Sure, I do roughly 3:2 ratio of beeswax and coconut oil by weight. Melt them both in a double boiler (I just use a metal bowl that fits in our small saucepot). After it is thoroughly melted and mixed, I take it off the heat and stir in a few drops of essential oils. Heat can denature or evaporate the flavor compounds, so you don’t want to cook them. Then just pour it into a jar and let it cool. I’ve kept a bunch of old Oui Yogurt jars and bought lids, and I also bough a 48 pack of tiny plastic lip balm containers for portability. Those are great because I can put different flavors into different containers and try smaller quantities without wasting a bunch of wax.
I’ve also received a few different gift sets of various scented beard oils, which in my experience are often too strong, so I’ve used those to flavor the balm.
For essential oils, I like citrus like lemon, bergamot, or grapefruit, sometimes I use tea tree or eucalyptus and mint, and my wife really likes sandalwood, vanilla and bourbon. I am not a huge fan of cedar or oak, or the floral scents like lavender or rose. It’s going to be on my face all day, so I want it to be something that I like to smell, but not overpowering. Nobody on the subway should be able to smell my beard.
I think overall I spent about $50 on beeswax, organic coconut oil, and essential oils (not including the gifts) and have been using it almost daily for about 2 years.
The coconut oil did pass the “best by” date a few months ago, but I keep it in a cool, dark place and it doesn’t smell off yet. I’ll probably buy some fresh this fall.
The balm will develop an “off” smell if you leave it in the sun. I usually make fresh balm every 6-8 weeks. The small plastic jars last about a week, and the yogurt jar lasts about a month.
Sounds like a good balm, but I think it will be a bit much for me. My hair is fairly scratchy, and i need stuff to soften it, so I think this may be a bit heavy for me.
You can decrease the wax and add more oil. But yeah, that’s a different problem than what I have. You might sub in shea butter, which I found made my beard too soft, but take that with a grain of salt because I didn’t like it.
Sure, I do roughly 3:2 ratio of beeswax and coconut oil by weight. Melt them both in a double boiler (I just use a metal bowl that fits in our small saucepot). After it is thoroughly melted and mixed, I take it off the heat and stir in a few drops of essential oils. Heat can denature or evaporate the flavor compounds, so you don’t want to cook them. Then just pour it into a jar and let it cool. I’ve kept a bunch of old Oui Yogurt jars and bought lids, and I also bough a 48 pack of tiny plastic lip balm containers for portability. Those are great because I can put different flavors into different containers and try smaller quantities without wasting a bunch of wax.
I’ve also received a few different gift sets of various scented beard oils, which in my experience are often too strong, so I’ve used those to flavor the balm.
For essential oils, I like citrus like lemon, bergamot, or grapefruit, sometimes I use tea tree or eucalyptus and mint, and my wife really likes sandalwood, vanilla and bourbon. I am not a huge fan of cedar or oak, or the floral scents like lavender or rose. It’s going to be on my face all day, so I want it to be something that I like to smell, but not overpowering. Nobody on the subway should be able to smell my beard.
I think overall I spent about $50 on beeswax, organic coconut oil, and essential oils (not including the gifts) and have been using it almost daily for about 2 years.
The coconut oil did pass the “best by” date a few months ago, but I keep it in a cool, dark place and it doesn’t smell off yet. I’ll probably buy some fresh this fall.
The balm will develop an “off” smell if you leave it in the sun. I usually make fresh balm every 6-8 weeks. The small plastic jars last about a week, and the yogurt jar lasts about a month.
Sounds like a good balm, but I think it will be a bit much for me. My hair is fairly scratchy, and i need stuff to soften it, so I think this may be a bit heavy for me.
You can decrease the wax and add more oil. But yeah, that’s a different problem than what I have. You might sub in shea butter, which I found made my beard too soft, but take that with a grain of salt because I didn’t like it.
Ya the deep conditioner I use like once a week has a ton of shea butter in it. Thanks for all the info.