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
Susan says
I love this diy chapstick recipe – its the best one out there! Thank you!!!
saniya says
when you said that it only costs 12 cents per lip balm, does that include the container
Karrie says
It depends on what kind of containers you use, and prices have changed on the tubes themselves. If you are using containers you have at home it’s for sure 12 cents per balm, but otherwise it might end up being 17 cents more for a tube depending on that cost.
Dana says
I made this today and the peppermint amount has to be incorrect…it is not anything like the peppermint tingling you get with real Burt’s Bees. The consistency is really good though. I will try and make it again and add more peppermint
Karrie says
Hi, did you use doTerra peppermint essential oils? They are the ones I used and it might be stronger than yours. I say taste them well and add more of what you need to get it to the right taste before adding to your tubes! 🙂
Angela West says
Could you please tell me the shelf life of this lip balm?
Karrie says
Hi, I’ve had mine for a long time, I’m not exactly sure of the shelf life, maybe a year?
Judy says
Can you eliminate the lanolin altogether in the Burt’s Bees lip balm recipe
Karrie says
If you want to, go right ahead. 🙂
Sofia says
I wanted to say how much I loved this article. I loved how you offered 3 different sources to purchased the materials. Well written without too much fluff and a great recipe- I am a huge Burt’s Bees fan too 🙂 thanks for taking the time to post.
Kylie-Elizabeth Deeley says
instead of beeswax could you use a vegan-friendly option?
Sam says
Would this recipe work in a little tin instead of a tube? Or is it too firm?
Karrie says
It would be a little too firm I think. But if you want to have it in a tin, just add a little more sunflower oil so it doesn’t quite firm as much.
Erica says
Hi, I’m a 1st time visitor to your blog. I was searching up one thing and then saw this post and had to read it. I tried to recreate this years ago & came close. After reading what you put in your’s I realized what it was. Not I can actually make something much more like Burt’s now. Thank you!
I was also amazed at some of the suggestions in the comments. I saw quite a few things I think I might just have to try the next time the kiddos & I make up a batch of chapstick. Such good ideas!!!
I will be back to check it out more another day, as it has taken me almost 1 1/2 hours to read everything everyone wrote! Lol
Karrie says
So happy you like it!!! This diy Burt’s bees recipe is still my favorite recipe of all time!
Becky says
Why did you add cocoa butter to the Burt’s Bees copycat lip balm?
Emily says
I would not recommend melting the ingredients directly in a pot–it’s easy to burn the oils that way (yes, even if you use low heat), which will result in a ruined batch of lip balm. The double boiler method works great!
Angelica says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I LOVE it. I just made it and was wondering what can I add next time to make it less greasy? I heard to add more beeswax to make it firmer but I like mine a bit less oily. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
John Reinhard says
Can’t wait to make this! How many tubes does this recipe make?
Jill says
Awesome recipe and can’t wait to try! Quick question – is the lanolin absolutely essential in the recipe? I see it only calls for a pea sized drop so will the recipe still be ok if I leave it out?
robyn says
I just recently discovered your blog and love it! Thank you so much for the great information. I was wondering about the Burt’s Bees copycat recipe. I love using the tinted lip balm. I am not a fan of regular lipstick. Just too heavy feeling imho. Is there anything that could be added to this to have a nice, natural looking tint? I am fairly new to the natural, homemade products. Thank you for your help.
Karrie says
If you want a slight tint you could use a little bit of regular lipstick, and add it to the melted mix. A teeny bit of red will turn it a pinky hue.
amber says
Can I use flavoring oil instead of essential oils to make it fun for my girls
Cindi says
I only use food rated flavored oils. Some essential oils are not for lip balm. Some could be poisonous.
Heather says
Can we buy from u?
Angie says
I don’t have the lanolin, could you leave it out or is it essential??
Karrie says
You can leave it out, there are others out there that have but the lanolin adds that special softness to it.
Poorva says
Great post! How do we wash the containers/tubes before using them? Also I thought we could use edible colors but then they are available in very limited colors/shades.
Karrie says
Just use warm soapy water, and let completely dry.
Cheryl says
I was wondering if you can use a different oil then sunflower and how that will effect the final result. Would coconut or avocado oil work?
Karrie says
You can try whatever you like, but I can’t guarantee it tasting so close to the burts bees flavors.