Teach Soap

Okay, it's my understanding that a good basic lip balm recipe is 1/3 each oils/butters/waxes.

It is also my understanding that if you are using candellia or carnauba wax, that you would need less of those than you would of beeswax, say half the amount of candellia or carnauba than beeswax.

So let's suppose I'm making a hypothetical three-ounce batch of lip balm with, oh, castor oil, shea butter, and candellia. (My carnauba hasn't gotten here yet. ) And yes, I will be measuring the actual stuff in grams, and fractions of grams, but I don't want to mess around with the calculator right at the moment.

So would I use an ounce of castor oil and shea butter, and a half-ounce of the candellia? Or, if I'm a stickler about having three ounces once it's done, would it be 1.25 ounces each of shea and castor, and half an ounce of candellia, to total the three ounces?

I also have read that sometimes butters in lip balms can have graininess issues. I read somewhere that something called ButterEZ can help with that. I've ordered some from Lotioncrafter, and their usage recommendation is 10-25% to prevent graininess.

So, going back to my hypothetical three-ounce batch of lip balm, in order to use the ButterEZ (and if I want to use 15%), is it 15% of my butter amount? And do I take the amount of ButterEZ away from the shea amount? Do I use .15 ounce of ButterEZ and .85 ounce of shea? Or do I use the full amount of shea and just add in the .15 ounce of ButterEZ on top of that?

Or, is the recommended usage of ButterEZ based on the total ingredients weight? So I'd use .45 ounce of ButterEZ with the three ounces of the other stuff??

(My scale is due to be delivered today, but alas, UPS doesn't get to my house until late afternoon! )

Thanks for the help.

Anita

An ounce of castor oil and shea butter, and a half-ounce of the candellila Yes
ButterEZ is used for the amount of butter only, not for the rest of the ingredients. So if you need 1 oz. of butter, add the % of ButterEZ on top of that.
Candelilla and carnauba wax based balms can take up to three days to reach the final texture and feel.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Beeswax is a good choice then.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Argh!

I can't get the stupid battery cover off my new scale!

I may take it to my friend tomorrow, and see if she can budge it. I do have an email into the manufacturer.

I may just grit my teeth and use my old scale, and go with ounces tonight.

Argh, argh!!!

Anita

Which scale do you have? Can you pry the cover open with the flat edge of a butter knife or maybe a large coin?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.