Soothing Herbal Lip Balm: 1/8 oz (or 20 ml extract) each - powdered comfrey root, crushed calendula flowers, powdered marshmallow root, crushed chamomile flowers. 100 ml of sweet almond oil (base oil) and/or calendula flower oil (infused) 40 ml Vitamin E 20 grams cocoa butter 50 grams beeswax 1 Tablespoon lanolin Optional ingredients: 2 to 3 Tablespoons Alkanet (for red colour) 12 ml bitter orange (opt for flavour) or 12 ml cinnamon (opt for flavour) or 12 ml vanilla (opt for flavour) or 12 ml anise (opt for flavour) or 12 ml spearmint (opt for flavour) or 8 ml peppermint (opt for flavour) Measure and combine base oil with extracts into pot and simmer over low heat until alcohol from extracts has evaporated (20 to 40 minutes depending on batch size). (You may use dried herbs and simmer them in the oil for an hour. Strain them off and continued per recipe). Cut and weigh the beeswax, hold to the side while extract/oil mix is simmering. Once alcohol has evaporated, strain oil/extract mixture to remove "scum" which collected during heating process into measuring cup. Slowly pour strained base oil/extract mix back into pot capturing leftover "scum"/water in bottom of first measuring cup. Pour only the clean mixture back into pot. Measure and add the infused oil, lanolin and cocoa butter to pot. Place pot over low heat, melt cocoa butter and lanolin. Add beeswax. Once beeswax is melted, add vitamin E and Essential Oil or any other heat-sensitive ingredients. Stir thoroughly but gently. Reduce heat on pot to keep mixture from smoking but warm enough to keep beeswax from solidifying. Pour 1/2 a measuring cups' worth of mixture from pot into 2nd measuring cup and with a careful and steady hand, pour immediately into lip balm containers. Repeat until all balm has been poured. Allow balm to harden and cool for approx. 30 minutes before putting on lids. Makes about 20 x 1/2 oz balms. |