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!
Comments & Reviews
Jodi says
Hi, great recipe! thanks. Have you figured out how to dupe their Coconut Foot Creme? TIA
Jodi
Happy.MoneySaver says
Not yet…I might have to put that on my list though! 🙂
Casey Meyers says
I make chapstick with just two ingredients beeswax and olive oil. Very similar to Burts Bees and very moisturizing.
Tip, from experience it’s easier to use beeswax pellets vs a block of beeswax. Very hard to brake up the block into small chunks.
Happy.MoneySaver says
Great tip! I will look for the pellets next time.
Flávia says
Hi Karrie! Is the Lanolin really necessary? Thank you
Happy.MoneySaver says
I like the addition of lanolin but other people have left it out and still really enjoyed the recipe. I have also heard that grapeseed oil is a good substitution.
Flávia says
hi Karrie! should I replace the sunflower oil or use the grapeseed as the lanolin? tks
Ian says
My chapstick turned out great, your recipe yielded 18 tubes for me. After the first tube I made I added 5 more drops of peppermint oil to get it to ultra-high-strength-eye-watering peppermint flavour. I also added 5 grams extra of beeswax to make it a little firmer. Would you believe one tube of Burt’s costs 6.00 where I live? Total cost per tube for a far out Canadian worked out to about 50 cents each, still way better. For the Notherners: I managed to get all the ingredients from Amazon.ca with free shipping. Judging by the comments I’m also the first guy to give this a shot. My manliness untarnished and my lips lightly glistening, I say thanks!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I love your description of the peppermint! WOW $6.00 a tube! It was definitely worth trying it out yourself. Great job!
Dasha says
I made them yesterday with and they are fantastic. Simply the best lip balm I ever had!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I am so happy you like it!
Karrie says
I don’t think the NOW brand essential oils are pure therapeudic grade, so they are less potent. You should really use a pure essential oil that doesn’t have fillers to get it to be the best and follow my recipe if you want it to be “just right”.
Cindy says
Thanks for the recipe. It seems so easy. One question, what could I use to substitute the lanolin?
Thanks,
Happy.MoneySaver says
Since it is such a small amount I have heard other people have just done without it and it has worked out just fine!
Roberta from CO says
I made your recipe tonight and I have to say – IT IS AWESOME!!! I am a lover of Burt’s Bees (I even watched the documentary on Netflix), so when I saw this I knew I had to try it. Living in CO, dry skin and chapped lips are very commonplace around here, so I was excited to try this out and save some $$ on chapstick. I have a small food scale and it worked beautifully with your measurements. I was able to fill 12 chapstick tubes plus two small rectangular tubes. I will be sharing this with my sisters and Mom this Mother’s Day…they are going to love it! I am also going to tint the next batch and for the third batch I am going to try some different essential oils. Thanks again for this excellent and EASY recipe! It will become a regular at my house.
Christel S says
Thank you for your awesome tutorial.. love the cute pictures of yourself! Reminds me of myself.. hehe.. I love Burt’s Bees stuff.. I have eczema and go through it crazy fast when I get a deal on it. I am out of it and do not want to spend the $$$ on it again!! Thanks!!! HUGS
Karrie says
You are very welcome! Thank you!
Candy says
Hi. Great recipe but I have a few questions. What are you using as a preservative, natural or otherwise? How long is the shelf life.
Karrie says
Not using preservatives, just the ingredients listed. I’m not exactly sure why but the combination of ingredients seems to last a really long time! I have some that is a year old and tastes just as good as the day I made it.
Kate Henry says
Try melting all the ingredients in a freezer zip bag. Just make sure that the bag doesn’t touch the sides or bottom of the pan. I put a chop stick across the top of the pan and then clipped the bag to the chop stick, keeping it from the sides and bottom. When everything is melted, carefully open the top of the bag and add the essential oils. When you are ready to fill the tubes, snip off a corner of the bag and funnel the liquid into the tubes. To fill the tubes I pulled out my egg carton holder (egg carton turned upside down with holes created to hold the tubes. I then snipped a small hole in the corner, filled a tube, pinched off the opening, moved on to next tube, etc. Works like a charm and cleanup is a snap!
Happy.MoneySaver says
Great idea!
Vivian says
About how many tubes of chapstick did this wield? I am trying to decide on how many tubes i need to order for my first batch.
Please and Thanks for the help!
Happy.MoneySaver says
This recipe made over 20 tubes for me with a little left over!
Duster says
Thanks for your recipe and tips. I’m going to try the eyedropper one. Sounds easier than using tiny funnels.
I used to love Burts Bees lip gloss until I started making my own. Now I’ll never buy health food store bought lip gloss again. {Kiss my face is another $3 + natural brand}.
Here’s my recipe, if you want something different:
Lip Gloss
2 teaspoons grated beeswax
7 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure honey
5-10 drops vanilla extract
Melt the oil and beeswax together in a pan
over low heat until the beeswax is melted.
Take off the stove and whisk it together with honey.
Cool and add the vanilla extract.
Stir and then funnel into your container.
My tips; Store unused tubes it in the refrigerator. They last much longer that way.
My recipe works great during the winter–not so good in the summer because it tends to melt in warm weather {left in cars} and jeans pockets.
I use natural lips gloss out of necessity because of petroleum allergies.
This recipe makes a mild, slightly sweet gloss. Basic ingredients plus tubes bring the cost to about 35 cents each in small batches. I didn’t try to buy in bulk and already had melting pans that I use in candle making.
Happy.MoneySaver says
Thanks, Duster!
Dena Huff says
I want to try this! Any ideas for a substitution for sunflower oil? That’s the only thing I don’t have. Will almost any oil work? Olive oil? Thanks!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I haven’t tried a substitute for the sunflower oil. I found mine at Walmart so hopefully there is a place nearby that carries it. 🙂
Mary @ Better Than Eden says
Just wanted to say thank you for this! Using it as Christmas gifts and so happy to have the ingredients online to satisfy my Burt’s Bees addiction much more cheaply! I skipped the rosemary as I didn’t have it and next time will add more peppermint…but my boys love that this one tastes more “chocolatey” and doesn’t have the same zing of the peppermint.
Jodi Armstrong says
I’d really love to try this… was wondering do you think you could replace the sunflower oil w. shea butter? could you make it w.o lanolin… what does the lanolin do?
THanks!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I haven’t tried replacing any ingredients. If you try it out let me know if you like it!
Lisa says
So, if I don’t have rosemary, is it still gonna be a burts bees copycat?? Or is it one the must have ingredients?
Happy.MoneySaver says
It won’t be exactly but if you don’t mind missing that flavor then try it out!
Melissa says
Hi – I’d love to try making this. Is it possible to cut the recipe in half and still get the same results?
Happy.MoneySaver says
I haven’t ever halved it but if you keep the proportions the same it should work out!
Brianna says
I’m definitely doing this! http://www.bulkapothecary.com has literally everything on this list, so it saves you in shipping costs cause you’re getting it all from the same place! Also, great prices. Thanks for the recipe!! 🙂
jamie says
What essential oils did you buy? Can you send me the link to them?
Anna says
I did this for Christmas this year and made 100 tubes! I absolutely love it. I have tons of ingredients left over so I’m definitely never buying lip balm ever again. Thanks for the fantastic tutorial! I did a couple of batches and tweaked the recipe a little because my first batch was a little heavy on the coco butter, but I learned as I went along. I’m definitely not a crafty person, but this was just too easy to pass up. Including tubes, labels, and all the ingreadients, it initially cost me about $60. But with making 100 tubes and ingredients to spare, I’d say it was a great investment.