Soften and soothe your lips, using only simple ingredients, with this homemade vanilla mint lip balm recipe.
Make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post to grab your FREE printable lip balm labels.
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30 mile an hour winds. Falling temperatures. Chance for rain.
That is what the forecast calls for on this November day here in Ohio. Such a weather prediction doesn’t make for moist lips. I foresee chapped, drys lips with a chance of cracking on the horizon.
While I can’t change the forecast, I can whip up a batch of DIY lip care to help soothe and protect my lips from the elements. Homemade lip balm is easy to make and superior to store bought stuff. Plus it’s a great way to use up those herbs you grew in your garden this past summer.
I’ve experimented with a few varieties of lip balms over the years but this vanilla mint lip balm recipe has to be my favorite! It’s incredibility moisturizing and glides on smoothly. When you first put it on you are hit with a wave of creamy vanilla bean fragrance, then you feel the cooling sensation of peppermint.
If you love your lips, this recipe is for you! It’ll protect your lips from the harsh weather in the fall and winter months and uses simple ingredients that are safe for all ages. The recipe is easily customizable. Sunflower oil can easily be swapped for grapeseed. If you don’t have any vanilla oil on hand, omit it and add a few more drops of peppermint essential oil. I prefer to use tubes for my lip balm but small jars or tins are great options too. Because the recipe makes so many sticks of lip balm, give a few to your friends and family — they make great gifts!
To decorate your handmade lip balm, download the 1.5” x 2” floral stickers (below) and print out on a sticker sheet or 8.5″ x 11” piece of paper and secure with tape.
Create an Herbal Infused Lip Balm Using Natural Ingredients
Each ingredient in this recipe for was carefully selected with a purpose in mind.
Sunflower oil was added to the lip balm for its ability to heal damaged skin. It is also light on the lips and is a natural, budget friendly option.
Shea butter helps to soften and soothe dry skin as well as help the balm to stay on your lips for a longer period of time. I’ve always had great success with the unrefined shea butter from Bramble Berry.
Peppermint essential oil was added primarily for its scent but also for its cooling, uplifting properties. A few drops can help support a healthy mouth.
Mint leaves were infused into this recipe for their ability to relieve inflammation.
Watch Video Tutorial
How to Make Homemade Lip Balm
Makes: 12-14 tubes
Ingredients
Many of the ingredients below are listed by weight. For best results, use a digital scale to measure each item.
3 oz sunflower oil
2 Tbs dried mint leaves
0.5 oz shea butter
0.65 oz beeswax
8 drops peppermint essential oil
4 drops vanilla fragrance oil (vanilla absolute oil or vanilla extract can be substituted)
Lip balm tubes (such as these)
Before you begin making your lip balm, you will need to infuse the peppermint leaves into the sunflower oil. Here are two great ways to create peppermint infused oil.
My favorite way is the slow sunny window method. Place the dried mint leaves into a mason jar. Slowly pour the sunflower oil over top of the leaves. (If the leaves are not completely covered, push them below the oil with a spoon.) Cap the mason jar with a lid, place within a paper bag and sit on the sill of a warm, sunny window. Shake the jar daily. Within 7 days, the infused oil will be ready to use to create your homemade lip balm.
Alternatively, you can also add the oil and herbs into a small saucepan on your stove over low heat. Allow the herbs to simmer for no more than 2 hours. Do not boil. This method works well if you are in a hurry but the infused oil may not be quite as medicinally strong as the slow method.
When the oil is ready to use, strain the leaves out of the oil using a fine mesh strainer. Place 1.5 ounces of the infused peppermint oil into a heatproof container such as a canning jar. Combine the infused oil, shea butter and beeswax. Set the jar into a saucepan with a few inches of water over low heat until the beeswax has melted.
Turn off heat. Remove jar from pan. Stir in the peppermint essential oil and vanilla fragrance.
