You will be amazed at just how easy it is to make a natural lip balm to protect your lips through the dry winter months. Most commercial products have questionable chemical ingredients that our great-grandmothers would surely refuse to use. I chose apricot oil because it is light and easy for our lips to absorb. I infused it with calendula because it speeds the healing of chapped lips and makes them soft. I also infused it with lemon balm because it has excellent antiviral properties to combat cold sores. The peppermint adds soothing, cooling properties to sore cracked lips. I hope you like it, but remember that you can always use the herbs and flavours that suit you best.
Ingredients
1 cup apricot oil + 1 tsp wheat germ oil
1/4 cup calendula petals
1/4 cup lemon balm leaves
1/4 cup grated beeswax
1 tsp liquid honey (or less)
1/4 tsp peppermint essential oil (or less)
Cheesecloth
Stainless steel strainer
Stainless steel spoon
20 x 15 ml amber glass jars
Directions
Bruise the lemon balm and calendula together with a mortar and pestle (or crush together with your fingers) and put in a double boiler pot. Cover with the oil and mix. If you do not have at least an inch of oil above the herbs, add more. The wheat germ acts as a natural preservative. Simmer the infused oil over very low heat heat for at least one hour taking care not to boil the herbs. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and strain the herbs out through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Squeeze out all the oil through the sludge and add herbs to the compost. Put one cup of the oil infusion back in the pot over low heat and add the beeswax. Stir until melted. Let the mixture cool a bit before adding the peppermint oil and honey. Stir once or twice only as to not evaporate the highly volatile essential oil. Pour immediately into jars. Let cool and cap. label and give them out for extra special Christmas stocking stuffers to share with the postman, your favourite cashier, the babysitter, etc. because believe me you have plenty. Put a thin layer over moist lips several times a day. Enjoy.
