**Let’s make a stick balm to help combat dry, cracked or damaged skin!**

It can be used on surface wounds, scrapes & scratches & with one simple change in ingredients it can also be used as a paw balm for your furry family members.

Hydrating Stick Balm Formulation

This post may contain links but they are not affiliate links. I am not in any sort of affiliate program at this time. They are links to things I actually use.

Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite products to combat dry scaly skin & even minor surface wounds, scrapes & scratches by helping to increase the speed of healing. A friend of mine has stated that this balm has made her feet as soft as they were when she was a kid. With a minor adjustment & it can serve as a paw balm for your furry family members. I have dubbed this balm Miracle Balm.

This stick balm is the perfect solution & it is completely customizable too, so be sure to check out the Notes & Substitutions portion of this post to get some ideas.

While it is packed full of skin loving ingredients, it does have its limits. I will ask that you don’t use it over deep puncture wounds as doing so may increase your risk of infection. This can happen when the top layer of the skin heals before the wound gets cleaned out, essentially trapping dirt or germs in the wound potentially leading to infection.

This formulation is a mixture of 2 butters & 5 oils held together by beeswax. We’ve also added some Rosemary extract for some extra skin healing & antioxidant effects.

Let’s go over the ingredients I’ve chosen & why I’ve chosen them to go in this formulation

**Beeswax**

*INCI: Beeswax*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

What is it? Natural wax produced by honeybees
- Comes in unrefined & bleached versions
Why would we use it?
- Helps to slow the absorbency speed of other ingredients & increases their staying power
- It is used as a thickener & hardener depending on the concentration used. It thickens when small amounts are used & hardens with larger amounts
Melting point: 145F & helps to raise the melting point of the other ingredients

**Shea Butter**

*INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Soft butter
Extracted from: nuts of the shea tree
Comes in raw (crude) & refined forms.
- Refined = processed with fewer vitamins & minerals than raw but it is unscented.
- Crude = unprocessed with its complete vitamin & mineral profile with a natural nutty/smoky scent.
Why would we use it?
- Antioxidant properties
- Hydrating & calming to the skin
- May help fade scars & heal burned, cracked or peeling skin
- Beneficial to anyone with dry skin but may best be avoided by those who are allergic to tree nuts
Absorption speed: Slow
Melting point: 104-113F
Safety concerns:
- Contains natural latex

Shea butter has a naturally nutty scent that I absolutely adore but if your shea butter smells like old crayons, likely it’s gone rancid & needs to be disposed of. I like to store mine in the refrigerator to help it stay fresher longer & to prevent it from going grainy. This can happen when the butter is heated & cooled improperly.

To read more about the amazing benefits of shea butter check out this post on a Cold Processed Whipped Shea Body Butter.

**Kokum Butter**

*INCI: Garcinia indica (kokum) seed butter*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Hard & brittle butter. It is firmer & crumblier than other butters & is considered to be one of the most stable butters in skincare
Extracted from: Fruit kernels of the kokum tree.
Why would we use it?
- Contains a high amount of essential fatty acids such as omega 3 & 6 which helps prevent cellular damage & skin cell regeneration
- Helps to harden & stabilize solid products
- Naturally rich in vitamin E
- Safe to use on sensitive skin
- It does not contain any latex
Absorbency speed: average to fast. It does not leave a sticky reside once absorbed
Melting point: 90-104F

**Sweet Almond Oil**

*INCI: Prunus Amygdalus dulcis (almond) oil*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Extraction method: cold pressed
Processing type: refined
Obtained from: nuts
Why would we use it?
- Antioxidant rich hydrator with high concentrations of Vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus & copper
- Reduces irritation & calms inflammation
- Helps even out skin tone & improve your complexion
- May help with UV damage & reducing the appearance of stretch marks
- Low scented
Absorption speed: average, lightweight oil that leaves a slightly oily or satin finish to the skin
Safety concerns:
- to be avoided by anyone with a tree nut allergy

**Olive Oil**

*INCI: Olea europaea*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Extraction method: solvent extracted
Processing type: refined
Obtained from: fruit of the olive plant
Why would we use it?
- Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant & emollient properties
- Acts as a humectant which is a type of moisturizer that attracts & retains moisture from the surrounding environment
- Aids in wound healing
Absorption speed: average, medium to heavy oil that leaves a slightly oily or satin finish to the skin

Our olive oil is infused with calendula for its astringent, vulnerary & inflammation modulating herbal actions with a specific affinity for the skin. Learn how to make you own infused oils with a Double Boiler or an Herbal Infusing Machine

While it is not necessary to infuse your oils I find it is a nice way to add the healing power of plants into our formulations.

