Thank goodness for this amazing copycat Burt’s Bees lip balm recipe. This easy to make diy chapstick is just as good if not better than the original!
I am a bit of a chapstick snob. My lips have been spoiled with the best – Burt’s Bees chapstick. It’s just so silky and moisturizing with the perfect balanced flavor profile.
It’s the best! And while I do love the Burt’s Bees Lip Balm brand as my go-to chapstick, I’m sure you realize the cost involved in this!
It’s a wee bit expensive.
And yet I can’t get enough of it.
I am addicted.
Seriously, I love it so much that I have a tube in my purse, in my bathroom, in my car, in my husband’s car, next to my bed and even one in my kitchen.
I had to think of a long-term solution – besides buying stock in Burt’s Bees. Haha.
So, I found a way to recreate the Burt’s Bees chapstick recipe myself.
For reals, you guys, this is the best copycat diy Burt’s Bees chapstick ever created! Not to brag or anything… but I nailed it!
Here’s why you’ll love this easy chapstick recipe.
It’s so inexpensive to make. Just around 12 cents per tube vs $3.00 store bought.
- Tastes exactly like the Burts Bees chapstick recipe.
- It’s so inexpensive to make. Just around 12 cents per tube vs $3.00 store bought.
- It’s so fast to make. You can make your own chapstick in just 5 minutes.
- It’s SO easy to make. Your ingredients are simply melted together and poured into an empty tube to cool.
- It’s free of all the extras or unhealthy fillers that are added into other homemade chapstick recipes.
You guys are going to love this homemade chapstick recipe. Like seriously LOVE IT!
How to make chapstick that tastes and feels just like Burt’s Bees?
First, I took a look at the back of a tube to figure out what ingredients are included. Low and behold, the Burts Bees chapstick ingredients are pretty simple; Beeswax, Sunflower oil, Vitamin E, Lanolin, Peppermint, and Rosemary. I knew I could make a lip balm recipe that matched my favorite brand so that I could share this with the world!
I got right to work looking for and ordering up some of these natural items like Beeswax and Lanolin. Found some chapstick tubes online and ordered them in. Then I played in my kitchen for a few days trying to get the recipe right.
And I did it! My chapstick diy recipe feels, smells and tastes just like Burt’s Bees Lip Balm!!
Plus when I did the math they only end up costing me only $0.12 per tube – WOW!
What is chapstick made of?
INGREDIENTS:
- 20 grams Beeswax (about 3 Tablespoons of the whiter beads, but you can use a white/yellow bar too)
- 20 grams Cocoa Butter or Coconut Oil (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 45 grams Sunflower Oil (1/4 cup)
- 8 drops Vitamin E oil (4 vitamin E oil tablets worth)
- 2 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 12 drops Peppermint essential oil
- Pea-sized drop of Lanolin (don’t use much of this or your balm will taste bad)
I added the ingredients in grams so that if you have a little scale you can get accurate & exact measurements (which is best) but if you don’t have a scale I measured them too.
How to make your own chapstick?
I never realized how extremely easy it is to make chapstick! Basically all you need to do is melt it all and pour into your containers! Easy peasy.
When I first started making chapstick recipes I used a glass measuring cup and melted my ingredients in the microwave which worked perfectly fine. But now I am using the double boiler method, which I like for a little more control of the melting process. I used a metal measuring cup to add all my ingredients into.
First, measure out all your ingredients except essential oils into a cup or pan. Cut open the little Vitamin E tablets and squeeze the good stuff into the cup.
Next, melt all the ingredients slowly, and stir. The beeswax seemed to take the longest to melt, but it was all melted within a couple of minutes.
Once it’s all melted add your essential oils and mix it up.
Then test it out, to make sure it has the flavor you want by letting a tiny bit cool on your finger. Rub it on your lips and check if its just right. If you feel it needs more mint or other flavorings, add more!
Then use a dropper to add the melted goodness into chapstick tubes. (If it cools too quickly before you’re done filling your tubes, just pop it in the microwave or back on the double boiler till it melts again.)
