If you love Burt’s Bees lip balm, you should definitely try this formulation. I’ve been working on this project for months, testing and adjusting and comparing it to the original and circling back and trying again, and I think I’ve gotten really, really close. I wouldn’t call my version completely identical, but it has the lovely slippy/creamy/minty blend that I’ve always loved about Burt’s ❤️
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Burt’s Bees peppermint lip balm was one of the first products I ever tried to dupe, and I remember those early efforts with a mix of fondness and cringe. The formulations were so thoroughly mediocre that none of them ever made it onto Humblebee & Me, so while I consider this project a Bee Better formulation, I don’t have a previous version to link to.
Post Overview
The original ingredients
The original ingredient’s list for Burt’s Bees peppermint lip balm is as follows:
Cera alba (beeswax, cire d’abeille), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, lanolin, tocopherolrosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), limonene.
That’s a pretty short ingredient list, but there’s still a ton of different ways to combine those ingredients in descending order and come up with wildly different finished lip balms, even though the ingredient lists would be the same. This makes me very excited 😄
I remember thinking back in 2011 that there was just no way that beeswax could actually be the first ingredient on the ingredient list because surely that much beeswax would create a rock, no? Ahh, the newbie hubris 😂 I also remember using a lot of unrefined lanolin in those early attempts, resulting in a lip balm that positively reeked of lanolin. I was recently reminiscing about this early DIY with a friend who ended up with a few tubes of it back in 2011; she remembered it… and remembered putting it in a drawer to languish after one aggressively lanolin-flavoured application 🤣 I can’t say I blame her!
Turning those ingredients into a formula
I’ve learned a lot since 2011, so when I remembered that Burt’s Bees existed sometime last summer I thought I should give a DIY’ed version another go.
One of the most useful learnings of the intervening decade was how close (percentage-wise) side-by-side ingredients could be in an ingredient list. This would allow beeswax to be the first ingredient without the finished formulation losing the lovely glide of Burt’s. After all, 34% + 33.5% + 32.5% = 100% with very little spread in concentration between the three ingredients. If the second two ingredients are coconut oil and sunflower oil, there’s plenty there to balance out the beeswax. I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this a decade ago, but I got there eventually 😝
So, I started to experiment with some very snug blends of beeswax, coconut oil, and sunflower oil, rounding those three main ingredients off with varying amounts of peppermint essential oil, lanolin, and tocopherol. I opted to drop the soybean and canola oils, figuring they were both likely present below 1% given they were listed after both antioxidants, and tack any need for additional liquid oil onto the sunflower oil. Even though the concentrations of those two liquid oils was pretty low, given how closely grouped the first three ingredients could be, adding the % of soybean and canola oil onto the sunflower oil could have been enough to bump a liquid oil to the top of the ingredient list, so I experimented with that, too. I also dropped the rosemary leaf extract as we were already getting some antioxidant-y goodness from the vitamin E (and I didn’t have any rosemary leaf extract).
Minty goodness
Earlier versions used 1% peppermint essential oil, but that really wasn’t anywhere close to minty enough. As that percentage crept upwards, the lanolin was able to follow (especially once I got some refined lanolin so I didn’t have to worry about the stink or flavour coming through!). I stopped at 2.5% peppermint essential oil as that’s really quite a lot of essential oil, but mine still isn’t as minty as Burt’s. I figure theirs either uses a higher menthol content peppermint essential oil (mine is around 50% L-menthol, but I see New Directions now sells one that is around 70-75%!), and/or they’re just using more essential oil. I was wary of going higher than 2.5%, though, so I decided to lose a bit of tingle… for now. I might just have to order a bottle of that really menthol-heavy stuff and try it!
After months of testing, tweaking, and comparing, I settled on the version of the formulation I’m sharing here today. This is the one I think is the closest to Burt’s version, but I’m also sharing five more variations/iterations with my $5 and up Patrons. If you’re interested in trying some of the other versions of this formulation, please consider becoming a patron ❤️
Let’s get lip balmy!
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Relevant links & further reading
- Beeswax in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Coconut Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Sunflower Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Lanolin in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E) in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- A Quick Guide to Beeswax & Liquid Oil Ratios
- A Guide to Carrier Oil Substitutions
- Can I use _______ wax instead of the wax called for in the recipe?
