How To Make Lip Balm With Castor Oil

Natasha Bruce-Carline
How To Make Lip Balm With Castor Oil

Making lip balm with castor oil recipes is a brilliant project for beginners.  Castor oil is super thick, unctuous, and glossy and composed mostly of ricinoleic acid, a constituent with emollient, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. No other carrier oil has such a high distribution of just one component, making castor oil a very special carrier oil indeed.

In this article, I’ll show you several recipes to make lip balm with castor oil.. Our easiest recipe blends castor oil with beeswax, shea butter, and soothing rose geranium essential oil. Our Super Soother lip balm with castor oil, nourished with cocoa butter and rosehip carrier oil blended with skin-kind essential oils. Our Tinted and Glossy lip balm with castor oil uses natural colorant to bring a little va-va-voom and to create the perfect shade for you. 

Introduction To Making Lip Balm With Castor Oil

Making your own lip balm is easy and rewarding and a great way to take control of your own lip care products and regimen. In this article, we’ll explore how to make DIY lip balms with castor oil to rival any store-bought lip balms and chapsticks.

Castor oil is a versatile carrier oil as it is full of beneficial fatty acids, particularly ricinoleic acid. Its many nourishing and emollient properties make it a great choice for homemade lip balm. Let’s find out more about it. 

Why Castor Oil For Lips?

Why Castor Oil For Lips?

Castor oil is pressed from the seeds of castor beans from the Ricinus communis plant, not to be confused with the green, glossy, ornamental garden plant also known as the Castor Oil plant (Fatsia Japonica).

Castor oil is super thick, unctuous, and glossy and composed mostly of ricinoleic acid (75%). No other carrier oil has such a high distribution of just one component, making castor oil a very special carrier oil indeed. 

Ricinoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. (Vieira, 2000)

A lip balm with castor oil is an effective and efficient lip care product.  

Read more about Castor oil and ricinoleic acid in Myth or Magic. The Practice of Navel Pulling and Dripping Castor Oil in Belly Buttons.

Benefits Of Castor Oil For Lips

  • Humectant qualities of the ricinoleic acid attract moisture and boost hydration making it perfect for lip balm with castor oil for dry and chapped lips.
  • Castor oil is rich in fatty acids, which are nourishing enough to even deal with cracked lips, and they bring moisturizing and anti-inflammatory qualities to maintain hydrated and healthy lips.
  • Does not dry quickly, so castor oil forms a protective barrier on the lips and locks in hydration, and protects from environmental dehydration, dirt, and grime. 
  • People across the world have traditionally used castor oil for its emollient properties to moisturize and plump the appearance of their lips. 
  • You can enhance the beauty benefits of lip balm with castor oil by adding essential oils to create a powerhouse effect. Choosing essential oils for their additional moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties
  • One of the primary benefits of persuading you to apply castor oil on your lips is the extra nourishment and protective barrier that it brings to the delicate skin of your lips. 
  • A lip balm with castor oil will be beautifully glossy as well as nourishing and protective. 

Contraindications Of Using Castor Oil

  • Castor oil should be avoided in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and during menstruation, because it has properties that can stimulate the uterus. 
  • Castor oil is a stimulant laxative so should be avoided while taking proprietary laxatives.
  • Castor oil also has anticoagulant properties so anyone with a platelet clotting disorder or who is on blood thinning medications should consult their doctor before use.

Making a lip balm with castor oil will only use a very small proportion of the carrier oil, however, it is always better safe than sorry. If any of these apply to you, you might consider replacing castor oil with almond, avocado, or rosehip carrier oils. 

First, Let’s Make a Basic Lip Balm With Castor Oil

I’m keeping this article deliberately simple so if you want a more in-depth article on How To Make Lip Balm With Essential Oils or want to create products to Plump Up And Pout with Essential Oils for Lips, simply click the links. 

To create a natural lip balm you need a couple of easy-to-source ingredients. You can create a natural remedy to nourish dry, chapped lips or just maintain healthy, hydrated lips. At its most basic, you need wax, like beeswax or hemp wax, and a natural carrier oil, like castor oil, almond oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. Add in some cosmetic butter, like Shea or Cocoa to give it some structure and extra nourishing and moisturizing power. You are going to melt these together and then allow them to set into a lip balm.

