Peppermint Latte Foot Balm
- thereformedproduct
- Mar 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 1
Is it sandal weather yet? Not yet, but I can feel it coming! Over here in Idaho we are experiencing what I like to call "false spring" - It feels like an early spring but you know deep down it's a lie and more winter is coming...I do hope I'm wrong though...😎
Whether it's still cool or getting nice and warm, our feet can take a beating. Calluses can make our feet feel super dry and look pretty gross. No one wants that. For this reason, I have been a long time lover of Bag Balm for my feet. It has really transformed my dry, cracked heels into soft, smooth ones. I typically like to put it on after showering and then put socks on, otherwise it will be all over the floor, and not my feet. This is one of my biggest complaints about Bag Balm - it takes a really long time to absorb and if I shower at night I have to sleep with socks on...and I HATE sleeping with socks on. It's so restrictive! People who can sleep with socks are a rare breed of people... Unfortunately, due to this pet peeve of mine, I have taken my socks off at night and then my Bag Balm greased feet leave greasy marks on my sheets, which I also hate. So I thought, can I make something that is a little lighter, while still maintaining the skin softening properties? I think so! I have stopped using Bag Balm (for now) and have been using this balm on not just my feet. but also my cuticles, elbows, armpits (yes - you read that right, I get dry skin around my armpits, especially during the season changes...maybe it's just me??) and shins. I really like it, it's smooth and light - but still hydrating.
This was my first time using Lanolin and while I love the effect, I see why Bag Balm smells the way it does. Lanolin does not smell great - AT ALL. In an attempt to make it less stinky, I used my peppermint latte essential oil blend from Plant Therapy to mask the smell and it helped - but it did not take away completely. Honestly I don't know if anything could really cover that scent. You can find Lanolin in different forms, some more refined than others - which would definitely make a difference in the smell. I find that this formulation doesn't have enough of that Lanolin smell in the finished product to turn me off to it and next time I make it I may use a stronger essential oil. But I didn't formulate this for the scent...obviously.
This formulation is extremely easy to make and you can change it depending on what you have on hand. I'd recommend keeping the lanolin at 10%, at a minimum (you can use it straight as it is, but it's very heavy) - it's the star of the recipe due to it's excellent emollient properties and intense hydration. If you are someone who has a wool allergy I would skip this recipe, as Lanolin is made from sheep wool. You could always try this recipe with a vegetable butter or tallow instead of Lanolin, but the final texture might be different than mine. To give the final product that nice firm, balm texture, I used beeswax. I wouldn't use less than 15% - you could probably go up to 20% if you want a firmer balm. The final firmness is also going to be relative to your climate. The rest of the ingredients can be substituted with other carrier oils or essential oils. I used Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, which is a very light/non greasy liquid oil. Its mix of fatty acids replenish the skin surface by trapping water, thereby reducing trans-epidermal water loss. The jojoba and almond oil can be switched up for other liquid oils, such as olive, avocado, or anything else. This recipe makes enough for to fill 2 - 4 ounce tins.
Jojoba Oil | 30% | 51.03 grams |
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | 23% | 39.12 grams |
Almond Oil | 20.8% | 35.38 grams |
Beeswax | 15% | 25.51 grams |
Lanolin | 10% | 17.01 grams |
Peppermint Latte EO | 1% | 1.70 grams |
Vitamin E Oil | .2% | .34 grams |
Instructions:
Add the beeswax to your beaker and melt with the double boiler method - TIP: If you haven't worked with beeswax before, note that it can be annoying to fully melt. Whenever working with beeswax, I melt it first and by itself to ensure it is completely melted. Be sure to really make sure you can't see any slightly transparent pellets - otherwise, when the balm hardens it will not be smooth.
Add Lanolin to the beaker with the melted beeswax and continue heating until completely liquified. It will be very sticky!
Add the other liquid oils.
Add your essential oils and vitamin E, stir well.
Pour into your container of choice.
This will harden pretty quickly. I am glad I made 2 as my husband has been using this as well and we have been using it for about a month. We haven't hit the bottom of it yet, though we are getting close. It has a nice smooth feel to it and has great emollient and occlusive properties. I highly recommend this for anyone dealing with super dry or chaffed skin.