- Will this melt in hot weather?
- How long will ______ last? What is its shelf life?
- Why does lip balm form a dent in the top when it cools? from Realize Beauty
- Other lip balm formulations:
Peppermint Beeswax Lip Balm
Heated phase
12.8g | 32% beeswax (USA / Canada)
12.6g | 31.5% traditional virgin coconut oil (USA / Canada)
12.4g | 31% sunflower seed oil (USA / Canada / UK / NZ)
1g | 2.5% refined lanolin (USA / Canada)Cool down phase
1g | 2.5% peppermint essential oil (USA / Canada)
0.2g | 0.5% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the heated phase ingredients into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup (I like something with a pouring spout for lip balm). Place the measuring cup in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
While the heated phase melts, prepare your tubes for filling. As written in grams, you’ll need 9 standard lip balm tubes.
After about 20 minutes everything should be completely melted through. Remove the water bath from the heat, remove the measuring cup from the water bath, and dry it off with a dishtowel. Quickly weigh in the cool down phase, stir the mixture with a flexible silicone spatula to combine, and pour the lip balm into the tubes. Leave to cool.
Once the lip balm has set up, cap ’em, wipe ’em down, label, and you’re done! Use as you’d use any lip balm. Enjoy!
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this lip balm is 100% oil-based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, this lip balm should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice the balmstarts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 40g, which will fill just under 9 standard (4.5g) lip balm tubes. This batch size is different than the one presented in the video, but the percentages are the same. I thought the video batch size was a bit silly (it makes 6.5 tubes) so I opted for a different batch size for the blog post.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- You can use refined or unrefined beeswax. Do not substitute the beeswax.
- You can use refined or unrefined/virgin coconut oil, but do not use fractionated coconut oil.
- Babassu oil will work instead of coconut oil.
- Sweet almond oil, safflower oil, or apricot kernel oil would all work instead of sunflower seed oil.
- I don’t recommend replacing the lanolin or using unrefined lanolin.
- A reader has suggested pomegranate sterols as a possible vegan alternative to lanolin, though I haven’t tried it myself.
- If you want a mintier lip balm I’d try sourcing a high menthol peppermint essential oil or swapping out 0.25–0.5% of the peppermint essential oil for menthol crystals (include those in the heated phase). You could use more essential oil (reducing the amount of sunflower oil to make room), but 2.5% is already quite a lot of essential oil. I wouldn’t go much higher than 3%.
Gifting Disclosure
The traditional coconut oil was gifted by Baraka Shea Butter. Links to Baraka Shea Butter are affiliate links.
Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
Hello Marie!
I have been formulating for years (before I knew that was the correct name) and you have inspired me to continue my journey using the correct way.
I want to try this lip balm recipe and I already have anhydrous lanolin; is that okay to use? I googled to find out the difference but could not find a clear answer.
Again, thank you so much for your lovely recipes and inspiration!
Where do I buy the tube of lanolin you show in the photo? Is that the type you used? Do I buy it from the link you sent you is this a product that can be purchased at a drug store?
Yes, the link is correct 🙂 I can’t speak for the inventory at your local drug store, but I bought mine from a local drug store. Happy making!
Hi Dawn! Anhydrous lanolin will be plain ol’ unrefined lanolin, which smells gross. You COULD use it, but I’d only recommend it if you really don’t mind the smell of the stuff. Happy making!
I’m looking for the narrow spatula & the small, long handle, metal spoons you were using. I didn’t see a reference to link to them.
Ten pieces of equipment for new formulators: Part 1 Ten pieces of equipment for new formulators: Part 2 🙂 There are tons of links and details in those posts. Happy making!
Dear Marie, have you tried SOFTISAN® 649?
https://www.ioioleo.de/en/news/softisan-649-the-plant-based-synthetic-lanolin-alternative/
This is my choice for formulas containing lanolin and I absolutely love the product. Give it a try. The benefits for me is that the product is pharma grade, extremely safe ( no residual solvents, no pesticide contamination, odorless, no oxidative risk).
Kind regards, Dana
I have not, though it looks interesting! Where are you purchasing it? I can’t find anywhere in Canada that appears to be selling it.
