Raw shea butter brings emolliency and skin-feel to lip-balm formulations, but cannot hold a stick on its own — its melting point (30–38°C) is too soft for ambient stability. The right formulation pairs shea with a structural fat (cocoa butter or beeswax) and a carrier oil. This page maps the spec that natural-cosmetic lip-balm formulators use.
Why this ingredient for this application
Shea’s high oleic acid (~50%) gives lip balm the slip and pliability customers expect; its unsaponifiables (catechins, tocopherols) bring documented antioxidant function to the balm. Unrefined Grade A shea brings the smoky-nutty signature scent of real shea — a positioning asset for premium lip balms that want to differentiate from deodorised commodity shea.
Spec & inclusion
Inclusion: 20–40% raw shea butter. Pair with 15–25% cocoa butter (for stick structure), 25–35% carrier oil (jojoba, sweet almond, or castor for shine), and 8–12% beeswax. Optional: 0.5–1% vitamin E (tocopherol) for shelf stability, flavour oils ≤ 1%. Target product melt point: 50–55°C (clean melt on lip contact, stable in pocket).
Formulation notes
Cosmetic grade unrefined shea contains natural particulates — filter (200-mesh) before incorporating if your finished balm needs visual clarity. The smoky-nutty scent is a love-it-or-hate-it differentiator; sample with target customers before scaling. For private-label lip-balm runs above 200 kg of finished product, we can supply pre-blended shea + cocoa butter slabs at custom ratios.
Sourcing & documentation
Every shipment includes a per-batch Certificate of Analysis with the appropriate grade panel, a phytosanitary certificate issued in Cotonou, and named cooperative attribution. Food grade and cosmetic grade availability varies by ingredient — see grade differences.