Then voila! You are done. Just let them all cool.
I had more liquid than I had tubes so I poured the rest into a small container and let it cool. I will stick this one in my bathroom and use it everyday, it will probably last me a whole year!
I cannot believe how easy it was to make my favorite Burt’s Bees Lip Balm from home!
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Recipe Clone
Ingredients
- 20 grams Beeswax (about 3 tbsp)
- 20 grams Cocoa Butter (about 2 tbsp)
- 45 grams Sunflower Oil (about 1/4 cup)
- 8 drops Vitaman E oil (about 4 tablets)
- 2 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 12 drops Peppermint essential oil
- 1 drop Lanolin pea sized
Instructions
- Measure out all your ingredients except essential oils into a heat friendly cup or pan. You can use a glass dish in the microwave also. I cut open the little Vitamin E tablets and squeezed the good stuff into the cup.
- Next, melt all the ingredients, and stir. The beeswax seemed to take the longest to melt, but it was all melted within a couple of minutes.
- Once it’s all melted add your essential oils and mix it up.
- Then test it out, to make sure it has the flavor you want by letting a tiny bit cool on your finger. Rub it on your lips and check if its just right. If you feel it needs more mint or other flavorings, add more!
- Then use a dropper to add the melted goodness into chapstick tubes. (If it cools too quickly before you’re done filling your tubes, just pop it in the microwave till it melts again.)
- Then voila! You are done. Just let them all cool.
Notes
Nutrition
TOP QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What essential oils are good for lip balm?
For my copycat Burt’s Bees lip balm I used peppermint essential oil and rosemary essential oil. While these are the essential oils for copy cat Burt’s Bees original flavored lip balm, some people do opt to use lime, orange, vanilla or wintergreen essential oils for their homemade lip balm and those turn out wonderfully too.
I’d suggest you stick to my exact copycat Burt’s Bees lip balm recipe to ensure that you’re getting a solid match up for this favorite lip balm flavor and texture while getting the same excellent results, moist lips!
Can you put essential oil on your lips?
As long as you’re using the food safe essential oils listed in this Burt’s Bees lip balm copycat recipe, then it’s safe to use essential oils on your lips.
Even aromatherapy addicts know that you can’t place some essential oils directly on your skin without a carrier oil. Some essential oils are too potent to use directly on the skin, lips, or any other body part. But the ones listed are safe for using on lips.
What can you use instead of beeswax for lip balm?
As you can see, you’ll need 20 grams of beeswax to make Burt’s Bees lip balm at home. I believe this is essential in making a copycat lip balm, but if you want to know what you can use instead of beeswax for lip balm, some readers in the past have used soy wax and said it works.
Since soy wax isn’t any harder than beeswax it’s an equal replacement as far as measurement goes. I personally like the beeswax for lip balm as I feel it provides more of a protectant and moisture quality than soy wax for lip balm would.
Can you leave out the Lanolin?
This is one of the most popular questions I have and the answer is yes, you definitely can leave it out. I personally like what it brings to the lip balm and helps my lips stay softer longer so I keep it in my recipe. But if you don’t want to add it in or if you want this lip balm to be vegan, then you can leave it out.
How much does this homemade lip balm cost?
Each tube costs $0.12 each to make + about $0.17 for tube/caps vs. $3.00 Burts Bees Lip Balm at store. I am listing below several options for you for each ingredient just in case you’d like to see where it is the least expensive to buy them.
