Make Your Own Honey Calendula Lip Balm

Honey Calendula Lip Balm

I got my hands on a huge golden orb of beeswax at the farmer’s market! I am going to enjoy chipping away at it and sharing some great ways you can use beeswax in body care preparations and around the house. One of my favourite recipes is a gorgeous golden lip balm scented with raw honey and with the healing and protective properties of calendula. Not only does the beeswax and raw honey give the balm a beautiful scent, they also make it taste yummy!

Natural Beeswax

I have calendula flowers I dried last spring and infused in a fruity, skin loving local organic extra virgin olive oil. This is super easy to do, I cover this in a quick tutorial here. I chose Calendula infused oil due to its skin healing properties however you can use a host of other herbs such as rosemary, lavender or comfrey. If you do not have infused oil you can simply make the balm with plain olive oil and jazz it up with a few drops of essential oil.

Calendula is one of my favourite herbs for many reasons. It grows like a weed so you can dry and stockpile the flowers for later use. The dried flowers are great for adding to cleansing and healing tea blends, they are also wonderful to infuse in oil to serve as a base for lots of different balms, creams and massage oils. When used externally on the body calendula promotes wound healing as well as being antimicrobial. That is why it is so good for the delicate skin on the lips that can become chapped or cracked, especially if you work outdoors. My other half swears by this lip balm and he works outdoors through the four seasons!

I keep a collection of old and new containers to pour the balm into. I always put one larger jar out and fill it up as this recipe also doubles as a great first aid or nappy balm. Once the my assortment of containers are filled I always squirrel a few away to give as presents to friends and family. You can be inventive with the containers, I am always on the lookout for suitable small jars and tins.

Ingredients

50g of raw beeswax

25g raw honey

250mL of calendula infused extra virgin olive oil

2 drops of essential oil (optional), I like bergamot! Orange, mints and cinnamon are also lovely, anything that has a foodie or fresh feel.

Make Your Own Double Boiler by Placing a Heat Proof Bowl Over a Saucepan

Method

1. Over a medium heat add the beeswax and oil to a double boiler (see note). The beeswax will slowly dissolve into the oil.

2. When the beeswax is almost dissolved add the honey and essential oil if you are using it and stir to combine.

3. Pour into a small jug with a fine spout. You can also use a syringe if you prefer.

4. Fill the containers, you will need to work quickly as the balm will harden. Between pours stir the balm to ensure the honey does not settle in the bottom of the jug.

Testing Lip Balm Before Pouring

Note

If you do not have a double boiler simply pop a stainless steel or heat proof glass mixing bowl over a saucepan filled to a quarter with water and brought to a simmer. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

Enjoy making your own honey and calendula lip balm!