You could infuse any of the oils in this formulation not just the olive oil

If you wanted to add botanicals via essential oils or oil soluble extracts see the Notes & Substitutions section after the formulation.

**Castor Oil**

*INCI: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Extraction method: expeller pressed
Processing type: filtered
Obtained from: seeds
Why would we use it?
- Humectant drawing moisture to your skin from the surrounding environment
- Antibacterial, antifungal & analgesic properties
- May help reduce the risk of scarring & help speed up the healing process
- May help promote collagen production
- Enhances the absorption of other skincare products helping them to become more effective
Absorption speed: slow, thick, heavy oil that leaves a protective barrier on the skin

**Safflower Oil**

*INCI: Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) oil*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Extraction method: cold pressed
Processing type: refined
Obtained from: seeds of the safflower plant
Why would we use it?
- Antioxidant rich & contains anti-inflammatory properties
- Made up of mostly oleic acid which is an acid that is very moisturizing, & helps the skin cells regenerate quickly
- May accelerate wound healing, reduce the appearance of scars & help repair the skin barrier
Absorption rate: fast, leaving a silky finish to the skin

**Coconut Oil**

*INCI: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*
Image courtesy of Canva.com

Extraction method: cold or hot pressed
Processing type: raw (crude) or refined versions

RBD version (refined/bleached/deodorized)

Obtained from: fruit kernel of coconut palm
Comes in raw (crude) & refined versions
Why would we use it?
- Anti-inflammatory properties helping to reduce redness & irritation
- Can help reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) due to its high concentrations of saturated fats
- The high saturated fat content helps to prevent coconut from going rancid
- Shown to help improve skin elasticity while reducing the appearance of scars
Absorption speed: average to slow leaving a slightly oily reside on the skin

Hydrating Stick Balm Formulation

For my packaging I’ve chosen to use a twist up, bottoming filling tube for my balms as that is what I had on hand but you could use a push up tube as well. Just be sure you know how much your tube holds & the appropriate way to fill it. I found mine on Amazon & almost didn’t buy them because of the reviews stating that they leaked. However that is because the people who left the poor reviews didn’t bother to read the description & filled them from the top.

If you get the same tubes I got, you just need to carefully pull the bottom off & fill them upside down. Then just allow them to cool off in the refrigerator.

You do want to make sure you let them cool in the refrigerator because of the shea butter. Shea butter that has been cooled on the counter at room temperature can turn grainy & that is not going to be a very desired effect that could be easily avoided

Since the purpose of this stick balm is to use it on dry, cracked skin I have decided to skip the preservative as this formulation does not contain a water component.

I try to keep my balms out of the bathroom as they run the risk of added moisture, think hot showers creating condensation in everything in the room. If this is where you plan on keeping your balm when not in use, perhaps you would want to consider adding a preservative so that your balm stays fresher, longer.

If you did want to add a preservative some suggestions are:

Euxyl® PE 9010
- Water & Oil soluble preservative
- 0.5-1% maximum use
Jeecide CAP 7
- Water & Oil soluble preservative
- 0.5-1.5% maximum use
Optiphen (not to be confused with Optiphen Plus)
- Oil soluble
- 0.5-1.5% maximum use
Phenonip
- Oil soluble
- 0.5-1.0% maximum use

Just a note on maximum usage rates. I recommend using the maximum usage rate allowed unless you have the proper instrumentation or access to a lab that can be formally tested for potential microbes. If you do choose to use a preservative take the amount out of any of the liquid oils & add it into phase B

Equipment:

Melting pot or stainless steel bowl
Hot plate or stove
Digital scale
Spatula or glass rod for stirring
Storage tubes

Formulation:

Phase A- heated oil

20% Beeswax

24% Shea Butter

10% Kokum Butter

15% Coconut Oil

10% Sweet Almond Oil

10% Calendula infused Olive Oil

5% Safflower Oil

5% Castor Oil

Phase B- cool down

1% Rosemary Extract

Scaling the Formulation:

When made as written this formulation makes 100g of product but what if that’s not the amount you want to make?