I’ll always advocate adding a touch of skin-nourishing vitamin E to your lip balms, you can simply just squeeze some out of a capsule from the store. It’s fine.

It’s a good idea to add a couple of drops of essential oil to bring their active qualities to the party. 

However, time and again, I see recipes where people just add their favorite essential oils to their homemade lip balms. This approach can be problematic because some essential oils will have different properties than you would want from your lip balm.  Peppermint essential oil is a prime example; peppermint has a drying action that will only dry your lips more. More effective essential oil choices are listed below.

Our Top Ten Essential Oils For Lip Balm With Castor Oil

  1. Do you get cold sores? Choose Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
  2. Is your skin always dehydrated? Choose Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens)
  3. Do you need some TLC? Choose Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Roseum X Asperum)
  4. Are your lips constantly cracked? Choose Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
  5. Is it hard to heal cracks in your lips? Choose Helichrysum (Helichrysum splendida)
  6. Do your lips feel hot and sore? Choose Rose (Rosa damascena)
  7. Are your lips sore and inflamed? Choose German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)
  8. Is a fresh scent the primary need? Choose Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
  9. Do you need a warming lip balm? Choose Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
  10. Need lip balm for a snogging session? Choose Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)

How To Make Lip Balm With Castor Oil - The Recipes

These recipes are so easy. They make great natural gifts with pretty labels and packaging. You’ll be whipping out lip balm with castor oil for friends and family in no time, and you will build on your skills and confidence with each one.

For Making Lip Balm With Castor Oil You Will Need:

  1. Microwavable small measuring jug
  2. Stainless steel spoon
  3. Measuring spoons 
  4. 5 x 20ml Lip balm tins or tubes
  5. Oil and waterproof label
Optional Ingredients:
  • Natural-based preservative of your choice, follow the manufacturer's instructions
  • Vitamin E capsules.
  • The natural coloring of your choice.

Method For Making Lip Balm With Castor Oil:

Normally I would not recommend heating waxes, butter, or carrier oils in a microwave because it can heat them too fast and degrade their quality. However, we are using such small amounts here it is not worth dragging the double boiler out. If you want to, by all means do. 

  1. Place the wax in the measuring jug, place it in the center of the microwave, and set it for bursts of 30 seconds.
  2. When the wax is half molten, add your cosmetic butter and heat in 30-second bursts again.
  3. Once it is all molten, add the castor oil and any other carrier oils and heat for a final 10-30 seconds.
  4. Remove from the microwave, and allow to cool slightly before adding the essential oils and any additional ingredients you wish to add like Vitamin E and natural coloring. 
  5. Stir well to mix thoroughly and pour immediately into your lip balm containers.
  6. Cover with a soft clean cloth, not allowing the cloth to cover the surface of the lip balm with castor oil, and allow it to set fully and cool.
  7. Once fully cooled and set, add the lids. Don’t add them while still hot as it can encourage moisture and formation of mold and bacteria. 
  8. Add an oil and waterproof label, listing all ingredients.
  9. Add a 3-6 month expiry date, longer if you used a preservative. 

Super Easy Lip Balm With Castor Oil

This super easy lip balm with castor oil is very simple to make, there are no bells and whistles, making it very cost-effective. You’d be forgiven for thinking because it is so simple it will not match up to the commercial lip balms that you are used to. Trust me, it will. Give it a go! 

Ingredients:

Safety:

  1. Not suitable for use during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.
  2. Not suitable for those who are on anticoagulant medications or have a platelet clotting disorder.
  3. Please do not use this lip balm with castor oil if you are taking laxative medications.
  4. We advise caution of applying this lip balm during menstruation, as castor oil may make bleeding heavier.

How To Use:

  1. Always do a 24-48 hour patch test before first use. 
  2. I’d advise using this lip balm with castor oil as part of a regular lip care routine. It is always worth exfoliating your lips first with a lip scrub to remove dead skin cells, exposing fresh, new skin to keep your lips soft, supple, and kissable.
  3. If you use a lip balm tube, just apply it directly to your lips, like using lipstick.
  4. If you use a tin, simply apply some to the tip of your index finger and apply it to your lips, keeping your lips slightly open for ease. 
  5. Apply regularly throughout the day for the best results. 

