DIY Lemon Rosemary Lip Balm

Let's make lip balm!

For this formulation, I chose the invigorating aromas of lemon and rosemary - for a fresh lip moisturizing experience. Add in some vitamin E oil to preserve the balm and some castor oil to give it some sheen. If you really want to get fancy with some color, keep reading. This is fun one!

Lemon Rosemary Lip Balm

1/2c. almond oil (or other base oil)
2 tbsp beeswax
1 tsp vitamin E oil
15 drops lemon essential oil*
15 drops rosemary essential oil
1 tbsp castor oil (optional, if you want a bit of shine)

In a double boiler, combine the almond oil and beeswax until melted. Once melted, remove the bowl from heat and add in vitamin E oil, lemon, and rosemary essential oils. If you want a bit of gloss to your balm, add 1 tbsp of castor oil. Bonus: If you want a tint of color, add in a small chunk of lipstick!

Mix together and pour into lip balm tubes. Let sit until cool and solidified.

*A note on citrus oils, they are highly photosensitive so be careful when wearing this balm in the sun. One of my readers commented below that she wore it out and got a really bad sunburn, ouch! She mentioned that adding in raspberry seed and carrot seed oils boosts the SPF factor of the formulation.

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23 Comments

katie on December 11, 2013 at 9:24 pm

omg – i want!!!! would love to make some with you. very inspired!!
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Jenni Raincloud on December 13, 2013 at 1:40 pm

Becca-I so did not know about Castor Oil giving a sheen!! I love that! I’m rushing off to try it! Thanks!
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JTamer on December 13, 2013 at 7:15 pm

Please don’t use lemon (or any citrus essential oils) in leave-on products like lip balm or lotion! Citrus essential oils are photosensitive and can result in burning or pigmentation problems.
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Kim on December 18, 2013 at 5:51 pm

I wonder if it would work to use, say, beet juice or crushed strawberry or some other colorful, staining-type food instead of lipstick for the color….
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- Judith on April 14, 2018 at 10:14 am
  
  Hi Kim, I was just wondering the same thing.. !!
  Reply
Nicole on December 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm

I had no idea you could make your own lip balm. What a fantastic idea. Thanks for the info!
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- Darlene on December 1, 2019 at 4:23 am
  
  How much does the recipe make? I don’t have tubes I have slide containers and round small ones. I just was wondering how much it would make. Thank you
  Reply
Maureen Curran on January 4, 2014 at 3:22 pm

I found you on Pinterest and I love your posts. I am have a very difficult time finding pure Vit E oil. Would you please share where you were able to buy yours. I’d be grateful. Thank You for sharing.
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becca on January 4, 2014 at 3:42 pm

Hi Maureen! If you click on the link in the recipe, it will take you to a recommended brand of Vitamin E oil on amazon.com. Otherwise, I would look at a natural foods store or something like a Whole Foods.
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Ashley on February 4, 2014 at 1:10 pm

Hello! Would you mind sharing about how many tubes this recipe makes? Thank you!
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becca on February 4, 2014 at 2:49 pm

Hi Ashley! That’s a great question. I’m sorry I didn’t put it in the post. It makes about 8-10 tubes.
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Belicia on August 18, 2014 at 12:21 am

I’m about to try this right now! I use a similar recipe on my skin and hair. My children loves the smell of lemon in our hair. I don’t know if it’s because I use lemon grass and not lemon, but we range from caramel to dark chocolate in color and have not experienced any issues with pigmentation. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
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becca on August 18, 2014 at 9:18 am

Lemon is one of my favorites too, Belicia!!
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Janice M Thompson on November 14, 2014 at 3:46 pm

This sounds wonderful! Where do I find the lip balm tubes?
Thanks, Janice
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- becca on November 15, 2014 at 8:14 am
  
  Janice, I got the lip balm tubes from Amazon! If you click on the link in the post, you can see the exact ones I used.
  Reply
Holly on April 17, 2015 at 9:22 am

I wish I had read the comments from people like JTamer. I made this lip balm and absolutely loved the smell and feel…great consistency. But, I made the mistake of wearing this lip balm in the sun on the beach while on vacation. My own fault, not thinking to use an SPF lip balm. But, I also should have thought about the photosensitivity effects of using a citrus oil in a lip product. It’s a TERRIBLE COMBINATION and the resulting sunburned lips has been one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever had long term. At first, my lips blistered, then they cracked and bled, they dried out horribly to the point that nothing would keep them hydrated. The pain was unreal to the point that I finally broke down and used Neosporin gel on them (and I NEVER USE THAT STUFF). Sounds crazy, but I’m now in week four and they’re still healing! Your recipe ROCKS, but I’d highly recommend that you add something to the post about the photosensitivity of citrus oils and maybe tweak the recipe to exclude the lemon. I appreciate your sharing your recipes and ideas greatly.
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- Becca on April 18, 2015 at 5:57 pm
  
  Wow, Holly that sounds terrible. I’m so sorry you have to go through that 🙁
  
  I will add a note to the post right now. And will include your research on raspberry seed and carrot seed oils.
  Reply
  - Sherice on January 31, 2018 at 5:53 pm
    
    Is there a recommended amount of the carrot or raspberry oil to use if we take that route?
    Reply
Holly on April 17, 2015 at 9:25 am

I’d also like to add that after doing some research, I found out that Raspberry Seed Oil and Carrot Seed Oil contain natural SPF from 28-50 (you can find links online with more info). In the future, I will be incorporating these oils into my recipes with high hopes that I will then have an all natural SPF lip balm of at least 30SPF. Thanks!
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- Vicky on August 22, 2017 at 7:42 pm
  
  Holly, interesting post. Can I ask how much raspberry oil you added per recipe
  Reply
Lyn Mangels on September 20, 2016 at 4:40 pm

You can also buy steam distilled lemon oil from http://www.plantthreapy.com that way you do not have to worry about getting s sunburn as steam vs cold pressed oils will take care of that problem. They also have free shipping.
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- Lyn Mangels on September 20, 2016 at 4:42 pm
  
  http://Www.planttherapy.com
  Reply
Lily on February 15, 2017 at 3:01 pm

Oh this recipe is Great! Thank You!
Reply