Ever since I made my Chocolate Lip Butter I’ve been completely smitten with it, so naturally I want more of it in all kinds of different variations. I’ve been wishing for a citrussy lip treat for ages, but since citrus essential oils are photosensitizing, I’ve never made one (sunburnt lips are the pits). This lovely, sticky, buttery lip treat uses some citrus-esque essential oils to get that bright, fruity hit of summery goodness without the risk of earning myself a pair of blistered, sore lips. Bring on the vegan citrus lip butter!

How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

This super simple vegan citrus lip butter needs just three ingredients for its base, and then three for its citrussy goodness. Rich mango butter (USA / Canada) is blended with glossy candelilla wax and sticky lecithin to create a thick, tacky base that will stick around for ages, keeping dry lips hydrated. To that I’ve added a blend of lemongrass, bergamot, and lemon myrtle essential oils. Lemongrass and lemon myrtle are both lemon-y, without being actual citrus fruits, while bergamot essential oil is easily available in a bergapatene-free version that’s had its photosensitizing compounds available (make sure that’s true of your bergamot!).

How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

My favourite thing about my Chocolate Lip Butter and other lip balms I’ve been hooked on lately (like my Sticky Coconut Lip Balm) is how it’s a bit tacky. That rich, tacky texture means it sticks around on your lips for ages, locking in moisture and negating the need for multiple applications. It doesn’t glide like many of my other lip balms, but if you’ve got dry lips and hate re-applying lip balm, you are going to love this stuff.

How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

The lecithin is what makes this lip butter tacky and is integral to its consistency—this means no substitutions! You can use soy or sunflower lecithin, but we need its sticky goodness as candelilla wax makes for such hard, glossy concoctions on its own. The lecithin is also what gives this lip balm its beautiful, juicy orange hue, which I adore. It’s like sunshine in a tube 🙂

How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

11g | 0.38oz mango butter (USA / Canada)
9g | 0.32oz candelilla wax
11g | 0.38oz liquid soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin

5 drops lemongrass essential oil
5 drops bergapatene-free bergamot essential oil
7 drops lemon myrtle essential oil

Weigh the mango butter (USA / Canada), candelilla wax, and lecithin into a small heat resistant glass measuring cup. Place that measuring cup in a small saucepan that has about 3cm/1″ of water in it, and place the saucepan over medium low heat on your stovetop for about twenty minutes, or until everything has melted through.

Remove the measuring cup from the hot water bath and dry off the outside of it. Stir to combine with a flexible silicone spatula, and then stir in the essential oils.

Pour the liquid lip butter into lip balm tubes (this recipe fills approximately 6) and let it set up before using—that’ll take about ten minutes.

Wipe the tubes down with some paper towel before capping and labelling (I love these labels). Enjoy!

I don’t recommend increasing the amount of lemon myrtle essential oil used as we are nearing the upper recommended use limit of for it.

How to Make Vegan Citrus Lip Butter

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