Reach into any one of my handbags, and you’ll likely find a sea of chapsticks collected at the bottom. My bathroom drawers are bursting with them too, and catch-alls are strategically placed throughout my loft to always have a lip balm offering on display, you know, for when I have a chapped lip emergency. It may be overkill, but I don’t care.
As much as I love my chapsticks, I’d never considered making the stuff myself until a few weeks ago when I tried a homemade version created my friends, Michaele and Mackenzie. While it’s no secret that these two sisters are stylish and crafty, professional chapstick makers they are not… and this tube was good. I felt instantly inspired to recreate their recipe and thought that with just a little added detail, these homemade chappers could double as the perfect valentine hand out. Keep reading for a few words from Mackenzie, plus all the instructions and downloadable files needed to make your own V-Day chapsticks.
Oh! And next week we’ll be sharing even more hand made botanical valentine ideas, like the gorgeous bath bomb and fragrant bar soap pictured above. More details to come.
From Mackenzie: I tend to lean towards making a big batch of something with DIY projects, because if we’re gonna get messy then we may as well go all in. This recipe makes about 10 chapsticks, but just multiply the measurements to create the amount you need.
These ingredients really should be measured on a scale by volume as opposed to tablespoons, but the ratios here are right and forgiving enough. As long as you land in the ballpark with the beeswax, cacao butter and coconut oil, you will end up with an amazing cool mint chapstick with an ever-so-subtle warming effect from the black pepper.
Bee Sting Chapstick
makes about 10 chapsticks
- medium sized pot
- heat-proof glass bowl that fits nested into the top of the pot
- Chapstick tube filling tray with scraper
- Empty chapstick tubes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons beeswax pastilles
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1-2 teaspoons castor oil
- 20 drops peppermint oil
- 10 drops black pepper oil
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (make sure it's not crystalized)
- downloadable "Pucker Up" labels, printed onto full sheet labels
Make sure your hands are very clean, since you are making something that will hold bacteria at room temperature in wax until you find it with your lips, ew.
- Fill pot with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. While water is heating, combine the beeswax pastilles, the cacao butter and the coconut oil in the glass bowl. Set the glass bowl onto the top of the pot and stir frequently until all ingredients are melted. While wax mixture is melting, queue the empty chapstick tubes in the filling tray.
- When wax mixture has melted, add castor oil, essential oils and honey, then stir well again. Avoid stirring too fast or whisking, which will form air bubbles and make for a nubby chapstick.
- Pour in tubes. Use what you will inevitably spill as instant cuticle cream, foot rub or hand salve.
- Use scraper to remove excess mixture from top of tray.
- Allow chapsticks to sit for 10 more minutes to cool completely.
- While the chapsticks are cooling, print and cut out matching "Pucker Up" labels.
- Carefully remove chapsticks from the tray, add caps on top, and wrap with "Pucker Up" labels. If the labels don't stick due to the tubes being waxy from the filling, use a small piece of transparent tape to secure the labels in place.
- Hand out to all your friends and family for Valentine's Day!
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