Beeswax: need 20 grams/.7 oz/ about 3 tbsp beads ($0.46)
- Amazon (16 oz.) $9.99
- Etsy (1 oz. brick) $10 shipped
- Hobby Lobby (1 lb block): $14.99
- TheSage.com (8 oz.) $16 shipped
- Michaels & Craft Warehouse (1 lb. block) $17.99
Cocoa Butter ($0.60)
- Hobby Lobby (1 oz) $2.99
- Amazon (2 oz). $5.86
- Health food store, local (2 oz.) $5.99
- TheSage.com (8 oz.) 6.75 + shipping
Lanolin ($0.06)
- Amazon (4 oz.) $6.47
- The Puritans Pride (7 oz). $8.39 + shipping
- The Sage (8 oz.) $8.00 + shipping
- Health food store, local (8 oz) $15.70
Essential Oils ($1.05) :
- Order online from my favorite brand doTERRA
- Amazon $8.98/both flavors (haven’t tried this brand but maybe good?)
Organic Sunflower Oil ($0.28): purchased at Walmart for $3.96 (plus had a $1.00 off coupon on it) so =$2.96
Vitamin E Oil ($0.23): purchased 15 ct. bottle at Walmart for $0.88
Lip Balm Tubes: I ordered mine through thesage.com and you can find them on Amazon, but have also heard people order them on ebay inexpensively too.
Final thoughts on making my own Burt’s Bees Lip Balm.
The only drawback I can see is the initial start up cost can run you anywhere from $30-$60 for all the ingredients. Seems pretty hefty for making homemade chapstick that you can just buy for $3 per tube at the store.
But after I got all the ingredients, and only used a teeny bit of them, I was able to make 20+ tubes of my expensive Burts Bees chapstick. That would have been over $60 worth of Burt’s Bees.
AND you will be able to make lip balms and other products in the years to come with all the leftover oils and products!
I will NEVER go back to buying store made chapstick again after this experience. I am hooked for life. It’s so easy and when I see that I only spent $0.12 per tube of Burt’s Bees lip balm I feel good knowing I am saving lots of money!
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About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Alisa says
Hi! I’ve read that coconut oil is a natural sunscreen. I’ve made my own chapstick with similar recipes and one of them had coconut oil in it. Someone has also told me that eating coconut oil also protects you from the sun somehow! 🙂
Michelle C says
I’m allergic to lanolin, can I skip it?
Leila says
Yes, just be aware you may have to adjust the butter or wax amount to help keep the same firmness.
Bridget says
Glad I found this page! I love Burt’s Bees, but haven’t tried the peppermint, and not a fan of it on my lips. However, have you tried Badger Balm? They make a chapstick in a “tangerine breeze” flavor. Really there is no taste to it, but the smell and the feeling on your lips is amazing. I have been making a similar recipe for chapsticks. Been using olive oil, and a bit of coconut oil (which is antibacterial,so no worries like you stated with the sunflower oil) a few drops of vitamin e oil, and beeswax. Not bad, but it needs some tweaking. May have to try your recipe minus the peppermint & Rosemary. What is the purpose of lanolin? Thanks! =)
Karrie says
Lanolin is made from sheeps wool. Its a great moisturizer and an excellent emollient. 🙂 I think you could make this recipe with different essential oils if you like – but be careful with citrus essential oils. You are supposed to avoid sun when using citrus oils on your skin because the sun and citrus cause a chemical reaction/burns.
Bridget says
Oh! Glad you said that. I was just reading this again tonight, going to maybe make some this weekend. Will omit the lanolin, substitute olive oil for the sunflower oil, and maybe..vanilla extract? Ooo now I am thinking Christmas already. Vanilla, Cinnamon,Candy Cane(your peppermint),hmm..hot chocolate? What would you use to sweeten them without messing up the texture? I tried honey once, it didn’t work. I used an artificial sweetner packet with another mix of orange oil balms I made and they were perfect, but not all natural of course. (I’m just going for DIY and easy though. The more natural the better) Thanks for your help! =)
terry says
i added a couple of chocolate chips when i made lip balm once and it was yummy.
Leila says
Be careful with lanolin, as many people are allergic to it. You can leave it out of recipes altogether, adding in a small bit of a softer butter than cocoa (such as Shea) or keep it in there.