First decide how much product you want to make. When making a balm compared to the making something like a lotion or body butter, it’s not as simple as pouring the extra into a container. Once this formulation sets up & it a hard stick, it would have to be remelted

Let’s briefly talk about how to scale a formulation

As an example if you were only wanting to make 30g worth you would need to downscale those percentages by multiplying them by 0.3 or 30%.

Phase A- heated oil

20% = 6g Beeswax

24% = 7.2g Shea Butter

10% = 3g Kokum Butter

15% = 4.5g Coconut Oil

10% = 3g Sweet Almond Oil

10% = 3g Calendula infused Olive Oil

5% = 1.5g Safflower Oil

5% = 1.5g Castor Oil

Phase B- cool down

1% = 0.3g Rosemary Extract

I do like to go back & re-add the numbers to make sure that it reaches the desired amount.

6 + 7.2 + 3 + 4.5 + 3 + 3 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 0.3 = 30

What if you wanted to make more? What if the desired amount was 150g?

Phase A- heated oil

20% = 30g Beeswax

24% = 36g Shea Butter

10% = 15g Kokum Butter

15% = 22.5g Coconut Oil

10% = 15g Sweet Almond Oil

10% = 15g Calendula infused Olive Oil

5% = 7.5g Safflower Oil

5% = 7.5g Castor Oil

Phase B- cool down

1% = 1.5g Rosemary Extract

Checking the math

30 + 36 + 15 + 22.5 + 15 + 15 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 1.5 = 150

Now that you have an idea on how much you want to make so enough of that, let’s make this balm!

Method:

Weigh out phase A into a heat proof container
Weigh out phase B into a beaker & set aside
Heat phase A to 70-80 C & remove from the heat
Once phase A is below 80C, add phase B & stir thoroughly
Place in a storage container & allow to cool in the fridge overnight

Notes & Substitutions:

Avoid using this stick balm on any deep puncture wounds as you may run the risk of infection. If the wound is oozing in any way, wait until that’s stopped before applying this balm
Use common sense with your ingredients, if you have an allergy or suspected allergy to any of the ingredients suggested, use what you can. Some of the ingredients featured in this formulation contain latex.
Latex is a milky/sticky sap that works as the plants natural defense mechanism helping protect the plant from herbivores & insects. It is made up of a mixture of proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates & other organic compounds. It is the substance that allows the plant to seal it’s own wounds, helps deter predators & prevents water loss. There are more than 20,000 plant species or 10% of all plants produce sap that contains latex.
If using essential oils always measure in weight not in drops & consult the IFRA information sheet that accompanies your oils. We want to make sure that we are always under the safe dermal limits when using essential oils on the skin or you may run the risk of sensitization which is an allergy you will come back from & you can kiss that essential oil goodbye. Add any ESSENTAIL OIL ingredients into phase B & take the amount of one of the liquid oils or butters. Leave the beeswax amount as is
If you want to use a botanical extract you need to make sure it is OIL SOLUBLE. Many extracts are water soluble so be sure to know the solubility before adding it to this formulation. Water & oil don’t mix without the help of an emulsifier, which this formulation does not have so you can not use water soluble ingredients. The water component will end up separating & seeping out of your balm which means you will not be getting the desired effects & are essentially wasting product & therefore your hard earned cash. Add any OIL SOLUBLE ingredients into phase B. Just remove the amount from the liquid oil portion.
You could use menthol infused oil & make an icy type stick. Add some warming essential oils & you can have a hot & icy type stick. Learn how to make menthol infused oil HERE
You can switch out any of the oils for different ones, just know that the absorption rate might shift but that isn’t too big of a deal in this formulation. Just be sure to keep the oil around 45%. If you wanted to add more oil you might need to make an adjustment to the beeswax.
You can use a different butter in their refined or crude forms. Just be sure to keep the butters around 35%.
You can change out the Rosemary extract & use MT-50 Vitamin E. If you wanted to remove the antioxidant all together just add the 1% back into the other ingredients. I took 1% out of the shea butter originally but feel free to add that 1% back however you want, just leave the beeswax amount alone.
If you wanted to make this a vegan formulation, you could switch out the beeswax for candelilla wax. You will have to play around with the exact ration but aim for 80% less candelilla wax than beeswax
You could also put this in a tin like a slave but I find the tube easier with far less mess to use & apply

As you can see this balm is truly customizable to meet your needs. I’ve given you the base formulation & I’d love to hear how you plan on customizing this formulation.