🌞 Sunscreen Lip Balm

Before heading out into the sun, most people remember to apply sunscreen to their skin—but what about their lips? Regular sunscreen tastes unpleasant and can dry out your lips. This simple homemade lip balm offers natural sun protection, keeps your lips soft, and avoids harsh chemicals.

Many natural ingredients offer some SPF on their own. For example:

• Raspberry seed oil (SPF 28–50)

• Carrot seed essential oil (SPF up to 40)

• Oils such as wheat germ, jojoba, and shea butter also contribute mild natural SPF.

⚠️ Avoid phototoxic essential oils (lemon, lime, bitter orange, mandarin leaf, grapefruit) in sunlight.

💡 Sweet orange essential oil, however, is considered safe and not phototoxic.

Although homemade sunscreens cannot be assigned a precise SPF value, this recipe has been used safely for years and provides gentle protection. Always remember: avoid strong midday sun and use multiple layers of sun protection whenever possible.

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🧴 Ingredients (Makes 6 Tubes)

• 2 tbsp olive oil infused with calendula

• 1 tbsp jojoba oil

• 1 tbsp wheat germ oil

• 0.5 tsp raspberry seed oil

• 2 tbsp grated beeswax

• 1.5 tsp carnauba wax

• 1 tsp shea butter

• 10 drops vanilla essential oil

• 8 drops sweet orange essential oil

• 5 drops carrot seed essential oil

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🛠️ Materials Needed

• 6 empty lip balm tubes

• Turkish coffee pot or small double boiler

• Small spatula

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🧪 Instructions

1. Prepare Calendula-Infused Olive Oil

Infuse your olive oil with calendula (as described on page 11, or by gently warming olive oil with dried calendula petals and letting it steep).

2. Melt the Base

• Add all oils, waxes, and shea butter into a Turkish coffee pot or double boiler.

• Heat gently until everything is completely melted.

• Remove from heat.

3. Add Essential Oils

• After turning off the heat, add vanilla, sweet orange, and carrot seed essential oils.

• Stir thoroughly with your spatula.

4. Fill the Tubes

• Use the spout of the Turkish coffee pot to pour the mixture into each lip balm tube.

• Fill slightly above the inner screw mechanism.

• Let them cool and solidify.

5. Top Off (Optional but Recommended)

• Reheat the remaining mixture gently.

• Top off each tube to create a smooth, professional finish.

• If a depression still forms, melt the surface lightly with a lighter to level it.

6. Quick Method (if appearance doesn’t matter)

If the lip balm is for personal use only, you may fill each tube once without topping off. The appearance may vary, but the function remains the same.