For Christmas 2013, in an attempt to be thrifty I decided to craft many of my Christmas gifts to share some of my favorite things. I began with a mason jar, decorating it with raffia and burlap ribbon (huge time commitment for a perfectionist like me!), added mala beads for meditation, then made my own soaps, each with therapeutic benefits for the person with hand-picked essential oils going into them, a brown sugar scrub or shaving soap, and lip balm. These gifts were a hit, but boy did I get in over my head! I made almost 30 of these gift jars, all with high-quality, home-made products inside. I really did put a lot of love into them.

Here is how you can make your own super fabulous natural lip balm:
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 Tbsp Cocoa Butter
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Almond Oil
- 4 Tbsp Beeswax (make sure to use the pellets, the blocks are a BIG hassel!)
- 1/2 Tsp Peppermint Essential Oils
- 24-30 Empty Tubes or Mini-canisters (got the tubes online and the canisters from the beading department of a craft store)
Directions:
- Melt the Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, and Beeswax in a double boiler (or if you are thrifty like me, a pot full of water with a glass bowl containing the mixture partially submerged in it)
- Once the mixture is completely melted, gently stir in the Peppermint Essential Oil
- CAREFULLY drizzle the mixture into the tubes or canisters using a small measuring cup or beaker. If you try to pour it from the glass bowl it will solidify and make a mess.
- Let sit until full cooled
- Enjoy
How do you feel about your lip balm? Are you a snob like me or completely indifferent?
P.S. If you try this recipe, please share your experience 🙂
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Where do you get cocoa butter and beeswax?
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