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Soothing Calendula Lip Balm Recipe

This soothing lip balm recipe is crafted with calendula-infused oil to help heal and nourish dry lips, plus gently soothe mild irritation. Read on to learn how to make a DIY calendula lip balm to help heal, protect and soothe irritated lips.

DIY calendula lip balm

Sometimes our lips need more intensive care than usual. If your lips are dry, cracked, peeling, wind-burned, irritated, itchy, or badly chapped, this soothing lip balm can help.

This simple recipe is crafted with natural ingredients, including a homemade calendula oil infusion (or alternatively, calendula extract). Calendula is well-known as a soothing herb, which makes it ideal for dry, chapped, or irritated lips such as in the case of eczema, or lips affected by windburn or sunburn.

By making your own lip balm, you also avoid the problematic ingredients in popular soothing and “medicated” balms such as menthol, camphor, and peppermint oil, which can make dry lips worse over the long term. So put down the minty balms, and let’s make a calendula lip balm recipe instead.

For more ways to use calendula, see our calendula skincare recipes. And for more homemade lip care recipes, be sure to check out these posts:

Problematic ingredients in store-bought soothing lip balms

If you have found yourself on a natural blog, you most likely already strive to avoid lip care products that contain questionable ingredients, some of which can also further aggravate chapped lips.

Just take a look at the labels on some of the most popular “medicated” lip balms – ingredients like petrolatum, paraffin, and synthetic fragrance to name a few. All of which are not exactly synonymous with soothing already dry, irritated lips.

  • Petroleum. Petroleum jelly is an age-old staple in many medicine cabinets, and admittedly, it’s a very effective occlusive for dry lips. Petroleum by-products such as petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin wax are often used in intensive lip balms because they’re cheap and readily available. However, petroleum is not a remedy, because while it may help keep lips hydrated temporarily, it won’t truly nourish your skin. There are far healthier and more eco-friendly ingredients to help soothe and moisturize dry lips, such as this calendula oil lip balm. And unlike petroleum, natural oils also contain their own inherent antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins to help bolster your lips’ protective barrier.
  • Synthetic fragrances. Fragrance is a catch-all term for various aroma chemicals, some of which may be toxic. Regardless, these fragrances can sting and further inflame already dry or irritated lips. And even natural fragrances like peppermint oil and menthol may aggravate the issue. There are better healing alternatives that can add a pleasant natural fragrance to your lip balm, such as the calendula oil or the soothing essential oils in this recipe.
  • Parabens. Parabens and other synthetic preservatives are a useless addition to a soothing lip balm, and lip balms in general. For one, they can be irritating, especially to sensitive skin. And since lip balms do not contain water, these potentially endocrine-disrupting preservatives aren’t necessary.
  • BHA or BHT. These synthetic antioxidants are often used in store-brand lip balm to stabilize their formula and lengthen their shelf life. Both have been deemed carcinogenic. So there’s no need for these synthetic additives when natural vitamin E is such a powerful healing antioxidant on its own.

How this soothing lip balm helps dry, chapped lips

There are a variety of factors that can lead to dry, cracked, or irritated lips, and this soothing calendula lip balm recipe helps combat many of them.

Soothing lip balm recipe

For one, our lips lack the oil glands that help keep the rest of our skin soft and moisturized. So naturally, they are more prone to dryness and chapping.

Lip skin is also thinner and more delicate compared to the rest our bodies, making the lips more susceptible to irritation and friction. So if seasonal allergies don’t tend to make your lips itchy, going through an entire box of tissue might.

Temperature or weather extremes are another common cause of irritated or dehydrated lips, whether that’s sun exposure, extreme heat, cold winter days, or the dry air from indoor heating. A soothing lip balm can help by providing a barrier against both moisture loss and potential irritants.

Finally, the ingredients in your favorite lip balm may also be to blame for dry, chapped lips. As previously noted, tingly, cooling peppermint essential oil may soothe at first, and may even help relieve the pain associated with irritation or cracking.

But unfortunately, it can also lead to further dryness and irritation over the long run – especially if your lips are already inflamed. So you should save the plumping peppermint lip balms for when your lips are fully healed.

On the other hand, natural, nourishing ingredients like the calendula oil in this lip balm recipe help provide relief while also supporting your skin’s natural healing process.

