Look After Yourself - Lip Balm and Deoderant

Video HERE

Lip balm is a really basic make, requiring only 3 ingredients; beeswax, cocoa butter and an oil. A small change in the ratio of wax to oil can change the density of a balm, making it suitable for either a tube or a pot.

Pot 1 [Makes 14x15g Pots]

110g Sweet Almond Oil

50g Cocoa Butter

20g Beeswax

Pot 2 (Nut-free) [Makes 18x15g Pots]

120g Sunflower Oil

40g Cocoa Butter

40g Beeswax

Tube-Friendly [Makes 20 Tubes]

110g Sunflower Oil

45g Cocoa Butter

45g Beeswax

The method is basically the same for either recipe, just melt everything together then pour into pots and allow to cool before adding lids.

For tubes, inspect each tube and ensure that the mechanism works – and that the lifting platform is at the bottom of the tube. Fill 4/5 of the way up, then allow the surface to set. Reheat the remaining balm and poke a skewer into the middle of each tube to break through the surface before topping up to an even layer.

Video HERE

This is a very easy, aluminium-free deodorant. It has a mild antiperspirant quality, but does not block the pores like the stuff you get in shops.

Ingredients: [Makes 2x100ml Pots]

¼ cup Baking Soda

¼ cup Coconut Oil

¼ cup Ground Arrowroot or Cornflour*

4-5 drops Essential Oil (optional)**

*Some people have a mild reaction to cornflour, but arrowroot works just as well.

**I like a bit of peppermint or teatree, but you can go without if you prefer.

Method:

1.       Mix the powders together, then mash in the oils until combined to a paste.*

2.      Transfer to jars, being sure to press it into the bottom and exclude air pockets.

*If your coconut oil is cold and hard to mash then heat in the microwave for no longer than 2x10 seconds to soften it, you don’t want it to be liquid.

To use: Rub a little of the paste into your underarms, wait for 2 minutes before dressing.