This DIY lavender and tea tree coconut oil stick provides all-natural relief for dry skin, bug bites, and minor burns and rashes.
Guest post by Kelly of New Leaf Wellness
I’m so excited to share this homemade lavender and tea tree coconut oil stick. It’s a 10-minute DIY that’s all-natural, cost-effective, and can be used so many ways!
Here are some of the ways that I use my coconut oil stick:
- During diaper changes, especially before bedtime (It’s cloth diaper safe!)
- To prevent and treat chapped baby cheeks
- To treat mild rug burns from crawling
- To treat minor rashes and burns
- To soothe dry and itchy skin
- To treat bug bites
- To clear up mild cases of cradle cap
- To moisturize my dry, cracked heels
Of course there are other all-natural moisturizers on the market, but this solid, stick version is so convenient!
Here are some of the benefits of using a coconut oil “stick”:
- You use less balm than store-bought tubes and therefore save money
- Quick, easy, no mess application
- It’s so darn cute!
Plus, if you make your own, you’ll know exactly what’s inside!
The Ingredients
Coconut Oil is moisturizing, healing, and has antibacterial qualities. (More info about the benefits of coconut oil here.) Since coconut oil is edible, I feel extra safe about using it on my skin and my little one’s. It’s solid at room temperature and melts above 76 degrees F.
Beeswax is solid at room temperature and makes this DIY into a solid “stick.” It also provides a great barrier against moisture.
Vitamin E Oil helps lock in moisture and acts as a natural antioxidant. I always include Vitamin E Oil in my homemade beauty products, like my lavender sugar scrub and naturally-tinted lip gloss.
Lavender and Tea Tree Essential Oils are mild, calming, and antibacterial essential oils. Since I use this stick on my baby, I use a very mild 0.5% dilution. (That means my coconut oil stick consists of about 0.5% essentials oils and 99.5% coconut oils and beeswax. (For more information, check out lavender essential oil and tea tree oil on WebMD and read this article about the safety of essential oils.)
Most all-natural moisturizing sticks cost $10-14 each (plus shipping). This homemade version only costs a total of $2.56 and it’s bigger! Here’s a detailed cost break-down for numbers junkies, like me.
Detailed Cost Breakdown to DIY
- Organic virgin coconut oil from Trader Joe’s: $5.99 for 16oz jar (2 cups) or 94 cents for what’s used in this recipe
- Organic white beeswax pellets bought online: $11.99 for 16oz (about 4 cups) = 94 cents
- 100% Vitamin E soft gels from Trader Joe’s: $9.99 for 100 softgels or 20 cents
- Organic lavender essential oil from my online store: $13 for 10ml bottle/2 teaspoons/200 drops = 26 cents
- Organic tea tree essential oil from my online store: $11 for 10ml bottle/2 teaspoons/200 drops = 22 cents
- Repurposed, empty deodorant container = FREE
That means I only spent $2.56 to make this coconut oil stick!
I already had all of the necessary materials on-hand, but if you buy them new you can use the leftovers to make so many more all-natural body products! (Like my coconut oil lotions, coconut oil sugar scrubs, and all-natural solid perfumes.)
Homemade Lavender and Tea Tree Coconut Oil Stick
Yields: One 2.5oz Lavender and Tea Tree Coconut Oil Stick
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon organic white beeswax pellets
- 2, 400 IU soft gels 100% Vitamin E
- Organic essentials oils – I used 4 drops organic tea tree and 4 drops organic lavender, which is about 0.5% dilution
- Empty 2.5 oz container – I reused an old, empty deodorant container that I cleaned with a toothbrush
Note from Erin: You can find many of the ingredients for this DIY on Vitacost.com. If you use my referral link, you get $5 off your first order of $30 or more!
Directions
- Melt coconut oil and beeswax pellets in the microwave or on your stovetop over low heat in a small, nonstick pan.
- Remove from heat and add liquid from Vitamin E soft gels (I poked mine with a safety pin) and essential oils. Stir to combine.
- Let mixture sit until it starts to harden, about two minutes. (This is important because a pure liquid will go straight to the bottom of a reused container and make a huge mess!)
- Use a knife to fill your container and let it cool completely (About 30 minutes).
- Add cap.
I created a cute little label, printed it on regular computer paper, and taped it to my coconut stick with packaging tape. Here’s the free printable, if you want to use it too: Free Coconut Stick Printable Label
To Use
Apply to clean, dry skin. If you have more than one child in diapers, I recommend making each child their own coconut oil stick. I also use separate sticks for diaper changes and other body parts, like hands and feet. (An easy way to make multiple sticks is to split this recipe into five, 0.5 oz empty travel-size deodorant containers.)
Store in a cool, dry place and use as needed!
Have you ever made your own bath or body products? Please share in a comment below!
Dr. Kelly McNelis is a psychologist-turned-blogger for New Leaf Wellness. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and three young daughters and makes most of her money selling cookbooks. You can connect with Kelly on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Thank so much for sharing!
