Oh, folks! Hold me back!!!!!
LOL
Next to being new at soap-making and finding it a bit time-consuming (post from earlier today), brewing up your own batch of lip balm is SOOOOOOO easy! Readily having access to beeswax, and either coconut or olive oil, mixing up a batch takes minutes! And what's more -- you can use it right away!
At first I was concerned that our beeswax hadn't been 'cleaned' or refined. It's still in the ice-cream pail, basically taken directly from the frame as Paul was harvesting the honey last year. Some of it still has (barely) traceable honey residue. And then it hit me.......
DUH! If some recipes suggest adding honey ANYWAY.... what's the difference if it's "clean" beeswax or not!?!?!?
So, for those of you who get intrigued to make up your own batch or two and have to purchase 'clean' beeswax, you may want to consider adding a dash of honey to your recipe. Then again, why stop at honey? Do a quick "lip balm flavor oil" search and have at 'er! LOL. Here's Brambleberry's flavor oil page. Oh dear Lord, please gift to me the power of restraint!
It was decided for the second trial NOT to include any honey to the recipe since it separated from the oils in the first batch. Also, coconut oil was exchanged for olive oil (more about that decision a bit later).
Trial 2 - "Peppermint Love"
2 Tbs beeswax2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp Peppermint extract (YES! Extract!!!)
I didn't have any mint essential oils, and I was IMPATIENT, wanting to try another batch with a mint flavor/smell. So... sure! Why not? I knew we had some extract in the cupboard, so.... *shrug*. I threw it in!
I didn't have any lip-balmy containers around the house (crazy to think, right?? With three girls??) However, we had just been gifted BOXES of these small jelly jars; really small! I can't even tell you how much they hold or what size they are. We always freeze our jams. When we made jelly two summers ago, we used half-pint jars. These..... I don't think they even hold a cup, so.... maybe half-cup containers??? Anyway. As I sifted through one box, this lid jumped out at me "Love."
It was meant to be. Because I LOVE this trial! Really! The batch created about 1/4 cup of balm. The peppermint extract is subtle, and provides a little bit of initial tingly-ness. I could see upping the next trial to 1/2 tsp.
A word of warning (?) after some research on whether extracts should/could be used in lip-balms. It would seem that extract should separate from the oils since it isn't an oil-based flavor. *shrug*. Hmpf! I didn't have a problem. And as we've all (hopefully) learned and/or heard over the years --
try new things!
Some things will succeed and some will fail. I successfully used peppermint extract in my lip balm. **patting self on back**
Now. Some minor education on olive oil vs. coconut oil (and I am NO expert after a couple days of research). If anyone has more data to share with me regarding the two, I would love to read more on which is more moisturizing and/or conditioning than the other.
On soapcalc.com, one of the calculators soapers have access to is a Lye Calculator. On that page, many many fats/oils are listed, along with their soap qualities.
Check out the "CONDITION" lines...
It would appear to me that Olive oil has more conditioning (and therefore moisturizing ?) properties than Coconut oil. Therefore, for lip-balm, I will use olive oil until further notice.
For soaping.... both oils play nicely together, which is probably why many simple recipes call for both of them. Easy to purchase, and where one is high or low in conditioning, the other makes up for it. Likewise, hardness... and cleansing (an important aspect for soap, wouldn't you think?!?!!) ;) Bubbly too -- there's something kinda saddening about soap that doesn't lather, so... bring on those bubbly numbers for soap.
Oh Jeni. What have you done?!?!?!?!?
LOL
