What can we do with all of the herbs in the garden? If you have some time to plan ahead you can create infused oils to use in lip balm. If you are short on time, making lip balm with essential oils purchased at your local health food store is also a great project you can tie to math, science, and social studies.

Lip Balm

Basic recipe

5-6 tablespoons oil (extra virgin olive, sweet almond, etc)

1 tablespoon bees wax

2 teaspoons honey

10 drops essential oil

Melt oil and wax in double boiler or microwave.

Add honey and mix.

Stir mixture as it cools to prevent separation.

When mostly cool, stir in essential oil and mix well.

Be creative with your lip balm. Don’t worry too much about measurement. If your balm is too stiff, reheat and add more oil. If the balm is oily, you need more wax. You may want to experiment with flavors and different types of oils. If a recipe calls for a type of oil you don’t have or can’t find, you can substitute another. Some recipes call for infused oil, while others call for essential oils. If you are going to use infused oils use those as your oil base. If you are going to use essential oils add a few drops towards the end of the process. Vitamin E is a good natural preservative to add to any recipe. Melted wax can be difficult to clean, so it is best to use old containers and untensils.

Chocolate Mint Lip Balm

3 oz oil (I like to take a combo of oils: sweet almond, jojoba, emu, hemp, avocado, shea or mango butter, etc.)
1/2 oz of cocoa butter
1 oz of beeswax
handful of chocolate chips
peppermint essential oil to taste

Melt beeswax in a glass measure in a pot of boiling water (double boiler method). When wax is melted add cocoa butter and chocolate chips and melt. When this is melted, add oils and stir well Make sure all oils are liquids. Take glass measure out of boiling water. Let cool just a tad. Add essential oil to taste. Remember that a little goes a long way. I like using peppermint essential oil. You may also try making a chocolate mint infused oil to use as your base.

This recipe will fill 25+ lip balm tubes or pots.

Herbal Mint Lip Balm

4 tablespoons infused herb oil
4 teaspoons beeswax
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
10 drops vitamin E oil
1 drop peppermint essential oil

For this lip balm we suggest Lemon Balm and Spearmint. Place 1 tablespoon of each herb in the top of a double boiler and cover with approximately 1/3 cup oil. Infuse according to the Basic Directions for an Infused Oil below. Once the oil is completed, measure out four tablespoons into a small, heat resistant glass jar. Add the beeswax and place the jar in a pan filled with a couple inches of water. Heat slowly until the wax is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into small pots or tubes. Cool and use.

Basic Directions for Infused Oil:
In a double boiler combine selected herbs and cover with pure, cold pressed vegetable oil such as olive, apricot, almond or sunflower oil. Heat on very low heat for 30-60 minutes. Lower heat allows for longer cooking time and produces better quality oil. Allow to cool and then strain through cheesecloth. Store in covered glass jar in refrigerator.

To avoid using boiling oil with students you can also infuse dry herbs in room temperature oil, but it takes about 6 weeks.

• Dry fresh garden herbs completely (in a dehydrator or hanging in warm dry spot). If herbs are not well dried they will mold in the oil
• Dried herbs can also be purchased in bulk at natural food stores.
• Fill a mason jar about ¼ full of dried herbs.
• Pour extra virgin olive oil over herbs, filling jar ¾ full. (This leaves room for dried herbs to swell.)

Seal tightly with cap and store in cool dark place for about 6 weeks.

Strain through cheese cloth.

If you are looking for a short cut, you can also buy essential oils at health food stores, but they are pricey.