There are many wonderful things that come along with winter holidays like kissing under the mistletoe, lots of coffee, and homemade peppermint fudge.
Unfortunately, bills, lack of energy, and dry skin come with this time of year too.
While it’s easy to notice dry skin on our bodies, we often forget that our lips are skin too. When cold, dry weather hits, our lips are completely exposed and easily become chapped and rough. No lipstick can save you at that point!
Fortunately, we can take care of our lips with a homemade lip scrub and homemade lip balm, each made with just three simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
Before I get into the tutorial, let’s talk about what’s inside these amazing beauty items.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are not only excellent for homemade lip scrub, but for fertilizing the garden and exfoliating! Their texture is a bit softer than sugar, so it’s gentle on the soft skin of your lips. It’s also another way to prevent food waste, rather than using food (sugar or salt, most often times) as the base of the scrub. The scent alone is invigorating, but when you combine it with the next ingredient, it becomes downright delicious!
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oil has natural moisturizing properties, so it’s ideal for keeping dry lips hydrated during the colder months. Peppermint essential oil also has pain-fighting properties, so if your lips are already chapped and dry, this helps to soothe the irritated skin. If you’re making your own toothpaste or homemade allergy relief, you probably already have this on hand!
Note: I really like Young Living essential oils and this is why however, I understand not everyone needs a subscription. Plant Therapy are a great runner up. You can find their shop here.
Coconut oil by itself is an amazing food, but the fact that it’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial AND a natural moisturizer makes it the perfect nourishing oil to add to the lip scrub and lip balm in order to achieve the right consistency. Those are just some of the reasons why I use it in my homemade tinted moisturizer and homemade lotion bar.
Shea Butter
Coming from the fat of the nut of the shea tree, shea butter is typically the go-to moisturizer for beauty items. Although water and oil typically don’t mix, shea butter has properties that allow it to bind well with water, keeping skin moisturized better, and is great for homemade lip scrub.
DIY Homemade Lip Scrub
Supplies
2 Tbsp used coffee grounds
1/4 Tbsp coconut oil
1-2 drops peppermint essential oil
container for finished scrub (these little plastic pots are perfect)
Method
Measure two tablespoons of used coffee grounds in a small bowl. Add the coconut oil and using a spoon, mash the oil and coffee grounds together to form a paste. Add 1-2 drops of peppermint oil in and mix well. Makes approximately one ounce.
DIY Homemade Lip Balm
Supplies
2-3 Tbsp shea butter
1/4 Tbsp coconut oil
1-2 drops peppermint essential oil
container for finished scrub (these little plastic pots are great, or if you prefer, these chapstick-like tubes are pretty neat too)
Method
Measure shea butter into a small bowl. Add the coconut oil and using a spoon, mash the two ingredients together until you’ve formed a smooth paste. Add 1-2 drops of peppermint oil and mix well.
Tip: If the environment is on the cold side, it might be easier to melt the shea butter and/or coconut oil over a double boiler. If you do this though, it will take approximately 4-8 hours for the mixture to firm up again.
Additional Notes
You’ll notice that you don’t need much of each ingredient to make this, and one batch goes a long way. You can easily double or triple the recipe as needed if you are making gifts – just follow the method as directed.
One batch fits perfectly into these small plastic pots. You can probably find them locally for roughly 50¢ each, but I buy them in bulk off Amazon for less than 20¢ each. They’re the perfect size for keeping plain coconut oil and tinted moisturizer in my make-up bag, and I use it for making toothpaste for gifts as well.
The combination of coffee grounds and peppermint oil is SO indulging. It’s like a peppermint latte right under your nose! However, you can swap out the peppermint oil for another scent if you prefer. Lavender, lemon or vanilla would be excellent choices.
Cost Breakdown
The cost of the homemade lip scrub and homemade lip balm require a bit of an upfront investment, but if you’re like me, you’ve slowly acquired items like these over time. The shea butter might be the only exception, but just one pound goes a LONG way. You could buy the butter now and likely have enough to last you for well over a year – including making and giving some as gifts!
The following prices include one batch each of homemade lip scrub and homemade lip balm:
- shea butter: $0.63 (the average cost is $10 per pound, but can be as low as $6/lb when you buy in bulk)
- coconut oil: $0.10
- peppermint oil: $0.14
- used coffee grounds: free
Total cost of homemade lip scrub and homemade lip balm: $0.87!