Calendula lip balm benefits

Why use calendula in a lip balm? Calendula flowers are well-known for their ability soothe an array of skin ailments, including bug bites, minor burns, sunburns, eczema, and dermatitis. So it makes sense that these soothing properties also extend themselves to lips.

Lip balm with calendula oil

Calendula is easily incorporated into lip and skincare products through oil infusion. By infusing a carrier oil with calendula flowers, you get a gorgeous, golden-hued oil that’s ripe with soothing properties.

Benefits of using a calendula lip balm:

  • Helps soothe inflammation. Calendula has well-documented anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties1,2. So a lip balm with calendula oil may help speed healing and quell inflammation caused by allergic reactions, sores, cheilitis, or minor burns or abrasions3,4. Calendula is also a much more soothing choice than menthol for making “medicated” lip balm at home.
  • Helps with itchy lips. While the evidence is mostly anecdotal, a study showed that calendula helps prevent dermatitis5. So a homemade calendula lip balm is a possible natural remedy for soothing itchy lips.
  • Helps heal the skin barrier. Your skin knows how to heal, and calendula helps support and hasten its natural reparative process. The effect is amplified in a lip balm, especially when paired with soothing essential oils, or healing ingredients such as beeswax and vitamin E.
  • Helps lock in moisture. Obviously, any good lip balm will stop moisture from escaping your lips. This soothing calendula lip balm ideal for use during the winter, on cold, windy days, or at bedtime as an overnight lip treatment.
  • May help heal infections. Calendula has documented antibacterial and antiviral properties6,7, and it appears to help soothe cold sores and fever blisters. However, there is more conclusive evidence behind lemon balm and St. John’s wort, so if cold sores ail you, you can also try a healing lip balm that contains one of these herbs (or antiviral lysine). Currently, there’s an ongoing study on a calendula and St. John’s wort treatment to help treat cold sores8.

Calendula lip balm ingredients

This soothing lip balm recipe is extremely easy to make, and requires only a few natural ingredients:

  • Calendula infused carrier oil
  • Beeswax (or plant-based wax)
  • Vitamin E oil
  • Essential oils or calendula extract (optional)

One of the benefits of this recipe is that it’s intentionally simple. You don’t need any butters like shea butter or cocoa butter, only the calendula oil. So it’s a good option if you’re looking for an easy, healing lip balm without shea butter.

DIY soothing lip balm

Calendula oil

Our calendula infused oil recipe serves as the base for this soothing lip balm.

You can choose to make your own calendula oil, or alternatively, you can buy a premade calendula infused oil, such as this calendula-infused olive oil or coconut oil.

We recommended choosing a more stable carrier oil such as coconut oil or olive oil over polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower oil or hemp seed oil.

We typically use fractionated coconut oil for our calendula oil base, but olive oil is another good choice for a soothing lip balm recipe. It’s rich in natural antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids that are particularly nourishing to chapped lips.

Homemade calendula oil lip balm

Typically, olive oil lip balms leave a buttery finish, while using liquid coconut oil yields a less oily feel. So it’s up to you and your preferred lip balm texture. Both choices will help protect and soften dry lips.

One last thing to note: if you have perioral dermatitis or another skin issue connected to yeast overgrowth, you can opt for MCT oil instead, which doesn’t feed yeast9.

Alternatively, you can use a few drops of calendula CO2 extract (calendula essential oil) to infuse your healing lip balm with calendula’s soothing properties. So this is a good option for you if don’t want to go to the trouble of infusing calendula oil or would prefer a bottled extract’s convenience.

Just be sure to choose an oil-based calendula CO2 extract and not a glycerin or alcohol-based calendula extract, which won’t mix with the oil in your lip balm.

Beeswax

Beeswax has several key benefits aside from hardening homemade lip balm.

Lips have a very poor skin barrier, so beeswax helps do the job your lips can’t. It acts like a natural ceramide in skin and lip care products, helping to seal and protect compromised skin. Its waxy texture also helps seal all of calendula oil’s soothing properties against your lips.

As well, beeswax is a humectant, so it helps bind and attract moisture against chapped lips.

