Addressing Graininess in Your Lip Balm

The small grainy particles developing in your lip balm after about a week are likely due to the crystallization of the solid fats and waxes in your formula, particularly Shea Butter and Beeswax. Shea Butter is known to be prone to forming larger crystals over time if it cools slowly, resulting in a grainy texture.

To prevent this, the key is to control the cooling process and ensure the fats and waxes solidify quickly and uniformly while being agitated. Here's a suggested revised method:

1. Prepare Phases: Heat your oil phase (Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Natural White Beeswax, Water Balm, Oryzanol) to 80°C until everything is completely melted and clear. In a separate container, combine your water phase ingredients (Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sea Kelp Extract, Water) and gently warm it to a similar temperature (around 75-80°C) to minimize temperature shock when combining.
2. Combine Phases: Carefully add the heated water phase to the heated oil phase.
3. Emulsify and Cool with Agitation: This is the most critical step. Immediately begin stirring or blending the mixture continuously while cooling it down relatively quickly. You can place the container in an ice bath or a bowl of cold water to speed up the cooling. Continue stirring or blending until the mixture has thickened significantly and is no longer fully liquid. This continuous movement during cooling prevents the fat crystals from growing large enough to be felt as graininess.
4. Pour and Final Set: Once the mixture is thick and opaque, you can pour it into your lip balm containers. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature or in a refrigerator to fully set.

Using a blender or stick blender during the cooling phase (Step 3) is generally more effective than just stirring by hand for achieving a smooth texture and preventing graininess, as it provides more vigorous agitation. However, continuous stirring while cooling in an ice bath should also help significantly compared to letting it cool undisturbed.

By controlling the cooling rate and maintaining continuous agitation, you can help ensure that the fat and wax crystals that form are very small, resulting in a smooth and stable lip balm texture over time.