Making your own lip balm with herbs from your garden is a fun and natural way to keep your lips soft all year round. Vermont’s climate is perfect for growing many healing herbs that can transform into soothing lip care.
Growing these plants gives you control over what goes into your beauty products while connecting you to Vermont’s rich gardening tradition.
1. Calendula’s Golden Touch
Calendula flowers bring a burst of sunshine to Vermont gardens from late spring through fall. Their vibrant orange petals contain powerful healing compounds that repair dry, chapped lips naturally.
Gardeners love how easy these flowers are to grow in Vermont’s climate. Simply harvest the blooms, dry them, and infuse them in oil to create a base for lip balm that soothes and protects.
2. Lavender’s Calming Magic
Vermont farmers have embraced lavender cultivation despite the state’s chilly climate. Hardy varieties like ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ thrive in the Green Mountain State, offering their distinctive purple blooms and calming scent.
When infused into lip balm, lavender provides both a delightful aroma and natural antibacterial properties. Many Vermonters plant lavender in sunny, well-drained spots for optimal growth.
3. Chamomile’s Gentle Relief
German chamomile flourishes in Vermont’s summer gardens, producing tiny daisy-like flowers packed with anti-inflammatory benefits. The plant’s apple-like scent makes it a favorite among local herbalists creating natural lip care.
Growing chamomile requires minimal effort – just scatter seeds in spring after frost danger passes. Once dried, the flowers infuse easily into oils, bringing their soothing properties to homemade lip balms.
4. Peppermint’s Refreshing Tingle
Peppermint grows like crazy in Vermont gardens, sometimes taking over if not contained! Gardeners often plant it in pots to manage its spreading habit while enjoying its cooling properties.
The menthol in peppermint leaves creates that distinctive tingle when added to lip balms. Just a small amount stimulates circulation and plumps lips naturally. Vermont herbalists harvest leaves before flowering for the strongest flavor and medicinal properties.
5. Lemon Balm’s Brightening Power
Lemon balm thrives in Vermont’s summer months, producing lemony-scented leaves that lighten spirits and brighten skin. Many Vermont gardeners find it self-seeds generously, returning year after year with minimal care.
For lip balms, lemon balm adds natural antiviral properties that help heal cold sores while providing a subtle citrus scent. Harvest leaves in the morning when essential oils are strongest for the most potent lip-healing benefits.
6. Rosemary’s Protective Shield
Rosemary grows surprisingly well in Vermont with proper winter protection. Its needle-like leaves contain powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals and protect delicate lip skin from environmental damage.
Vermont gardeners often plant rosemary in sheltered spots against south-facing walls. The herb’s woody scent adds sophistication to homemade lip balms, while its natural preservative qualities help extend shelf life.
7. Comfrey’s Healing Touch
Comfrey earns its nickname “knitbone” from its remarkable skin-healing abilities. The fuzzy leaves contain allantoin, which speeds cell regeneration – perfect for repairing severely chapped lips during Vermont’s harsh winters.
Growing comfrey requires caution as it spreads enthusiastically in Vermont gardens. Many herbalists plant it in contained areas and harvest outer leaves regularly. Just a small amount infused in oil creates lip balms with exceptional healing properties.
8. Plantain’s Wilderness Remedy
Not the banana-like fruit, but the humble leafy plant that grows wild across Vermont! Plantain leaves contain natural compounds that draw out splinters and soothe irritation – making them perfect for healing lip balms.
Vermont foragers find plantain in lawns, garden edges, and walking paths. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season, then dried or used fresh. When infused in oil, they create a base for lip balms that heals cracks and calms inflammation.
9. Violet’s Delicate Moisture
Sweet violets appear in early spring across Vermont, offering both their delicate flowers and heart-shaped leaves for lip balm creation. The plant contains natural mucilage that adds incredible moisture-holding properties to homemade lip care.
Vermont gardeners cherish violets for their early season beauty and medicinal benefits. The flowers make gorgeous decorative additions to solid lip balms, while infused violet leaf oil provides gentle healing for sensitive lips.
10. Rose’s Luxurious Softness
Hardy roses survive Vermont’s cold winters and reward gardeners with fragrant petals perfect for luxurious lip balms. Old garden varieties like rugosa roses offer the strongest scent and highest medicinal value.
Rose petals contain natural emollients that soften lips while their delicate scent uplifts the spirit. Vermont herbalists gather petals in the morning after dew has dried but before the hot sun diminishes their essential oils.
11. Bee Balm’s Native Flair
Bee balm (Monarda) is a native Vermont plant that attracts pollinators with its spiky red, purple, or pink flowers. Its natural thymol content provides gentle antiseptic properties perfect for lip care.
Growing beautifully in Vermont gardens, bee balm spreads through underground runners, creating impressive patches over time. The leaves and flowers both work wonderfully in lip balms, adding a unique spicy-sweet scent reminiscent of bergamot and oregano.