Beth Turner says
Found mica powder which is used for tinting all kinds of makeup. Some is safe for lips and some is not. http://www.coastalscents.com has a huge selection as well as clearly labels which are safe for lips. Samples of each color are $1 each, I just ordered 2. No idea how much you would need. I can answer the question about sunscreen though: you can either use cupuacu butter (http://www.ingredientstodiefor.com/item.php?item_id=804) or zinc oxide powder (http://www.ingredientstodiefor.com/item/Zinc_Oxide_USP/97?category=31)
I just ordered cupuacu butter and will be substituting it for the cocoa butter. I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
Karrie says
Thank you!
Kelly says
Just following up to post about using the cupuacu?
Karrie says
Hi Brenda, I am not sure about the sunscreen. I am sure you can buy some kind of liquid sunscreen to add in, but not sure what. Like I said I am a beginner in all of this too, but if anyone else figures it out that would be awesome. If you want a tint you can take a tube of cheap lipstick and add a teeny bit in the melting process – A litte bit of red will make a nice pink lip balm.
Tracy says
I just came across this as I’m looking for ideas to make my own Burt’s Bees. I’ve been making my own chapstick for about 6 months now and have just not perfected my recipe quite yet and the one I did, I can’t remember which recipe I used, go figure!! I am also a very picky chapstick user though.
Brenda-I saw the comment asking about sunscreen. Helyichrysum oil has natrual sunscreen properties in it. Helychrisum is a spendy oil however but you wouldn’t need to use but a few drops so it would last for a long time. I use it for sunscreen in the summers with some sweet almond oil. I’d be careful what kind of oils you use however. You want to make sure they ar 100% pure and therapeutic grade. If you have questions about oils and their quality let me know.
Someone asked about tinting as well. brambleberry.com has a lot of stuff for soap, candle, and cosmetic making. I get my butters, oils, lip balm containers etc. from mountainroseherbs.com and abundanthealth4u.com. They have been the cheapest I have found so far.
I cannot wait to try this recipe!!
Gilla says
Can I substitute shea butter instead of cocoa butter? since that’s what I have on hand. can’t wait to try this one 🙂
Karrie says
I am not sure how that will be, but I would give it a try for sure. I have made other chapsticks with shea butter and they were delish, so it might be pretty darn close. Let me know. 🙂
Leila says
You can definitely substitute Shea for cocoa butter. You just need to be aware that cocoa is a significantly harder butter than Shea, so the lip balm is going to be a bit softer. Also, you need to be careful about overheating the Shea. If you do, it becomes grainy. Don’t use a microwave to melt it. Go ahead and take the extra time and use a double boiler. Add it in AFTER the beeswax, that way you can be sure it’s not in the heat for too long, thus risking it overheating and becoming grainy.
Also, you shouldn’t substitute coconut oil in place of cocoa butter. Coconut oil is an oil that happens to be kind of a solid at room temp, but has such a low melting point, that it melts at body temp. Using it in place of cocoa butter will make your lip balms too soft and likelier to melt in your pockets if you don’t increase the amount of wax. Substituting an oil for a butter into a recipe that already has an oil in it is really just going to create a salve instead of balm. It the butter that gives lip balms their creamy texture and ease of application. Even then, a butter is preferable because of all the natural fats it has that help moisturize your lips and it stays there longer than an oil, which gets absorbed quickly.
Vitamin E has a natural SPF of about 4. You just need to be careful about the strength you use, as it can possibly irritate skin if too strong or used in too great of quantity.
Also, the best oil (in my opinion) to use instead of sunflower oil, is grapeseed oil. It’s naturally high in vitamin E, which is a natural preservative. It’s one of the longest lasting (shelf life-wise) because of it and extremely healthy for your skin.
Rosemary is also a natural preservative. I would recommend using more than a couple of drops though. Around 5 is good, and with how many tubes this recipe makes, you won’t be able to taste or smell it. And instead of using a ton of peppermint eo, you can buy some menthol crystals (which is what gives your lips the tingle) to add into the recipe and reduce the amount of peppermint eo you use. It’s best to actually let the melted balm cool down for a couple of minutes before adding in all the eo’s. that way you can be sure it’s cool enough that it won’t burn them off right away. If you need to reheat, you should add a few drops more, as the heat will have burned off some of it. This is true for any eo.
