Lip Balm - Master Batching Your Own Base

Yesterday I wrote my blog entry on how to make your own lip balm.   

 http://soapsnlotions2010.blogspot.com/2013/01/learn-to-make-lip-balm.html

But what happens if you want to make several flavors but want to save some time?   Or you want to make some now and some later?

The answer is to learn to master batch!

I had a customer wanted natural unflavored lip balm, but I wanted to make more and save time making other flavors as well to restock my stash.  Not to mention that I plan on making lip balms for my kids classmates for Valentine’s Day.  You know it’s made with beeswax, flavored with honey flavoring for some and other flavors for others…. “bee mine” the whole play on of words.  Ok I guess I’m one of the few who think its funny, but I thought it would be cute.   

I even came up with a unique label for the class ones that are not my regular business labels!    Just for valentines day for my children's classmates!  

 Okay back to the tutorial, I just wanted to share something personal.

Use the same technique as posted on yesterday’s post (link at the top of this post) on how to convert your recipe from percents into weights.    Also see yesterday’s post for a recipe as well.

Decide on how much "base" you would like to make.  Figure about 5 grams per tube to get you in the ballpark area.  

Figure your recipe for the size that is needed and include the weight of your flavoring.   Weigh out all your ingredients omitting any flavoring and/or sweetener.   Doing it this way will still allow you to be correct for your ingredient label and having everything in the correct order.  I took the time to weigh out 200 grams which will fill about 40 tubes when it’s all said and done, minus any amount that you can’t get out of the container because it has hardened and stuck.  

Then when you want to make up a smaller batch, simply figure your smaller recipe out and add up all the butters oils and waxes portion of the recipe as a total and use that amount for the amount of your master batch that you weigh out as one single weight.  Then weigh your flavoring and sweetener just before you make it. 

This technique will save you a lot of time down the road when you want to make more.   It's also nice so you don't have to weigh such small amounts for various oils/butters.   Melt your oils and butters.  You do not need to melt them until everything is completely melted.  Continue until most everything has melted and then stir using it's own residual heat to melt the rest.

I highly recommend using silicone for this next step.  But make sure it’s a silicone mold that has never come in contact with fragrance oil, so this can be one that doubles for cooking as well as crafting as long as you use it for things that will be considered edible which lip balm is.  If you also use it for food, make sure it has been thoroughly washed in hot soapy water and is dry.  You don't want any wet areas (water) to come in contact with your lip balm while your making it. 

Here are two examples of ones I used.   This isn't all the master batch that I made, but just some of it.   The red one is a silicone ice tray that makes heart ice cubes the blue one is a muffin tray.  This muffin tray is different from the others I use for my soaps so it makes it easy to tell it apart.  The ones that I use for soap with fragrance oils are baby blue or purple in color and is shape of the entire mold is  slightly different.  Thanks to my SIL for giving me the blue muffin mold for Christmas!    The heart one is one that I purchased from Target during Valentine’s Day in their holiday section and it was cheap.   

Pour your melted lip balm into the mold and let it harden.   Remove from the mold once they harden and you can store them in another container of choice or even a zip style bag.  Just be sure to clearly label your container so you know what is inside when you want to use it later. 

 

The next time you want to make lip balm use enough of the base that you made for that portion of your recipe.   Cutting the larger pieces into smaller ones as needed until you get the exact weight needed.  But you don't need to cut up larger pieces just to break them down.   They will all melt just the same.   Just like before use that residual heat to melt the rest until it's returned to it's liquid state. 

  

Add your flavoring and sweetener if you decide to use it and pour into the mold of choice with the method that you prefer. 

For example :  This would be my Master Batch Recipe Sheet

For A Total of 500 grams

29% Beeswax ~ 145 g

29% Cocoa Butter ~ 145 g

10% Coconut Oil ~ 50 g

10% Shea Butter ~ 50 g

9% Sweet Almond Oil ~ 45 g

10% Avocado Oil ~ 50 g

3% Flavoring ~ (15 grams set aside for this but don't add it) 

To make my smaller batch this is what my recipe sheet would look like.

29% Beeswax ~ 14.5 g

29% Cocoa Butter ~ 14.5 g

10% Coconut Oil ~ 5 g

10% Shea Butter ~ 5 g

9% Sweet Almond Oil ~ 4.5 g

10% Avocado Oil ~ 5 g

3% Flavor Oil ~ 1.5 g

(not added as a percent equal amount of sweetener.)

I use Lip Smacking Sweetener sold by Elements Bath and Body

http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Lip-Smacking-Sweetener-Oil-pr-839.html 

So I add up my oils, waxes and butters which comes to 48.5 grams so you can choose to round up or down it's up to you.   And weigh that amount of your pre-made master batch mix.  

Then using a smaller scale that weighs out 0.01 grams I suggest a reloading or a jewelers scale.  See yesterdays post for the reasons why and suggestions on how to do it.   Weigh out the flavoring and any sweetener you may choose to add to your recipe.   

Stir and pour as usual. 

I know a lot of people think adding sweetener to lip balm will only make you lick your lips more and add to the problem.  But I do not find that at all the case when using the Lip Smacking Sweetener sold by Elements.  It gives the lip balm another dimension that is hard to describe, but it makes using lip balm a joy! 

It really is that simple, and this technique can save you a lot of time when you want to make more or make multiple batches in different flavors.   I don't sell a lot of lip balm but I do offer it to customers as well as my own personal use for myself and my family.  So I don't want to make up 50 tubes of each flavor.  Instead I make 12 at a time and offer several flavors to pick from.  Just like fragrance oils, that way I have something that will fit everyone. 

Here are two cleaning tips!

When cleaning your lip balm filling tray a paper towel to wipe it down and use q-tips to get inside the holes works like a dream!  When cleaning your container that you melt your lip balm in cleans up much easier if it's warm before you wipe it out with a paper towel.  If needed reheat in the microwave to melt and soften any remaining wax before washing with hot water and dish soap.


If you are going to sell your lip balm you do need to know that you are required by law to have it labeled according to FDA regulations.  Take the time to read up the regulations that the FDA has put into place for the labeling of cosmetics.  Lip balm is considered a cosmetic by definition.  Even if you plan on giving them as a gift or for personal use I highly suggest having them properly labeled.