30+ Scented Lip Balm Ideas

Lip balms are fun and easy to make – and inexpensive to produce in large batches. For these reasons, lip balms are an extremely popular project both for beginning formulators and artisans hoping to add a low-drama, high-margin product to their line. But how can you create a product that stands out amongst the sea of simple lip balms out there? We created this massive list of lip balm ideas to help!

By swapping out aromatic ingredients and adding the occasional pop of color, you can whip up batches of lip balm that celebrate the seasons, mimic trends, or cater to your client’s niche. We’ve compiled a list of twenty five fun ideas for scenting and flavoring custom lip balms.

Need help creating an awesome lip balm base? Check our our past article on Making Handmade Lip Balms and our extensive library of Lip Care Recipes for more lip balm ideas and inspiration.

Want to make it even easier? Our Lip Balm Base Kit and Vegan Lip Balm Base Kit are a great way to simplify the lip balm making process. Our kits come with all of the basic ingredients for making large batches of lip balm. Just add scent, color, and packaging.

Flavor Oils

Our specially formulated Flavor Oils are synthetic fragrances made just for lip care products. While they don’t add any taste to your lip balms, they do add mouth-watering scents in a wide variety of delicious flavors. Use our Flavor Oils alone, or blended into custom scents. Here are a few lip balm ideas for making your own special blends of Flavor Oil for custom lip balms.

Lip Balm Ideas Using Flavor Oils

• Rose + Pomegranate = Sweet Rose
• Milk Chocolate + Buttercream = Chocolate Cupcake
• Cranberry + Peppermint = Berry Mint
• Cappuccino + French Vanilla = Vanilla Latte
• Maple + Strawberry = Strawberry Pancakes
• Maple + Buttercream = Flapjacks
• Asian Pear + Dulce de Leche = Caramel Tart
• Dark Chocolate + Dulce de Leche + Coconut Cream = Coconut Cookie
• Cotton Candy + Watermelon = Sno-Cone
• Milk Chocolate + Strawberry = Chocolate Covered Strawberry
• Milk Chocolate + Dulce de Leche = Chocolate Covered Pretzel

Plant-Based Fragrance Oils

For a more natural lip balm scent, check out our selection of Plant-Based Fragrance Oils. We have over one dozen plant-based fragrances, each of which can be used at around 2% in lip balms.

Lip Balm Ideas using Plant-Based Fragrance Oils

• Lavender + Lemon Drop = Lavender Lemonade
• Apricot + Pina Colada = Fruit Smoothie
• Honey Creme + Frosted Lemon Cake = Glazed Bundt Cake
• Grapefruit Splash + Vanilla Spice = Spice Cake
• Cherry + Lemon Drop = Amaretto Sour
• Honey Creme + Lemon Drop = Honey Tea

Essential Oils & CO2 Extracts

Pure aromatic ingredients, such as Essential Oils and CO2 Extracts can also be used to impart aroma in lip balms. Be sure to double-check the safety notes and usage rates for each ingredient you plan to use. For the most part, essential oils and co2 extracts can be used at about 1% in lip care products, but certain ingredients may need to be used at an even lower rate. It’s also important to remember that not all aromatic ingredients are safe for use on the lips.

Lip Balm Ideas Using Essential Oil & CO2 Extracts

• Ginger + Coconut + Sweet Orange = Island Ginger
• Sweet Orange + Lavender = Lavender Candy
• Rose + Cardamom = Turkish Delight
• Vanilla + Bergamot, FCF = Earl Grey Tea
• Cocoa Select + Peppermint = Peppermint Bark
• Coffee + Vanilla = Vanilla Latte
• Vanilla + Spearmint = Sweet Mint

Mixed Blends

To make things even more interesting, you can try mixing the types of aromatic ingredients. The following scented lip balm ideas combine a variety of ingredients. Be sure to consider the appropriate usage rate for each ingredient before working them into your custom lip balm recipe. To be on the safe side, the total amount of aromatics should not exceed the lowest recommended usage rate for an ingredient in the blend. For these examples, we would recommend going for a rate of 1-2% total aromatics in your lip balm formula.

Lip Balm Ideas Using Mixed Blends

• Roman Chamomile Essential Oil + Honey Creme Plant-Based Fragrance Oil = Chamomile Tea
• Dark Chocolate Flavor Oil + Coffee Total CO2 Extract = Mocha
• Cherry Plant-Based Fragrance Oil + Peppermint Essential Oil = Cherry Mint
• Milk Chocolate Flavor Oil + Cherry Plant-Based Fragrance Oil + Coconut Select CO2 Extract = Holiday Cupcake
• Buttercream Flavor Oil + Frosted Lemon Cake Plant-Based Fragrance Oil + Vanilla Select CO2 Extract = Birthday Cake
• Dark Chocolate Flavor Oil + Cherry Plant-Based Fragrance Oil = Chocolate Covered Cherry
• Strawberry Flavor Oil + Coconut Select CO2 Extract + Vanilla Select CO2 Extract = Strawberry Smoothie
• Honey Creme Plant-Based Fragrance Oil + Buttercream Flavor Oil + Vanilla Select CO2 Extract = Honey Cake

Lip Balm Kits

Recipes for our Lip Balm Base Kit

Easy Lip Balm Pot Recipe

• 1 ounce Jojoba
• 1 ounce Caprylic Capric Triglycerides (MCT Oil)
• 2 ounces Deodorized Cocoa Butter
• 1 ounce Beeswax
• 1 – 1.5 teaspoon Aromatic Ingredients
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon lip-safe Pearlescent Mica (Optional)

This recipe makes 5 ounces

Lip Balm Tube Recipe

• 1 ounce Jojoba
• 1 ounce Caprylic Capric Triglycerides (MCT Oil)
• 2 Ounces Deodorized Cocoa Butter
• 2 Ounces Beeswax
• 1 – 1.5 teaspoon Aromatic Ingredients
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon lip-safe Pearlescent Mica (Optional)

This recipe makes 6 ounces

Recipes for our Vegan Lip Balm Base Kit

Easy Vegan Lip Balm Pot Recipe

• 1 ounce Jojoba
• 1 ounce Caprylic Capric Triglycerides (MCT Oil)
• 2 ounces Deodorized Cocoa Butter
• 1/2 ounce Candelilla Wax
• 1 – 1.5 teaspoon Aromatic Ingredients
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon lip-safe Pearlescent Mica (Optional)

This recipe makes 4 1/2 ounces

Vegan Lip Balm Tube Recipe

• 1 ounce Jojoba
• 1 ounce Caprylic Capric Triglycerides (MCT Oil)
• 2 ounces Deodorized Cocoa Butter
• 1 1/2 ounces Candelilla Wax
• 1 – 1.5 teaspoon Aromatic Ingredients
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon lip-safe Pearlescent Mica (Optional)

This recipe makes 5 1/2 ounces

More Lip Balm Recipes and Inspiration

Check out our entire selection of lip care recipes here.

Lip Balm Packaging

How you package your custom scented lip balms are another great way to make sure they stand out in a crowd. The following options are our favorites!

Tubes

Jars

Tins