Using beeswax pellets makes measuring easy. If you are vegan or allergic to beeswax, you can replace beeswax pellets with half as much candelilla wax or carnauba wax flakes. These plant-based waxes have a harder and less creamy texture than beeswax, but they are still very protective.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the body’s most abundant and powerful lipophilic (fat-loving) antioxidant. A small amount helps heal the lips, reduce oxidative stress, and soothe inflammation. Since it’s an antioxidant, it also helps stabilize the soothing lip balm’s formula.

This recipe only contains a very small amount of vitamin E oil, around 0.5%. This is just enough to reap its benefits, as too much vitamin E can also sting irritated lip skin. It’s a delicate balance.

Essential oils

This DIY calendula lip balm has many soothing properties of its own. But if desired, you can also incorporate a few drops of a calming essential oil.

However, a caveat: many essential oils can be irritating, especially on delicate lip skin that’s already compromised by dryness or irritation. So it’s critically important to only choose gentle essential oils, and do a patch test before use.

The essentials oils below are known for their, soothing calming properties and may help soothe itchy lips:

  • Blue tansy. This skin-calming oil is high in chamazulene, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy effects10.
  • German chamomile. German chamomile has anti-histamine properties that help relieve itching and dermatitis symptoms11.
  • Blue yarrow. Another oil high in chamazulene, blue yarrow diluted in olive oil was found to soothe irritated skin12.
  • Bulgarian lavender. Lavender oil appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect in low doses13. However, it should be used with caution as it can also be irritating at higher concentrations.
  • Calendula. Calendula essential oil (CO2 extract) has demonstrated potent antioxidant effects, and it may help add even more soothing properties to your lip balm2.

Soothing Calendula Lip Balm Recipe

2 tsp / 10ml calendula infused oil
1 tsp / 3g beeswax pellets
5 drops calendula extract or essential oils
2 drops vitamin E oil

Equipment

Small glass beaker or butter warmer
Shallow saucepan for an easy water bath
Small whisk or spatula
Small glass 15ml lip balm jar

Calendula lip balm recipe

How to make calendula lip balm

  1. Combine calendula oil and beeswax. Begin by measuring your calendula infused oil and beeswax pellets into a small heat-proof container.

    Tip: Because this recipe yields such a small amount of lip balm, using a tiny glass lab beaker makes things easier. They’re great to have on hand when making small batches.
  2. Melt lip balm ingredients. Create a makeshift double boiler by placing your beaker in a small saucepan filled with a couple inches of water. Heat on medium heat until the beeswax melts. Stir gently with a mini whisk or spatula to ensure even heating.
  3. Add essential oils or calendula oil extract. Once the beeswax is completely liquified, remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 2-3 minutes, then drop in the essential oils (or calendula extract) and vitamin E oil. Stir to incorporate.

    Tip: It’s important to make sure your wax is completely melted, otherwise your lip balm may end up grainy. So, make sure your melted lip balm liquid is completely clear before removing the mixture from heat.
  4. Pour into container to harden. Immediately pour the liquid mixture into your glass lip balm container. Carefully screw on the lid, then place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until completely hardened.

    Tip: It’s important to harden your lip balm in the fridge, not at room temperature. The fridge allows quicker, more even cooling, which helps prevent your wax from taking on a grainy texture.
  5. Finished lip balm. Your soothing calendula oil lip balm is finished. Allow to come to room temperature before use. Apply to dry, chapped, itchy or irritated lips for soothing relief.

Tips for making DIY calendula lip balm

  • This recipe yields approximately 15g or 15ml of calendula infused lip balm.
  • Calendula essential oil is a viscous solid, so may need to be warmed in a bowl of warm water before use.
  • If you desire a vegan lip balm, replace the beeswax with 1/2 tsp carnauba or candelilla wax flakes.
  • Store your lip balm in a cool, dry place away from light.
  • If stored correctly, your homemade calendula lip balm should last approximately 1-2 years depending on which carrier oil you use. Although, keep in mind that the calendula oil’s soothing properties may decrease over time.
  • If you don’t want to make a large batch of calendula oil, you can also make this lip balm the quick and easy way, by using calendula flowers to make a quick heat-infused calendula oil.
  • To do this, combine your carrier oil and calendula flowers in a tiny beaker over low heat. Heat gently for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain out the calendula, then continue making your lip balm.
  • If your lips are particularly damaged, you should skip the essential oils in this recipe. Your lip balm should be soothing, so if you experience any stinging or irritation, discontinue use immediately.

