Lip balm

AnhydrousHot fill

A wax-and-oil stick or pot that softens lips and leaves a light protective layer.

Smooth glide, leaving a soft, slightly glossy cushion on the lips.

Everyday lip balm, Tinted lip balm, SPF lip balm, Overnight lip treatment

What it is

Lip balm is a waterless blend of waxes, butters and oils, poured hot into a stick or a small pot. It glides on, softens dry lips and leaves a light protective film. Tinted, flavoured and SPF versions are common.

Who it suits

All agesDry lips

Typical actives

Shea butter Vitamin E Zinc oxide Peptides

What is in it

Wax	Beeswax, candelilla, carnauba or rice bran wax
Butter	Shea, cocoa or mango butter; lanolin
Oil	Castor, jojoba, sunflower or macadamia oil
Flavour or colour	Flavours, iron oxides and other permitted colours
Antioxidant	Tocopherol

Benefits and challenges

Benefits

Waterless, low microbial risk.
Small and portable for frequent reapplication.
Suits plastic-free paper tubes and tins.

Challenges

Softens or bends in hot cars and summer.
Butters can bloom or turn grainy.
SPF versions add testing and labelling requirements.

Shelf life

Unopened

24–36 months01236 months

After opening

12–24 months01224 months

Limited by oil oxidation and flavour fade. Main risks are bloom, sweating, graininess and rancid odour.

Packaging

In the lab

How it is made

01Melt the baseWaxes, butters and oils at 75–90 °C.
02Disperse colourPre-ground pigment in oil, if tinted.
03Add flavourJust before pouring.
04Pour hotInto stick tubes or pots.
05Chill and finishQuick cooling, with an optional heat flash on top.

hot fill · 75 °CPoured from a heated, stirred holding tank and cooled in a tunnel, then checked for hardness and top finish.

Specifications

Batch sizes

Lab notes

Preservation

Usually not needed if anhydrous; support with an ISO 29621 risk assessment. Antioxidant recommended.

Stability testing

Heat cycling to 40–45 °C, break and bend tests, bloom and sweating checks, flavour stability and SPF testing where sun claims are made.

Regulatory, Australia

Cosmetic; SPF lip products remain cosmetics under the Excluded Goods Determination only if they are secondary sunscreens, contain no Schedule 2, 3, 4 or 8 substances and meet AS/NZS 2604:2021 SPF, broad-spectrum and labelling requirements. Flavours are declared as 'flavour' or 'aroma'.