Rebecca
What if you live in a hot climate and coconut oil is a liquid? I am in Panama and my kitchen hovers around 85-90 degrees all the time. (Yes, it is miserable). I think I will have to try a little more beeswax — what do you recommend?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Can you store it somewhere cooler than the kitchen? You might even be able to store it in the refrigerator as a last resort. Otherwise, try a bit more beeswax, but not too much because the coconut oil helps it glide on easily.
David
Maybe a touch of kokum or cocoa butter to harden the oil mixture if you don’t want to use so much bees wax. Happy creating!!!
amy
I woukd like to try some of coconut stick for my daughter,how do i go about getting it.
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
There’s a giveaway on The Humbled Homemaker’s facebook page today for samples! 🙂
Karen
Awesome! Would love to try it.
jammie
What do you mean you fill with a knife?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I use a knife instead of a spoon to add the mixture to the empty container. Use the knife to pack it in and smooth the top. Does that make sense?
Dillian
accutante
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
I have made my own deodorant before, but the recipe I use doesn’t have beeswax and does use baking soda. I’m definitely pinning this one to give it a try. I’ve also made my own skin care. Coconut oil is one of my all-time favorite ingredients – for health products and cooking. Thanks for the post!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I love coconut oil too! Thanks for sharing!
Lou Whitcomb
I do use baking soda in this recipe…much better way to have it than in a jar, for me.
Faith
I love this! I have been a big fan of coconut oil ever since it got rid of my daughter’s eczema three years ago and kept it away ever since! She has a jar of coconut with her everywhere she goes and I am going to make this for her. It would a be a lot easier and prettier to bring at camps and sleepovers :-). Thank you for posting this!
Faith
oops. jar of coconut oil, not just a jar of coconut. lol
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Yes, the sticks are great for on-the-go! Thanks for sharing! I love coconut oil for skincare products too. 🙂
Carol
I am so happy to find your site, so interesting and will be trying this soon
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Please let us know what you think! 🙂
Deb
I was told that you should never microwave Coconut oil as it ruins the good properties of it. I always melt mine in a hot “water bath”(a bowl inside a bigger bowl with hot water in it)
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Thank you for sharing!
Rachel
I adore coconut oil and I am so excited to make this to use on my son with cloth diapers. Thank you!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Yay! I hope you love it as much as I do. You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Terri Ingraham | Sugar Free Glow
I am so grateful for this! I use coconut oil and essential oils every single day for a 100 different reasons so I love the idea of having it in a stick like this. Thank you for sharing!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Yay! I’m a huge fan of essential oils too. Hope you love the coconut oil stick!
Erin
I have a bottle of vitamin e oil, rather than soft gel capsules, how much do you think would be a comparable amount?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I went ahead a measured it out for you…two 400 IU Vitamin E soft gels equals about 1/4 teaspoon oil. Just make sure your oil is 100% Vitamin E. I find that many liquid oils are diluted.
bre
Do you know of a non-GMO derived, soy free, natural vitamin E oil I could order online?
Stephanie
How many Vit E soft gels are you using?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I use two 400 IU Vitamin E soft gels in this recipe.
Loretta Hagstrom
omg, I read it as “2,400 IU…”, and thought, “what in the world??”! Sure glad I read the comments!
Melissa Hendricks
Can I Use pariffin wax instead of bees was
bre
Noooooooo! Gosh no, never, ever put that crap on your skin, or in your home It is a toxic, petroleum based product, very bad for you, contains heavy metals, please do not use that, especilly on a child
Sherri
Does this work as a deodorant?
Kati
I make a homemade deodorant that is similar to this: http://housefulofhandmade.com/homemade-deodorant-stick/. It works great and me and my husband have been using it for a while now.
bre
Do you know of a non-GMO derived, natural vitamin E oil I could order online?
Tara
Any reason this couldn’t be put into a lib balm dispenser for a more portable (giftable?) option?
Tara
Sorry, I meant LIP balm, I thought something looked funny!
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
Yes! I’ve made them in empty lip balm containers before, and they work great! As written, this recipe would probably make 20-25 tubes (.15oz each).
Kat
where i live i don’t have easy or affordable access to beeswax – is there anything i can use in place of it???
Erin
I don’t think so. 🙁 I would check somewhere online.
Leslie
Love the idea of this. Is it creamy enough to put in a tin rather than the stick?
Kelly @ New Leaf Wellness
I think it will work, but I would use a little bit more coconut oil and a little bit less beeswax.
Kati
My son fights dry skin so bad, especially on his hands and cheeks in our brutally dry winters. I usually make something similar to this for him to use, but I love the idea of putting it in a stick so its easy to use. Thank you!
Rie
I don’t know of an empty deodorant container in which this would work.
Do you mean a roll on and you remove the roller? Or is thT some type of wind from the base type in the pic? I’m in Australia, coul someone please suggest something local to me? Thanks.
Erin
Hi Rie! It would be an empty one from a stick deodorant. Most people I know just use up the stick that comes with the deodorant (or I guess you can cut it out?), and then clean it as good as possible and pour the deodorant recipe into it. I hope that helps!
Harold Burton
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