Peppermint Cocoa Lip Balm

A refreshing, cooling, and nourishing lip balm with cocoa butter and peppermint for that quintessential fusion of chocolate and mint.  (I made this the other day as Christmas presents and it’s unbelievably easy!)

1 tablespoon cocoa butter
2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon avocado or wheat germ oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon beeswax
12-15 drops peppermint essential oil
A few drops of vitamin E oil (optional, but recommended) 

Lip balm preparation: Coarsely chop the beeswax or use beeswax pastilles. Place beeswax, butter, and oils in a small pot or glass Pyrex measuring cup and gently heat in the top of a double boiler until the beeswax and butters have melted. Once melted, remove from the stovetop and add essential oils and vitamin E oil.  Immediately pour the mixture into lip balm containers. You can purchase lip balm tubes and jars, or you can reuse glass or plastic containers. Allow to cool completely before placing caps onto the lip balm containers. Your lip balm is finished! You can now add labels, ribbons, twine, or any other decorative elements. Makes approximately 1.5 oz of lip balm, enough to fill 10 lip balm tubes, 6 1/4 oz jars, or 3 1/2 oz tins/jars.