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It’s the perfect cup of Earl Grey Tea…in a lip balm! Say “hello” to cooler weather with this easy, all natural chapstick. With just a few simple ingredients, it’s great for a little something different or a unique homemade gift idea.

Nothing says fall to me like cuddling up on the couch with a warm cup of spicy tea. But let’s be serious. With two small children and managing virtual school this year, I never manage to drink my tea while it’s hot. And I certainly don’t get to sit down on the couch! But, that doesn’t mean I can’t still sneak in a little fall flavor with this yummy Earl Grey Lip balm!

If you’ve never had it, Earl Grey tea is a black tea with bergamot oil or peels. It tastes orange-y and zesty. And after I discovered that Trader Joe’s was carrying this lovely organic blend, I became a little obsessed! The flavor is so distinctive, that a few drops of bergamot essential oil makes anything reminiscent of Earl Grey tea.

Why Make Your Own Lip Balm

This summer I did a lot of experimenting with different lip balm recipes. If you didn’t know, I am a self proclaimed lip balm addict. Which is one reason I love making my own- it’s incredibly cost effective! For a fraction of the cost of high quality store bought lip balm, I can make a tube of chapstick for my purse, my car, my makeup bag, my diaper bag, my stroller, my jacket pocket, my nightstand…

Using only a few all natural ingredients, the possibilities are truly endless. Plus, you never have to worry if there are any sneaky icky ingredients like petroleum jelly, parabens, or artificial fragrance/dyes! And of course, they make excellent homemade gifts and stocking stuffers. I’m a huge proponent of diy gifting, so be sure to check out this list if you want some more easy ideas.

What's in Earl Grey Lip Balm

This recipe comes together with just a few moisturizing ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this refreshingly spicy Earl Grey Lip Balm.

Ingredients:

9 g (about 1.5 tsp ) coconut oil
4 g (about 1 tsp) beeswax
1.5 g (about 1/2 tsp) sunflower oil (or other carrier oil of your choice)
3-6 drops Bergaptene-Free Bergamot Essential Oil
a few drops Vitamin E oil (optional)

Equipment:

2 Lip balm tubes (or small containers/pots)
A double boiler OR a small heat proof bowl and saucepan
spatula or spoon
A kitchen scale (optional, but useful)

Let's Talk Ingredients

This Earl Grey Lip balm goes on suuuuper smooth and is wonderfully moisturizing.

Coconut oil is readily available and a skin care powerhouse. It is rich in nourishing fatty acids and is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and reduces inflammation.

Sunflower oil is another great skin oil found in the cooking aisle. It contains linoleic acid which is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and helps skin retain its moisture. It is also a source of oleic acid which helps heal skin, making it perfect for dry cracked lips. (source). But if you want to, feel free to use another liquid carrier oil of your choice, such as jojoba oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, etc.

Beeswax turns this recipe from a puddle of oil into a balm. But it also seals in moisture and creates a protective barrier on the lips. It is naturally soothing and antibacterial.

Vitamin E oil brings more nourishing properties and also contains antioxidants which act as a natural preservative in homemade skin care recipes. It’s optional, but I almost always add a few drops to my diy balms and body butters.

Bergaptene-Free Bergamot essential oil is the key to this Earl Grey lip balm recipe. But it is crucial that you choose a bergamot oil that is labeled Bergaptene-Free! This is the component in bergamot essential oil which is phototoxic. Some essential oils, including many citrus oils, cause a reaction between the skin and the sun which can cause burns! (Always look out for this when choosing to add essential oils to skin care products that remain on the skin, like lotions and lip balms.) So for this recipe, just make sure your bergamot says Bergaptene-Free on the bottle!

How to Make Earl Grey Lip Balm

Place beeswax, coconut oil, and sunflower oil (or other carrier oil) in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until all are completely melted.

Remove from heat and stir in vitamin E oil (if using) and essential oil. Be sure to wipe any water from the bottom of the bowl to prevent drips into your balm.

Carefully (but quickly) pour the liquid oil mixture into chapstick tubes and allow to sit until the product has completely cooled. (For faster results, move the lip balm to the fridge after it’s begun to solidify.)

When the balm is completely set, cap it and apply liberally as desired! Your Earl Grey lip balm should be good for about 6 months to a year (depending on the freshness of your ingredients.)

A Few Tips for Making Earl Grey Lip Balm

If your mixture begins to harden in the bowl before you have managed to fill all the dainty little tubes, simply set it back on the heat to gently remelt. It’s very forgiving.

There are several ways to fill chapstick tubes. Some people like to use a pipette or dropper (and sometimes the tubes will come with one.) This works ok, but I find that it causes my mixture to cool too fast and the droppers get all clogged up. Instead, I like to secure my tubes together with a rubber band so that they can stand upright. Then I carefully and quickly pour in the melted balm. Sometimes there are a few drips, so I just make sure to place the tubes on an easy to clean surface when filling.

This recipe is created to be able to go in a chapstick tube, but it certainly doesn’t have to! If you don’t have them or don’t feel like messing with it, a little container or lip balm pot would be fine, too. I just like the convenience of a stick.

P.S. I’ve given this Earl Grey lip balm the “pocket test” in the summer and it did not melt on me.

With the holidays fast approaching, these cute Earl Grey Lip Balms make a wonderful and unique diy gift idea! If you want to make a bunch of them, simply scale up the recipe for as many containers as you have. (I always make a few extra for my own stocking…)

Feel free to hit me up with comments or questions below. I would love to know what you think! And if you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram @TheCrunchyGinger– I would be thrilled to see your creation!

If you are looking for more DIY gift ideas, check out these other recipes…

Yield: 2 tubes

Earl Grey Lip Balm

It's the perfect cup of Earl Grey Tea…in a lip balm! Say “hello” to cooler weather with this easy, all natural chapstick. With just a few simple ingredients, it's great for a little something different or a unique homemade gift idea.

Active Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Difficulty easy

Materials

9g (about 1.5 tsp) coconut oil
4g (about 1 tsp) beeswax
1.5g (about 1/2 tsp) sunflower oil (or other carrier oil)
3-6 drops Bergaptene-Free Bergamot essential oil
a few drops of vitamin E oil (optional)

Tools

2 chapstick tubes or lip balm type containers
a saucepan and a small heat proof bowl OR a double boiler
spatula
a kitchen scale (optional, but useful)

Instructions

Place beeswax, coconut oil, and sunflower oil (or other carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, olive oil, etc.) in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until all are completely melted.
Remove from heat and stir in vitamin E oil and essential oil.
Carefully (but quickly) pour the liquid oil mixture into chapstick tubes and allow to sit until the product has completely cooled. (For faster results move the tubes to the fridge after it’s begun to solidify.)
When the lip balm is completely cool, cap it and apply liberally as needed! Your lip balm should be good for about 6 months to a year (depending on the freshness of your ingredients.)