Gather materials
1. You’ll need a microwave safe dish with a handle and spout, lip balm ingredients (pre-made or ingredients to make it from scratch), lip butter pots or tubes, and a spoon. Optional ingredients are lip safe color and flavor.
Spoon base into container
2. Spoon your pre-made lip balm into your container. Approximately 16oz. of loosely packed lip balm base melts down to 7 oz. (volume). Melt in the microwave for 2 minutes. If the base is not fully melted, melt for 1 minute intervals, stirring in between each interval.
Add flavoring
3. Remember that Pyrex dish handles can get hot; keep a pot holder close. When the base is melted, this is the time to add your color and flavor. Usage rate for flavor is 3 to 5% of the total weight of your ingredient. This equals out, roughly, in volume to 1 tsp. for 8 oz. of base. In weight, this is .0025oz. weight of the lip balm flavoring per ounce of lip butter. You might consider making 10 oz. batches at a time – then, you can use a .25oz. of lip balm flavoring which might be easier to weigh out. In drops, you can convert this to: 1 tsp = 5 ml = 100 drops. Drops are the least precise method you can use, however, and it is recommended you weigh all your ingredients.
Add color
4. Adding color is an imprecise science and usage rates really depend on how little or how much color you want in your balm. Remember to only use lip safe colorants. Water soluble colorants, such as food coloring, are safe to use but will not work (water and oil do not mix). Add the color after your flavor, to the melted oils. Try to use 1/2 tsp. per 16oz. of oil. Make sure you stir well and that your color is fully incorporated.
Fill your butter pots
5. Fill your containers with either a disposable pipette/dropper or by pouring directly into the pots.
6. The hotter you pour your balm, the more chances there are for cracks to form in the lip balm as it cools off. If you start getting cracks, pour at a lower temperature. Wait for one hour before moving. Then cap, label and use!
