Lip balm recipe.

Worked example

A 45 g batch at 1:3 beeswax to oil, with a quarter of the oil portion as butter and no essential oil: beeswax is 45 / (1 + 3) = 11.25 g, the oil portion is 33.75 g, of which butter is 8.44 g and liquid oil 25.31 g. That fills about 45 / 4.5 = 10 standard tubes. At 1:5 the same 45 g is 7.50 g beeswax and 37.50 g oil.

How it works

Beeswax grams = batch grams / (1 + oil parts). Everything else is oil: butter is your chosen share of it, essential oil is a percent of the whole batch taken out of the liquid oil, and liquid oil is what is left. Weigh, do not use spoons, because beeswax pellets, butter and oil pack differently.

The 1:3 to 1:5 range comes from the NW Edible Life lip balm recipe: for every gram of beeswax use three to five grams of oil, firmer for twist-up tubes and softer for tins, and less oil to wax if you use purely liquid oils or live somewhere hot. The same page says its 45 g recipe fills about 10 standard lip-balm tubes, which is where 4.5 g per tube comes from. Tubes differ, so weigh your own.

The essential oil cap of 1.2% is the top of the facial range in the Tisserand Institute dilution guidance (facial cosmetics 0.5 to 1.2%). That guidance is for facial skin, not specifically lips.

Sources (opened 2026-10-08): NW Edible Life, How To Make All Natural Beeswax Lip Balm; Tisserand Institute, Dilution for essential oils; Humblebee & Me, FAQ.

FAQ

What is the beeswax to oil ratio for lip balm?

One published recipe uses 1:3 to 1:5 by weight, which is three to five grams of oil for every gram of beeswax. Use less oil for a firmer tube balm and more for a softer balm in a tin.

How many lip balm tubes does a batch fill?

The NW Edible Life recipe says 45 g fills about 10 standard tubes, so about 4.5 g each. Tube sizes vary, so weigh the balm one of your tubes holds and divide.

Do I need a preservative in lip balm?

Humblebee & Me says anhydrous lip products, ones with no water, should not need a broad-spectrum preservative if kept dry. Adding any ingredient that contains water changes that.

Why measure lip balm in grams instead of spoons?

NW Edible Life notes results are more accurate when measured by weight, and wax pellets, butter and oil pack differently in a spoon.

How long does homemade lip balm last?

The source recipe says it lasts at least 6 months, though the scent may fade. That is one recipe, not a guarantee, so discard it if the smell, colour or texture changes.