Earlier this month I visited family in The Florida Keys and was lucky enough to spend one of those days snorkeling off the coast of Key Largo. I come from a very aquatic family, my father being an avid scuba diver, and my mother’s family being Maine fishermen. You could say that a good portion of my childhood was experienced in and under water. Snorkeling in Key Largo was a wonderful experience, but after two 45 minute dives I couldn’t help but notice that my lips felt like someone had tried to pickle them.
Since my dear Papa spends so much time underwater I decided to create a special balm to help protect his lips from the salty sea water. This specially formulated Diver’s Balm is designed to quickly moisturize and soothe divers’ dry lips. Jojoba Esters have been added to increase the hardness and melting point of the balm, helping it stay solid after being left on a hot boat. Divers can use this balm between dives and after a dive is completed. I’ve left the balm unscented as fish can be very sensitive to scents in the water and the last thing a diver wants to do is scare off the wildlife.
Diver’s Balm
Ingredients
1 ounce Red Raspberry Seed Oil
1/2 ounce Calendula Oil
1/2 ounce Kukui or Macadamia Nut Oil
1/2 ounce Kokum or Deodorized Cocoa Butter
1 ounce Beeswax
1/4 ounce Jojoba Esters, MP70
1/4 teaspoon Lecithin
1/4 teaspoon Seabuckthorn Seed CO2 Extract
Instructions
Combine the Beeswax, Kokum Butter, and Jojoba Esters in a double boiler and warm until both are fully melted. Next, add the Oils and Lecithin. Mix the formula well and remove it from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for a few moments then add the Seabuckthorn Seed CO2 Extract. Mix again and pour into containers. To get your balms to have a nice looking top you should initially fill them to about 3/4 of the way up. After the balms have hardened slightly fill the tubes the rest of the way. This will help to avoid a sinkhole from forming at the top of your balm.
Packaging and Usage
In addition to being used as a lip balm, this special divers balm can be used on other areas of dry or sun burnt skin as well. The recipe I’ve created should yield enough balm to fill six lip balm tubes as well as one stick tube container. Since this balm is designed to be extra hard you may have to warm it slightly on your skin before it softens enough to be used. 
My father has been diving for over 25 years and has explored underwater places all over the world. Occasionally my sisters and I are treated to some fantastic photographs of his latest adventures. Here is a sampling of some great ones we’ve received on the past few years:
A portrait of my Dad on an open water shark dive. Can you believe there was no cage involved?!
He met this turtle face to face off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Hi, Emmy! Love the pictures your father took of the turtle! That must have been thrilling. I wouldn’t want to be in the shark tank though – I’m too much of a scaredy-cat.
Anyway, I wanted to know what the lecithin is for and what can be substituted for it if needed?
Thank you! I love your blog and regularly read it even if I don’t always comment. I even share links to your recipes here on your blog on this soap forum (TeachSoap) I go to because your recipes are so good. I hope that you don’t mind. I think that you have some of the best recipes that uses only natural skincare ingredients right now on the web.
Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment. I am thrilled to hear that you are enjoying our recipes so much.
The lecithin in this balm recipe helps to give it a creamier, more adhesive texture. Lanolin or Lanolin Oil is also commonly used for this purpose. In a pinch, you can make a balm like this without Lecithin or a substitute. It will affect the texture slightly, but you will still produce an effective balm.
By the way, the shark dive was actually done in open water near the Bahamas! There is a certain time of year that sharks migrate there in huge numbers and certain brave divers venture into the reef to spend some time up close and personal with the shark population.
excellent!! Will give it a go!
Just wondered what your dad did as a job as well?
I hope you have good luck with the balm on your next dive! My Dad is in sales in the communications industry so he is lucky enough to travel for business quite a bit.
Is the Lecithin liquid or granulated. In cosmetic creation, what else can I use it for? Thank you for such an awesome blog and to FNWL for an incredible product offering!
Hi Elizabeth. I used Liquid Lecithin in this recipe. Powdered Lecithin could also be used, but I find it to be harder to store and to work with. Lanolin would make a good alternative to Lecithin in this recipe. Both can give balm formulations a creamy consistency and increase adhesion.