I know I’m not the only one who finds shopping for men really hard, and as for making them DIY gifts, that’s even more of a challenge! But one of my biggest DIY hits was the beard balm I made for my husband several years back now. Yesterday on local TV I demonstrated how to make your own DIY beard balm as a Valentine’s Day gift for the bearded men in your life, so I thought I’d re-post the beard balm recipe with some new photos in case you’re looking for a gift you can make for men.
When I was prepping to demonstrate this recipe, Steven told me that he actually uses this beard balm as a hair-styling product even more than on his beard. So it’s a multi-purpose men’s grooming product, not just a beard balm, which means you can make it even for people who don’t have facial hair. You’ll probably just want to re-brand it with your own labels.
P.S. The tray the beard balm is on is my black concrete tray, which you can also make!
DIY Beard Balm Recipe
1 Tbsp (7 g) beeswax, coarsely chopped (or use beeswax pellets)
2 Tbsp (25 g) shea butter
1 Tbsp (6.5 g) cocoa butter
1 Tbsp (9 g) jojoba oil
2 tsp (8 g) sweet almond oil
1 tsp (5 g) coconut oil
Scent:
3 drops peppermint essential oil
2 drops cedarwood essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil
Other Materials:
Tin or glass container for balm – These tins are similar to the one I used, but they’re not available on Amazon individually. I bought mine at a local herb shop, but I think it was one of these tins.
Container to melt ingredients in, like a tin can
Saucepan
Chopstick or skewer
For labels:
Printer
Printable sticker/label paper
Spray sealer
Steps:
Add all of the beard balm ingredients (but not the essential oils, yet) to a small jar or tin, and place in a saucepan. (The container you’re storing it in is probably too shallow for this step. A tin can is a good choice, but you should avoid glass, since it can crack from direct heat.) Add water to the pan to an inch or two below the top of the jar, and heat over medium heat until everything melts and liquifies. Keep a close eye on it, and stir with a disposable skewer or wooden chopstick.
After everything has melted, add essential oils just a few drops at a time to scent your balm, and stir to combine. When you’ve achieved the scent you want, pour your beard balm into a tin or small jar, and allow to cool.
If you want a label for your jar, re-size mine to fit your container (or design your own!), print the label on sticker paper, , cut it out, then give it a couple of coats of spray sealer before sticking it to your container. (Without a sealer the ink may run from contact with moisture.)
Here are the labels I made (vintage graphics from here):
Loved your recipe for Beard Balm, but am having a hard time finding tin/container for it. Don’t think I’ll have enough time to order off the internet. Is there somewhere in the Portland area I could get some thing that would work.
Thanks!
Kathy Brose
Kathy, I think I found my tin at http://www.theherbshoppepdx.com/, http://www.herbalapothecarypdx.com/, or http://clarysageherbarium.com/. Hope that helps!