Assignment 20 (How to make lip balm)- Quinn Andrews

I love making gifts for the holidays and one of the easiest (and messiest) items to make is lip balm. I prefer to make mine peppermint scented, so I list that as an ingredient, but you can really use any essential oil. What you need: 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 table spoons shea butter, 2 tablespoons (1 oz) beeswax, 4 drops peppermint essential oil, a dozen containers (either pots or tubes) 1. Using a double-broiler melt the beeswax. If you don't have a double broiler, you can make a substitute one by placing a small pot into a second, larger pot filled with water. This allows your wax to melt in the smaller pot without dilution or burning. 2. Add coconut oil one tablespoon at a time, and stirring slowly to melt. 3. Add shea butter half a tablespoon at a time, and stirring in between. 4. Once everything is melted and blended together, take off of heat and pour into a heat-proof glass container with a lip to make pouring easier. 5. Add peppermint oil now while stirring. It's really important that the oil is added after being taken off heat otherwise it will evaporate quickly and leave little scent in the wax. 6. Pour evenly into containers quickly, as the lip balm cools quickly after coming into contact with the glass container. 7. Place in refrigerator for five minutes to allow it to partially solidify, then wipe off any spills from the outside of the containers. Return them to the refrigerator for ten minutes to completely cool. Voila! Now you have a homemade gift for friends or yourself. Personally, I find it really moisturizing for when it's cold and windy during winter. P.S. Don't pour excess down the drain! The wax will mess with the pipes, so if you have any extra throw it in the trash.