Lip Balm Formulation Advice

It sounds like your lip balm is too hard, which is a common issue when the wax percentage is too high. Your formula uses 40% beeswax, which is likely the main reason for the hardness. Lip balm typically uses around 15-20% wax.

Here's a breakdown of your questions and advice:

Adjusting Your Formula

To make your lip balm softer, you need to decrease the amount of wax (Natural White Beeswax) and increase the amount of liquid oils (like Fractionated Coconut Oil) and softer butters (like Shea Butter Ultra Soft). The exact percentages will depend on your desired texture, but significantly reducing the beeswax is key.

Your original percentages (40% Beeswax, 30% Coconut Oil, 20% Shea Butter, 20% Cocoa Butter) add up to 110%, so please double-check your measurements.

Ethyl Vanillin Dissolving

You are correct that Ethyl Vanillin is a powder that needs to be dissolved. It didn't dissolve when added at the end because the mixture had cooled. Ethyl Vanillin is soluble in oils and glycols like Propylene Glycol.

To properly incorporate Ethyl Vanillin, add it to your oil and butter mixture during the heating phase, before adding Vitamin E. Ensure the oil phase is warm enough to fully dissolve the powder while stirring. Using Fractionated Coconut Oil helps with solubility compared to regular coconut oil. If you need to add a higher concentration of Ethyl Vanillin, incorporating a small amount of Propylene Glycol into your oil phase can improve solubility.

Adding Water-Based Extracts

Adding water-based ingredients to a lip balm (which is primarily oils and waxes) will create a water-in-oil emulsion. This requires a water-in-oil emulsifier. You can typically incorporate a small percentage of water-based ingredients (around 5-15%) using this method.

Adding Sunscreen

For lip products, it's recommended to use mineral sunscreens such as Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide. These are added as powders that need to be well-dispersed in the oil phase of your formula. Mix the sunscreen powder with a small amount of your liquid oil (like Fractionated Coconut Oil) from your formula before adding it to the main batch to ensure it's fully dispersed and doesn't leave a gritty texture.

It's best to use non-coated versions like Micronized Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide 250nm Pigment. Avoid silicone-coated ("EasyDisperse") types and chemical sunscreens for lip products due to the potential for ingestion.

Sample Lip Balm Formula

Here is a sample formula to give you a starting point. You can adjust the percentages of the waxes, butters, and oils to achieve your preferred texture:

• Natural White Beeswax: 18%
• Fractionated Coconut Oil: 50.95%
• Shea Butter (Ultra Soft): 15%
• Cocoa Butter (Deodorized): 15%
• Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol): 1%
• Ethyl Vanillin: 0.05%

Instructions:

1. Combine Natural White Beeswax, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Shea Butter Ultra Soft, and Cocoa Butter (Deodorized) in a heat-safe container.
2. Gently heat the mixture (using a double boiler or low heat) until all the waxes and butters are completely melted and combined. Stir occasionally.
3. Once melted, remove from heat. Add the Ethyl Vanillin and stir until completely dissolved. Ensure the mixture is still warm enough for dissolution but not excessively hot.
4. Add the Vitamin E and stir to combine.
5. Carefully pour the liquid lip balm into your containers.
6. Let the lip balm cool and solidify completely at room temperature before capping or using.

• (Optional: To add mineral sunscreen like Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, disperse the powder in a small amount of the Fractionated Coconut Oil from your formula before combining all ingredients in step 1. Ensure it is fully smooth before adding to the main mixture.)*

• (Optional: To add Squalene for extra gloss and a smooth feel, include it with the oils and butters in step 1.)*

Remember that formulation often requires experimentation to get the texture exactly how you like it!