If you are looking for a 100% cruelty-free vegan lip balm recipe, it is best to make your own vegan lip balm recipe with a beeswax substitute like candelilla wax. There are several alternatives to beeswax but candelilla wax is my favorite.
Lip balm is one of the easiest DIY beauty product you can make at home. If you are vegan or like me concerned that using beeswax may support the disappearance of bees then carry on reading!
Did you know that many bee farmers clip the queen bees’ wings, and kill the drone to avoid swarming? Swarming is when the bees start moving from the beehive to another location to find more pollen. Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honey bee colonies. Bee keepers also damage and kill bees when harvesting the honeycomb and use artificial food or pesticides if the beeswax is not certified organic.
“Like other factory-farmed animals, honeybees are victims of unnatural living conditions, genetic manipulation, and stressful transportation“
If you are interested in learning more about the honey industry, you can read more on Peta’s website.
Candelilla wax is a completely plant-derived wax, produced from the South American candelilla shrub. Candelilla wax is high in both fatty acids and resin, which makes it a great substitute for beeswax in homemade beauty products. It is quick absorbing and also very emollient, making it great to soothe chapped lips!
Candelilla wax is harder than beeswax, so you will need to take this into account when making your own lip balm. It’s melting point, around 70 degrees Celsius, is also higher than beeswax’s 63 degrees. It can also take up to three days to harden after melting, which means that your lip balm will take longer to set. Patience is a virtue!
That said, its natural anti-inflammatory properties and moisturizing capabilities make it an excellent choice for vegan lip balm recipes.
If you cannot find candelilla wax or want to experiment with other waxes, there are several other options:
Rice bran wax is made by cold-pressing rice oil. It has a high melting point around 80 degrees Celsius. It’s high antioxidant content can provide a boost to dry lips and help to prevent oxidative damage.
Carnauba wax is harvested from trees in Brazil. It is a hard wax like candelilla, with a high melting point of 82 degrees Celsius. The price is higher than beeswax, but because its harder, you will not need as much.
Soy wax is derived from soybeans and has the same hardness as beeswax so it can be used in the same ratio in traditional beeswax recipes. That said, it can be a bit tougher to work with because its melting point varies and can be anywhere between 49 and 80 degrees Celsius. Most soy in the United States is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides, so be careful to choose a non-GMO, organic soy wax for your lip products.
Sunflower wax is created from sunflower oil. Its melting point is around 78 degrees Celsius. As a harder wax it can improve texture in your lip balm. It is high in linoleic acid, which helps to fortify and nourish the skin.
Once you have selected the primary wax for your lip balm, you can create different flavors and scents by using essential oils. Most essential oils carry their own health benefits, and can also be selected for their nourishing properties.
Peppermint essential oil is a common choice for lip balm. It is soothing and refreshing on the skin, and is naturally antimicrobial. It will tingle your lips and as an added benefit, it can even help make breath fresher!
Coffee essential oil is also a good choice for lip balm, and has an invigorating effect on the body and mind.
You have plenty of options when it comes to making vegan lip balm at home that is full of clean, nourishing ingredients and completely cruelty free. Candelilla wax makes an excellent substitute for beeswax, and because it harder, you can actually use less and save money!
By getting creative with essential oils, you can create homemade products that are just as luxurious and interesting as store bought items, and with only ingredients that you trust.
This lip balm is nice and smooth, it is also glossy and shiny depending on how much you put on.
Please do let me know in the comment below if this vegan lip balm recipe is helpful and if you have any questions!
Don’t forget to share it with your friends on social media, we need to spread the word on how easy it is to make vegan lip balm at home.
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O goodness this recipe is perfect I added 15 drops of frankincense and my lips feel amazing I have made chapstick for a few customers but I had one ask if I could make one without beezwax and I found this recipe which I will now use for myself thank you!!!
Thank you for the recipe and information on ingredients to use. I made it following the recipe, however I've found that since the ratio of coconut oil (which melts easily) to other ingredients is higher, it liquifies too easily. What would your suggestion be to avoid that from happening? Thanks!
Please do not use aluminum bowl for cosmetic making. Only use glass or stainless steel bowl. Thank you for your attention go this issue.
Why?!
The same best practise rule applies to cosmetic making as it does to cooking - aluminium reacts with low pH (acidic) & high pH (alkaline) ingredients such as fruit acids etc., allowing aluminium particles to leach into the finished formula. As adjusting a formula's pH is usually the last stage in the making process, & it's difficult to know if you've kept your formula between 4-9pH during the making process, it's probably better to be safe, & stick to glass or stainless steel.
TBF, I can't imagine the recipe author doesn't know this, so it's probably just a proof-reading oversight.
Can you use any other kinds of oil beside coconut?
You could but it would change the texture of the lip balm! If you want to make a lip balm without coconut oil then take a look at this recipe: https://www.organic-beauty-recipes.com/diy-lip-balm-recipe/
I did 2 batches, one with cinnamon and peppermint essential oil. I used lip tins I bought on amazon. Mine came out really good. Thanks, fun and easy to do! Really lovely blog/information.
so glad to hear Raya, please spread the love :-)
This is an excellent recipe! My lips feel amazing! I am making it for my whole family for the upcoming Christmas holiday!
awesome, thank you andrea!!
Hii I've just attempted my first batch, and they are currently cooling. My trouble now is cleaning it all from the equipment I have used. Any tips please?? Xx
Hi Amie,
For cleaning, please let all the equipment you have used run under hot water in your sink so the wax melts. Let it run for a little while until the majority of the wax is gone, then use dishwashing soap and a sponge to clean the utensils.
Hi -- wax flakes vary in size depending on the brand, so a recipe calling for one teaspoon isn't all that useful. Perhaps you could weigh the amount you use and convert it to grams for us?
my recipe is forgiving but since you ask:
1g candelilla wax
6g coconut oil oil
2g shea butter
Is this candedilla wax considered organic? Or like the other vegan wax substitutes you introduced....are they all considered organic?
Hey, if I want to make the lip balm more creamer for long lasting do I add for Shea butter? I don’t want it to be harder, I like the consistency I just want it to stay longer and keep my lips smooth. I’ve noticed when I first tried my lips got chapped in like an hour or so.