How to use this soothing lip balm

Use your calendula lip balm whenever your lips are in need of soothing, healing relief, whether that’s during a seasonal allergies flare up, when you have a cold, or when your lips are extremely dry, chapped, or cracked.

Using clean fingertips, apply to dry lips. Reapply often throughout the day to keep lips soft, protected, and moisturized.

Homemade soothing lip balm

Tip: before using any lip balm, you should hydrate and gently exfoliate your lips first for best results. Lip balms help moisturize in the sense that they lock moisture into your lips, but they don’t actually introduce any water into your skin. So using a hydrating serum can be a useful step before using a lip balm.

You can use any water-based moisturizing serum you already use on your skin, such as a collagen serum. This pre-hydrates your lips, giving the lip balm some moisture to work with.

As for exfoliation, when lips are cracked or irritated, a lip scrub is a no-go. Instead, you can gently buff your lips with a soft, wet washcloth or soft bristled toothbrush. But if your lips are badly damaged or very cracked, please skip this step completely.

If your lips get very dry or chapped throughout the night, you can also use this soothing calendula lip balm as an overnight treatment. Simply apply a thicker layer to lips right before bed. Better yet, keep a small container on your bedside table.

DIY calendula lip balm
Yield: 1 lip balm

Soothing Calendula Lip Balm Recipe

Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This soothing lip balm recipe is crafted with calendula-infused oil to help heal and nourish dry lips, plus gently soothe mild irritation. Learn how to make a DIY calendula lip balm to help heal, protect and soothe dry, cracked, peeling, sunburned, irritated, itchy, or badly chapped lips.

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

    1. Begin by measuring your calendula infused oil and beeswax pellets into a small heat-proof container.

      Tip: Because this recipe yields such a small amount of lip balm, using a tiny glass lab beaker makes things easy. They're good to have on hand for making small batches.
    2. Create a makeshift double boiler by placing your beaker in a small saucepan filled with a couple inches of water. Heat on medium heat until the beeswax melts. Stir gently with a mini whisk or spatula to ensure even heating.
    3. Once the beeswax is completely liquified, remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 2-3 minutes, then drop in the essential oils (or calendula extract) and vitamin E oil. Stir to incorporate.

      Tip: It's important to make sure your wax is completely melted, otherwise your lip balm may end up grainy. So, make sure your melted lip balm liquid is completely clear before removing the mixture from heat.
    4. Immediately pour the liquid mixture into your glass lip balm container. Carefully screw on the lid, then place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until completely hardened.

      Tip: It's important to harden your lip balm in the fridge, not at room temperature. The fridge allows quicker, more even cooling, which helps prevent your wax from taking on a grainy texture.
    5. Your soothing calendula oil lip balm is finished. Allow to come to room temperature before use. Apply to dry, chapped, itchy or irritated lips for soothing relief.

Notes

Tips for making DIY calendula lip balm

This recipe yields approximately 15g or 15ml of calendula infused lip balm.

Calendula essential oil is a viscous solid, so may need to be warmed in a bowl of warm water before use.

If you desire a vegan lip balm, replace the beeswax with 1/2 tsp carnauba or candelilla wax flakes.
Store your lip balm in a cool, dry place away from light.

If stored correctly, your homemade calendula lip balm should last approximately 1-2 years depending on which carrier oil you use. Although, keep in mind that the calendula oil's soothing properties may decrease over time.

If you don't want to make a large batch of calendula oil, you can also make this lip balm the quick and easy way, by using calendula flowers to make a quick heat-infused calendula oil.

To do this, combine your carrier oil and calendula flowers in a tiny beaker over low heat. Heat gently for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain out the calendula, then continue making your lip balm.

If your lips are particularly damaged, you should skip the essential oils in this recipe. Your lip balm should be soothing, so if you experience any stinging or irritation, discontinue use immediately.

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  2. Mishra AK, Mishra A, Verma A, Chattopadhyay P. Effects of Calendula Essential Oil-Based Cream on Biochemical Parameters of Skin of Albino Rats against Ultraviolet B Radiation. Sci Pharm. 2012;80(3):669-683. doi:10.3797/scipharm.1112-18
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