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My Reward PointsThe lips are one of the most sensitive areas of our body and are subject to the elements such as sun, wind, cold, or pollution. While many commercial lip balms claim to hydrate and heal, they often contain synthetic chemicals and artificial fragrances, as well as animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax or lanolin.
Every ingredient is safe and ethically sourced, tailored to your specific needs, and produced without unnecessary plastic waste, ensuring it is completely free from harmful additives.
What Is Vegan Lip Balm? And How Is It Different From Other Lip Balms?
Vegan lip balm is a lip moisturizer entirely made without any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. Unlike regular lip balms, vegan versions do not use beeswax, lanolin (derived from sheep's wool), or carmine (a red pigment from insects), but instead replace them with plant-based substitutes like candelilla wax or carnauba wax, along with moisture-providing oils and butters. This not only makes them cruelty-free but also often gentler and more suitable for sensitive or allergy-prone skin.
Why Choose Homemade Vegan Lip Balm?
Making your lip balm at home gives you total control. You can choose exactly what goes on your skin—or doesn't. Pretty easy, really, cost-effective, and surprisingly fun.
1. 100% Cruelty-Free and Animal-Friendly: Plant-based, guilt-free lip care can be enjoyed every single day with bee-free, animal-testing-free, and animal-component-free ingredients.
2. No Synthetic Fragrances, Dyes, or Harmful Preservatives: We try to keep it clean-no fake scents, artificial colors, or harsh chemicals. Only harmless, natural ingredients that your lips will approve of.
3. Customizable Texture, Scent, and Color: Customize just the way you like it-soft or firm, tinted or plain, with your favorite scent or none at all. You are entirely in the driving seat of your lip balm.
4. Budget-Friendly with Long Shelf Life: A few simple ingredients go a long way. Make dozens of lip balms for the price of one store-bought tube, and they will last for months.
5. Safe for Sensitive Skin and Kids: No irritants, allergens, or harsh stuff. Only gentle, calming ingredients are suitable for sensitive skin, and kind enough for children to use as well.
Key Ingredients For Vegan Lip Balm
Each ingredient in this vegan lip balm is carefully picked to keep your lips soft, smooth, and healthy without using anything harsh or unnecessary.
1. Plant-Based Butters
Plant butter creates the creamy, luxurious base of your lip balm, helping to lock in moisture and provide a rich, nourishing experience.
- Shea Butter: It heals cracked lips. Shea butter softens dry patches and adds a protective layer to prevent damage from deepening and further damage. It's very soft and easy to work with, melting quickly into the skin.
- Cocoa Butter: A harder butter with a faint chocolate scent, in combination with firmness in a lip balm, adds to the deeply nourishing power for peeling or sunburnt lips. Full of antioxidants, it provides long-term protection.
- Mango Butter: People wanting a soft lip balm that absorbs fast would prefer mango butter since it is lightweight and non-greasy. It is a luminous hydrator, perfect for daily use or sensitive skin.
2. Carrier Oils
Carrier oils take nutrients deep into the skin and decide whether your lip balm is glossy and silky or matte.
- Coconut Oil: A powerhouse oil known for its antibacterial and moisturizing qualities. It solidifies at room temperature, making it ideal for a lip balm that holds shape but melts easily in contact with lips.
- Jojoba Oil: Unlike other oils, jojoba closely mimics the skin's natural sebum, allowing it to absorb quickly without clogging pores. It helps balance moisture levels and is ideal for acne-prone or reactive skin.
- Sweet Almond Oil: Packed with vitamins A and E, sweet almond oil is gentle, lightweight, and nourishing. It also adds a subtle sheen to the lip balm and helps soothe chapped lips.
3. Vegan Wax Options
You need wax to give a solid structure to your lip balm and keep it from melting in your pocket. Vegan waxes work just like beeswax, only they are plant-based.
- Candelilla Wax: The most commonly used vegan wax. It's firm, has a high melting point, and gives the lip balm a smooth, silky texture. Use less than beeswax as it's denser.
- Soy Wax: Made from soybeans; softer than candelilla and more suitable for lip balms or gloss-like products. Available everywhere and cheap.
- Carnauba Wax: Extracted from Brazilian palm trees, it gives a firmer texture and a natural glossy finish to lip balms, which doubles as a lip gloss.
4. Optional Add-ins
- Vitamin E Oil: Serves as a natural preservative and a support in lip healing. Just a few drops would extend the shelf life and provide antioxidant benefits to your lip balm.
- Essential Oils: Add scent and therapeutic properties. Always use lip-safe essential oils like peppermint (cooling), lavender (soothing), or sweet orange (uplifting). Avoid spicy or phototoxic oils like cinnamon or bergamot unless specifically made for lip use.
- Tint Options: For natural color, try beetroot powder (pink/red), cocoa powder (brown/nude), or mica powder in lip-safe grades for shimmer. Start small and test on the skin.
Best Homemade Vegan Lip Balm Recipes For Lips
These easy vegan lip balm recipes use natural ingredients and are simple to make at home. They’re safe, budget-friendly, and work great for soft, healthy lips.
DIY Vegan Lip Balm Recipe With Candelilla Wax
This version is excellent for making firm, portable lip balm sticks or tins that hold their shape even in warm weather.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon - candelilla wax
- 2 tablespoons - shea butter
- 2 tablespoons - coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon - jojoba oil
- 5–10 drops - essential oil (e.g., peppermint or orange)
- ¼ teaspoon - tint (optional)
- 5 drops - Vitamin E oil (optional)
How to Make:
- Set up a double boiler by placing a heat-safe glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
- Add candelilla wax, shea butter, and coconut oil. Stir occasionally until fully melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Cool slightly (around 150°F-160°F), then add jojoba oil, Vitamin E, essential oil, and any tint.
- Stir thoroughly to blend all ingredients evenly.
- Immediately pour the liquid lip balm into clean, dry lip balm tubes or small tins. Binds relatively quickly.
- Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes before sealing and labeling.
DIY Vegan Lip Balm Recipe Without Wax
This is perfect for someone who likes to have a soft and melt-in-your-mouth feel of the lip balm in a small jar or tin and apply it just before snoozing or when in dry climates.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons - shea butter
- 1 tablespoon - coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon - sweet almond oil
- 5 drops - Vitamin E oil
- 5–10 drops - essential oil
- Optional: natural tints like cocoa or beetroot powder
How to Make:
- Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat.
- Remove it from the heat, and stir in sweet almond oil, vitamin E, essential oils, and any tint.
- Pour into a small, sterilized jar or tin.
- Allow it to cool and set for several hours at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Store in a cool, dry place. Apply with clean fingers as needed.
Conclusion
DIY vegan lip balm is more than just a health-conscious consumer option; it is a reflection of the human lifestyle that values kindness, responsibility toward the sustainability of earth resources, and creativity. With just a handful of plants, such a person can bring together effective, safe, and individual lip balms to meet personal needs and preferences. You can have a very firm stick for use during the day or a very shiny lip balm for nighttime hydration, knowing that producing them yourself means quality without compromise.