I’m very particular about my lip balms, but I’ve found that this simple DIY far surpasses any other lip balm I’ve tried. Good thing too – it’s so affordable!
Do your lips suffer during the colder months? What else do you do to take care of them?
More Ways to Heal & Care for Your Body Naturally, at Home
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- Homemade clay-based toothpaste (just like Earthpaste)
- Homemade Tinted Moisturizer
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- Homemade shampoo bar
- Homemade liquid herbal shampoo
- Secret to healthy teeth & gums
I am wanting to make this to give as gifts. I saw where using the used coffee grounds doesn’t last as long. Can I use dry coffee grounds and if so do I need to add anything else?
This sounds so divine. If I were to make a lot of this, how long would it keep? Could I use as one person said, Vitamin E as a preservative or would you recommend something like Germaben? Can’t wait to try this.
I think Vitamin E would do the trick Johanne. I still have some of this and it’s been at least 6+ months since I made it last!
Unfortunately vitamin E is not a preservative, but often mistaken for one. Since their is no water in the lip balm you don’t need a preservative. The balm will expire when your oils do. Check the life of your oils for your expiration date.
I wondered why coconut oil was an oil if I always saw it solid? Living where I do, it is liquid more than it is solid. My lip balm is one third beeswax, one third oil, one third butter before adding essential oils. Oils: coconut, jojoba, almond, etc. Butters: mango, shea, cocoa, etc. I use vitamin E as a preservative. Essential oils, lots of choices depending on your needs and taste buds. If it’s going to be left in the car, use little pots, then I won’t leak out if it melts…
This balm can also use therapeutic essential oils for aches, pains, skin problems and more. The beeswax helps it stay longer.
Thank you for reminding me!
Coconut oil becomes a solid at temperatures 75F and below, so it will be a liquid if surrounding temperatures are higher. Thanks for sharing your recipe combination for lip balm!!
Will the lip balm melt in the hot summer days if i had it in my purse?
It might Sara… It has very little coconut oil, and shea butter is solid even at slightly warm temperatures. I guess it would depend on how hot it got outside and how deep it was buried in your purse. Even commercial lip balm melted in my purse when I lived in Texas!
Hi Tiffany! There recipes look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! Just one question, do you use a solid coconut oil or more like a liquid (fractionated) coconut oil?
Thanks so much!
Angie
Hi Angie! I used solid coconut oil so it hardens at cooler temperatures. 🙂
Maybe a silly question, but are the grounds to be used wet or dry? They look wet in your picture?
Not silly at all! The grounds are wet. They’re leftover from making coffee that day. 🙂
The lip balm recipe doesn’t include the coffee grounds in the process description, etc. but seems to be referred to as an indulgent combination. Are the coffee grounds only used on the scrub?
Yes, the grounds are only used in the scrube. The indulgent combination comes from the peppermint oil and coffee combo, followed up by more peppermint. It’s so refreshing!!
YES!! This looks awesome. Coffee beans for exfoliating? Who knew? I just made some face cleanser and I was wondering what I could add next time to make it more exfoliating so maybe I’ll try coffee beans. i’ve used Mary Kay lip exfoliate for a while now and I love it but of course it has lots of chemicals in it.
Hi Erin! How did the coffee grinds into soap go? I switched to using a washcloth for exfoliating and couldn’t be happier, but I’m curious about your experiment!
Hi Tiffany! Thanks for the great recipes. I was wondering what the directions are for the scrub. I have never used a product like this before. Do you smooth it on your lips and then wash it off??
Thank you,
Michelle
Hi Michelle! You are correct! Take less than 1/4 tsp (really more like 1/8 tsp) and scrub gently over your lips. I’d do it in the shower, or before you apply any make up, over the sink. Wet your hands and wipe off!
I need help. I am grossed out! I made the lip scrub and within a few days it was dry and moldy! Yuk!!! What went wrong with such a simple recipe?
That’s likely because of the water in the leftover grinds. This recipe as written will only last a couple days, for the reason you mentioned. If you want it to last longer, consider using fresh coffee grounds and adding another nourishing oil (like jojoba or almond oil) to help with the consistency.
I imagine letting used coffee grounds dry before using could also work.