi Tanesha, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for writing & brightening up the day with your kind words! :)
Hi, just come across your blog and its fantastic!! I’m just at the early stages of setting up my own handmade beauty business and it truly is my bible. What self life would you recommend I say the Lip Balms have? Many Thanks x
Hi Amy! Many people like to give around a 6 to 9 month shelf life for lip balm. It will depend on the freshness of the oils you start with & how it’s stored. You could also add vitamin E or rosemary antioxidants/extract (ROE) to make sure it stays fresh longer.
Best of luck with your business!! :)
Love the look and feel of this. Will order today.Annette
Hi Annette! So glad that you like the recipe! :)
Hi Jan! Loving your blog. Thanks for sharing such great recipes. :) :) :) Quick question, I was checking your Lip Balm formula post, and noticed that it read 1 part Solid Butter, but for this particular Chamomile Lip Balm recipe it is a lot less that 1 part (about a 3rd). Is it because of the chamomile? I have tried so many commercial lip balms, and they just don’t work for me, so I wanted to try something homemade, and Chamomile sounds like a lovely addition. Thanks in advance!
Hi Ally! Happy that you enjoy the blog! :) I tend to play around with butter amounts in my lip balm, so they’re not always the same. You can be really flexible with the amount of butter in a recipe (lots or little) or you could even leave it out completely. Lip balm is really forgiving and if you get a texture you’re not quite satisfied with, you can always melt it down, adding more butter if you want it more creamy, more oil if it’s too hard, or more beeswax if it’s too soft. I hope that you enjoy your homemade lip balm! It really is far nicer than anything you can buy and so fun to make! :)
I was wondering if I could add zinc oxide for spf protection to this recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Molly! You sure can add it to the recipe, though there’s no way to know for sure how much protection it will offer. It can be stirred in after the beeswax has melted. :)
Hi Jan, Thank you for your blog!! I was wondering if you have used Coconut Butter in any of your recipes? I didn’t see any reference to it on your blog.
Hi Michelle! I’ve had some raw coconut butter here for a while to experiment with, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. It’s on my to-do list though! :)