Quickly but carefully pour the mixture into the lip balm tubes before the beeswax hardens. Let the lip balm set up for a couple of hours or until solid. Once cooled, decorate the sticks with paper, twine, or the free lip balm stickers below. Homemade lip balm generally lasts 6 to 9 months but I’ve had some that has last well after that.
More Natural Body Care Items You May Want to Try
Vanilla Mint Lip Balm
Materials
- 3 oz sunflower oil
- 2 Tbs dried mint leaves
- 0.5 oz shea butter
- 0.65 oz beeswax
- 8 drops peppermint essential oil
- 4 drops vanilla fragrance oil (vanilla absolute oil or vanilla extract can be substituted)
- Lip balm tubes
Instructions
Before you begin making your lip balm, you will need to infuse the peppermint leaves into the sunflower oil. Below in the notes section are two great ways to create peppermint infused oil.
- When the oil is ready to use, strain the leaves out of the oil using a fine mesh strainer. Place 1.5 ounces of the infused peppermint oil into a heatproof container such as a canning jar. Combine the infused oil, shea butter and beeswax. Set the jar into a saucepan with a few inches of water over low heat until the beeswax has melted.
- Turn off heat. Remove jar from pan. Stir in the peppermint essential oil and vanilla fragrance.
- Quickly but carefully pour the mixture into the lip balm tubes before the beeswax hardens. Let the lip balm set up for a couple of hours or until solid. Once cooled, decorate the sticks with paper, twine, or the free lip balm stickers below. Homemade lip balm generally lasts 6 to 9 months but I’ve had some that has last well after that.
Notes
(My favorite way is the slow sunny window method. Place the dried mint leaves into a mason jar. Slowly pour the sunflower oil over top of the leaves. (If the leaves are not completely covered, push them below the oil with a spoon.) Cap the mason jar with a lid, place within a paper bag and sit on the sill of a warm, sunny window. Shake the jar daily. Within 7 days, the infused oil will be ready to use to create your homemade lip balm. Alternatively, you can also add the oil and herbs into a small saucepan on your stove over low heat. Allow the herbs to simmer for no more than 2 hours. Do not boil. This method works well if you are in a hurry but the infused oil may not be quite as medicinally strong as the slow method.)
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Pin for Later!
Vanilla Mint Lip Balm
Materials
- 3 oz sunflower oil
- 2 Tbs dried mint leaves
- 0.5 oz shea butter
- 0.65 oz beeswax
- 8 drops peppermint essential oil
- 4 drops vanilla fragrance oil (vanilla absolute oil or vanilla extract can be substituted)
- Lip balm tubes
Instructions
Before you begin making your lip balm, you will need to infuse the peppermint leaves into the sunflower oil. Below in the notes section are two great ways to create peppermint infused oil.
- When the oil is ready to use, strain the leaves out of the oil using a fine mesh strainer. Place 1.5 ounces of the infused peppermint oil into a heatproof container such as a canning jar. Combine the infused oil, shea butter and beeswax. Set the jar into a saucepan with a few inches of water over low heat until the beeswax has melted.
- Turn off heat. Remove jar from pan. Stir in the peppermint essential oil and vanilla fragrance.
- Quickly but carefully pour the mixture into the lip balm tubes before the beeswax hardens. Let the lip balm set up for a couple of hours or until solid. Once cooled, decorate the sticks with paper, twine, or the free lip balm stickers below. Homemade lip balm generally lasts 6 to 9 months but I’ve had some that has last well after that.
Notes
(My favorite way is the slow sunny window method. Place the dried mint leaves into a mason jar. Slowly pour the sunflower oil over top of the leaves. (If the leaves are not completely covered, push them below the oil with a spoon.) Cap the mason jar with a lid, place within a paper bag and sit on the sill of a warm, sunny window. Shake the jar daily. Within 7 days, the infused oil will be ready to use to create your homemade lip balm. Alternatively, you can also add the oil and herbs into a small saucepan on your stove over low heat. Allow the herbs to simmer for no more than 2 hours. Do not boil. This method works well if you are in a hurry but the infused oil may not be quite as medicinally strong as the slow method.)