Carrie says
How much menthol crystals would you suggest?
Jlermuseaux says
I prefer cocoa butter in my lip balm but make it with shea regularly. I also microwave it all the time, you just have to get it hot enough so it doesn’t get grainy, not that I have had that problem with quality butters.
I don’t use grape seed oil as it has a short shelf life. I use coconut oil as it has a long shelf life.
I can’t stress enough- vitamine e and rosemary ARE NOT PRESERVATIVES!!! They can be added to oils as antioxidants which prolong shelf life by keeping the oils from going rancid but DO NOT keep germs from growing.
With balms, you can follow the basic rule of thirds- wax, oil, butter- I adjust them to get the firmness I require for the balm (lip balm harder, lotion bar a little softer). Cocoa and mango butter a harder and if replaced with shea or another softer butter then you need more wax.
Beth Turner says
Tons of supplies here with great prices: http://craftcafe.co/shop/candlelynnsupply/
Melissa says
How many tubes will this recipe make?
Karrie says
This will make 20 tubes 🙂
rhaven says
Awesome on the chapstick recipe. I wont be adding lanoline(animal product) i’m excited to give this a go. Just a word about microwaves(i never use one under any circumstance) a microwave changes the molecular structure of anything placed in one.
terry says
I used jojoba, cacao, coconut, greentea oil, beeswax a little bit of raw honey for hydration, healing enzymes as well as antibacterial properties. I put it in a wide mouth container I got a bunch from the dollar stores & I use it on everything from my knees to under my eyes, really awesome stuff!
Karrie says
Nice Terry! Sounds like a great combination.
Shelly says
Where do you get the tubes from? I wouldn’t have enough old Burt’s Bees tubes laying around to recycle. I also like the question above about using a tint?? And I would imagine you can use other essential oils for a different scent?? Thanks—cool idea.
Karrie says
I ordered the tubes from thesage.com when I ordered my other supplies. Here is a link to all their lip balm containers: https://www.thesage.com/catalog/LipBalmContainers.html
Lorie says
Love it! Where did you get the tubes? Can I use organic grape seed oil instead of the sunflower oil? Also if I use organic coconut oil ( which I already have) instead of cocoa butter, do I still need the lanolin? Thanks! Can’t wait to get mixing!
Karrie says
You can sure try it Lorie! I am thinking there is such a little amount of lanolin you might be able to get away without using it at all. Give it a try and see how you like it!
Whitney says
So glad to hear this! I am allergic to lanolin but I love the idea of making lip balm at home! Thank you for posting this – can’t wait to try!
Jen says
Whitney – Can you let me know if it works with Grapeseed oil and no lanolin? I am trying hard to make it safe for my daughter, and those are just two of her major allergens (sunflower and lanolin). Thanks! ~ Jen
cheryl says
i made used this recipe and left out the lanolin and it turned out beautifully. I love it!!
Karrie says
Great to know Cheryl! Thank you.
rochelle roberts says
I am wondering where you buy the chapstick tubes?
Can’t wait to try this thank you
Ava says
I’d like to try this. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Do you think there’s some kind of tint that can be added? I like Burt bees tinted lip balm
Becky says
I would love to try making this chapstick – you are so creative to figure out how to duplicate the recipe!!
Melissa says
I too love Burt’s Bees. What an inspiration to make my own. My daughter and her friends would enjoy this too. Thamks for the idea.
joanna says
Love Burts bees chapstick….hate the cost…. 🙂
Stephen says
My kids LOVE chapstick
Caihley says
I am so excited I saw this post in time!! I LOVE Burt’s Bees products, especially their chapstick! I’d be excited to experiment with making custom tinted versions at home 🙂
Briana says
I LOVE Burt’s Bees and would love to try this! $2.99 per tube is insane and I go through several a month! Would love to win to try this out for myself!