Super Soother Lip Balm With Castor Oil

I don’t know about you but I find commercial lip glosses tend to really dry my lips out with my sensitive skin. This means I’m always motivated to make quality lip care products full of hydrating nourishing ingredients, leaving your lips smooth, hydrated, and in my case, soothed! 

This is a really rich recipe for long-lasting results and will give your lips a delicious spa-like treatment. Regular use will keep your lips in tip-top condition, it's definitely a recipe that you want as part of your lip care regimen. 

Ingredients:

Safety:

  • Not suitable for use during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.
  • Not suitable for those who are on anticoagulant medications or have a platelet clotting disorder.
  • Please do not use this lip balm with castor oil if you are taking laxative medications. 
  • We advise caution of applying this lip balm during menstruation, as castor oil may make bleeding heavier.

How To Use:

  1. Always do a 24-48 hour patch test before first use. 
  2. If you use a lip balm tube, just apply it directly to your lips, like using lipstick.
  3. If you use a tin, simply apply some to the tip of your index finger and apply it to your lips, keeping your lips slightly open for ease. 
  4. If your lips are cracked, consider moisturizing the area around the cracks first and then adding your lip balm over the top. Just a slick of Glycerine is the perfect thing underneath your lip balm with castor oil. 
  5. Apply regularly throughout the day for the best results. 

Tinted and Glossy Lip Balm With Castor Oil

Some of us want a lip balm with castor oil with a little more va-va-voom, and this is it! Super glossy with the addition of some glycerine and tinted to a shade of your choice. 

Grab some natural colorants like beet or cocoa powder, or more professional colorants like red oxides and mica powders. Mix them to get the perfect shade for you. There’s nothing more annoying than finding the perfect product and then realizing the company has stopped producing it a few months later! Make your own and note down the recipe and you can repeat it to perfection to your heart's content. 

Please note the measurement of how much colorant will need, will depend on your preference, use less than stated and build up to your desired shade. If you want more, add more. The maximum amount you can add is 10% (about 2 tsp).

Up your skills in a tiny hop, skip, and jump to creating your own Luscious Lipstick in Essential Beauty: Crafting Homemade Makeup with Oils.

Ingredients:

Safety:

  1. Not suitable for use during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.
  2. Not suitable for those who are on anticoagulant medications or have a platelet clotting disorder.
  3. Please do not use this lip balm with castor oil if you are taking laxative medications.
  4. We advise caution of applying this lip balm during menstruation, as castor oil may make bleeding heavier.

How To Use:

  1. Always do a 24-48 hour patch test before first use. 
  2. Consider exfoliating your lip skin before applying this tinted lip balm for the best results. 
  3. If you use a lip balm tube, just apply it directly to your lips, like using lipstick.
  4. If you use a tin, simply apply some to the tip of your index finger and apply it to your lips, keeping your lips slightly open for ease. 
  5. Apply regularly throughout the day for the best results. 

Final Words

I hope this has given you the confidence to get stuck in and have a go at making your own lip balm with castor oil. 

Create yourself the perfect lip balm to deal with dry and chapped lips, and even persistently cracked lips. It is super rich in fatty acids, so make the most of castor oil's benefits to moisturize and nourish chapped lips by adding hydration with its humectant and emollient properties. 

Capitalize on how castor oil forms a protective barrier on the lips, sealing in nourishment for plump, hydrated, and healthy lips.

Don’t forget to add cosmetic butter and essential oils to create a powerhouse effect with their own beauty benefits and moisturizing and hydrating properties.

Choose essential oils like Roman Chamomile and Geranium for their anti-inflammatory effects to soothe and smooth your precious lips. 

One of the primary benefits of creating your own lip balm with castor oil is that you can create a recipe that is perfectly tailored to you. That way, you jot down your bespoke recipe and make it over and over time and again. Perfection! 

Why not pop a bottle of Castor oil, with its myriad of moisturizing properties, in your basket today and make yourself a bespoke lip balm with castor oil?