Glossing Over a New Hobby

It's that time of year where I become obsessed with smells. Well, I'm always obsessed with smells but more so in the fall. I indulge in lotions, lip glosses, teas, candles, perfumes, essential oils, and the usual. But because it's fall, I go kind of beyond that.

Things I Enjoy Sniffing in the Fall

Crushed acorns Dead leaves Black Walnuts

Humus Chai Sandalwood Wild mushrooms Wet bark/dead wood Hot Tea Steam Honey Pumpkin guts Camp fire

Mold/Mildew

But another thing that I tend to enjoy in the fall is getting creative. I have never made lip gloss before, so I decided to try it. I have a fine collection of essential oils and alcohol, so I thought a few evenings of drinking and slaving over the cauldron that is my stove would make for a productive time. You can make lip gloss out of a variety of things, so that's what I did. I used bee's wax (I really regret not purchasing bee's wax, meade, honeycomb, or honey when at The Savannah Bee Company when I was in Gatlinburg, TN last month), shea butter, and coconut oil.

I also used various essential oils.

A little goes a long way with all of these materials, too.

My first attempt at making gloss over a week ago was messy and a little arduous, but the second time around went quickly and was less messy. I made four flavors of gloss altogether.

Rosemary with cocoa powder (those are the ugly splotches ha ha ha)

Lavender, Vanilla/Mint

Strawberry

A more palatable strawberry

I made 38 glosses and haven't even used a quarter of my supplies. One lip gloss by Burt's Bees can cost ~$6.00 and I spent less than $50 on all my supplies. That means I can make ~160 glosses for $50 and save myself $910. Or I can sell them and make >$3.00 profit/tube.

And so can you! Because here's how I did it.

I Want to Make Lip Gloss, Too!

1. Boil water

2. Place three tablespoons of bee's wax, two tablespoons of coconut oil, and one cube (about one tablespoon) of shea butter in a glass jar (I put mine in a small mason jar)

3. Gently place jar in boiling water. Be careful that it doesn't tip over.

4. Wait for the bee's wax, coconut oil, and shea butter to melt. The shea butter takes a longer time to melt. Stir with a small whisk.

5. Add as much essential oils that you want. A little goes a long way.

6. Add your tint, food coloring, etc. I went simple and used some food coloring. Remember, your concoction will naturally be a light yellow due to the bee's wax. Mix well, continue stirring.

7. Prepare your tubes/sticks/jars so that you can fill them up with the hot mixture

8. Have a small funnel handy to help you pour the mixture into your choice of container

9. Carefully pour melted mixture into jars. It can get very messy and it dries quickly. But although it's messy, it's very easy to clean up.

Of course, my glosses didn't turn out "pretty" or anything, but they're definitely gloss and they do the trick. They smell wonderful and they save me money. I love carrying small, little smells in my pockets. They make great gifts to people who trust me to not poison them.

I always wanted a poison ring.

#hobbies #selfcare #howto