The first lip balm recipe of Yours I tried, I liked so much better than Burt’s 😉
Definitely worth experimenting with different proportions of ingredients, though, and thank You for sharing Your experiments 🙂
❤️ Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hi Marie 🙂
I tried making this lip balm today, it’s lovely apart from being a bit draggy/tacky on the lips (I live in a slightly cooler climate) I’m just wondering how to fix this problem? reduce beeswax and increase sunflower oil? Thanks heaps for your help 🙂
Yes, exactly that 🙂 Happy making!
Um, this is soooo much better than Burt’s Bees! I almost didn’t make it because I find the Burt’s to be a little draggy and generally uninteresting, but this is wonderful – glides on easily but is super creamy and nourishing. My 8-yo son and his bestie (who badly need lip balm in this dry weather!) aren’t big fans of the peppermint so I used a vanilla flavoring oil from TKB and a little sweet orange EO (not enough to be photosensitizing) and we all love it.
Hooray! I’m so thrilled you are loving it ❤️ This one is definitely more glide-y than Burt’s, and I loooooove the cocoa note. And you will be happy to know that sweet orange essential oil isn’t photosensitizing—another wonderful thing I learned from Formula Botanica 😀 Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
I’ve started supplying my coworker’s husband with lip balm and supposedly I’ve fixed his sensitive lips! I wish I knew what product he used to use, I’d like to know if it had menthol or something like that.
the funny part is i’ve given him a super simple three ingredient recipe of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax. nothing too crazy. I think he was using a “typical” synthetic style balm and just needed to switch to a more natural beeswax based product.
it’s fun to see you still posting lip balm recipes, for a second I thought you’d learned so much of advanced science and unusual ingredients that you might have moved beyond these simpler projects.
I guess you still have lips!
We love this one. I made second batch today. I think I like it even more than lip masks when my lips are dry! Love the minty kick. I used 3 % peppermint EO (mine was regular type) and to my surpsise it doesn’t seem too much. I’ve hade lots of fun with your other lip balms, too. Your formulations are so carefully balanced and thoughtfully put together.
xx
I have never tried the burts bees one so I don’t know how this one compares but this might be my new favourite lip balm. I used unrefined beeswax and – purely because I’m clumsy – a bit more peppermint eo. I thought that might make it irritating but it didn’t at all! The mintyness is really nice but what I like most about it is that the slightly waxy texture of this means that even if I don’t use a lot of it it stays on my lips for ages. I like using this overnight. In the unlikely case i ever get tired of the mint I think I’d use this recipe again, with a different fragrance…
If I wanted to do this in pots instead of tubes, would I change the formula at all? Also, my lanolin says it is anhydrous AND ultra-refined. It doesn’t smell sheepy at all to me; more like a petroleum product to me, maybe? Hopefully I got the right stuff… Thanks!
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. It is exactly what I have been looking for and I absolutely love it! I’ve been aggravated with my lip balm lately and this one is perfect.
When i try it with exact lanolin as you have, its doesnt dissolve (mix well) with oil. It stays separated on the ground. ( in form of small drops).
I joined your patreon for the lip balm recipes, but I can’t find these ones.
You’ll want to sort by date—posts from January 2022. It’s also much better to ask on Patreon vs. here 🙂
Hi Marie,
Wondering if I could use Grapeseed Oil instead of Sunflower Seed Oil. I noticed it’s noted as a substitute in your encyclopedia, but not in the recipe!
Thanks!
Marie – I attempted to make my own balm but wound up with that gritty feel. It’s been awhile but I’m sure I used a butter. Based on your ingredient list I don’t see where I’d encounter a similar experience, despite people’s (mine) habit of carrying lip balms in their pockets. Can you confirm?
I have a dream of black tea flavored lip balm. I have found Earl grey flavored and black tea but really sweet flavored, but never just straight black tea. What kind of product could I look into instead of essential oils? I just don’t know what would be safe on the lips.
Great recipe! I would like to add zinc oxide for SPF. How do I figure the correct amount to add to each batch and I assume I will need to up the carrier oil if I add a dry ingredient. Is there a way to figure x amount of zinc oxide = how much SPF?
I subbed Vaseline for the refined lanolin. It worked beautifully.