Anything that strips your lips of moisture can cause them to become dry and cracked. Intact skin protects your body against infection, and dry, cracked skin can allow infection to enter the skin. Lip balm, for chapped lips, helps to moisturize your lips so that the skin barrier remains intact. Lip balms usually contain wax to make them stiff enough to be put into a lipstick tube. If you don't use wax or Vaseline, your lip balm will be too soft for a lipstick tube. Instead, put it in 1-ounce jars with screw-on lids or in little bottles with rollerball lids.
Combine 1 tablespoon each of shea butter, cocoa butter and jojoba oil in a small saucepan. Melt slowly over very low heat, stirring until all the ingredients are well-combined.
Add 2 or 3 drops of a strong essential oil, such as vanilla, orange, orange blossom or lemon blossom and stir to combine.
Pour the melted mixture into a bottle with a narrow tip such as a very clean catsup or mustard dispenser to make it easier to fill the 1-ounce jars or the rollerball bottles. Fill each jar or bottle with the melted mixture.
Cap the jars or bottles and allow the mixture to cool.
Tips
Use any hard butter or oil such as coconut oil to make your lip balm. Add the contents of one vitamin E capsule to your melted ingredients for extra moisture.
