How to make a luxurious floral balm worth $250

What if I told you that you could make your very own premium, natural, and vegan skincare balm using the world’s most luxurious ingredients? Well, you can!

In this post, I’m going to show you exactly how to make an ultra-luxurious and high-end silky floral balm from the comfort of your home, using $250 worth of ingredients.

Yes, you’ve read that right – $250 just for the ingredients. But trust me, it’s worth every penny. You’ll be using ultra-rare, premium ingredients like frangipani wax and hyaluronic acid pearls to make this balm, and the final result will be better than anything that you can find on the market.

This isn’t just a balm – it’s a masterpiece (if I can say so myself!). It’s got a silky texture, a heavenly floral scent, and high-end botanical ingredients. And the best part? You can make a whole stash of balms using these ingredients, not just a single jar – so it really pays off.

Ready to make it? Let’s get started!

What makes this balm so special

Not only does this balm smell, look, and feel divine, but it’s also as good, if not better, as some of the luxury skincare items you can buy in stores.

Balms like this usually retail for hundreds of dollars. Chanel even has a balm that sells for over $400. So while this isn’t cheap to make, you could make multiple balms to use yourself, gift to family and friends, or even sell them at a retail price.

You don’t need to be a chemist or use fancy equipment to create high-end skincare that’s safe, stable, and sellable, as making this high-end balm will show you. You just need the right training, but more on that later. For now, simply enjoy making and using this balm!

How to use this floral balm

There are so many ways you can enjoy this high-end vegan floral balm.

The balm melts effortlessly into your skin without leaving a greasy residue, leaving it soft, nourished, and hydrated.

Its soft, semi-solid, ultra-sensorial texture makes it super easy and enjoyable to apply. You can use it on your lips, elbows, brow, or wherever your skin needs some extra TLC.

And the best part? You’ll know exactly what’s in it – because you’ll have made it yourself.

On top of that, this luxurious balm has a heavenly floral scent that pairs beautifully with perfume, adding a subtle fragrance to your skin.

What you’ll need to make this luxurious floral balm

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this high-end balm:

Ingredients

First, let’s take a look at the ingredients you’ll need. You can source all of the ingredients listed below from cosmetic ingredient suppliers near you. I’ve shared a comprehensive list with you at the end of this post.

If you can’t find some of these ingredients, don’t worry! You can easily substitute them. You could, for example, swap the floral waxes with other waxes like beeswax or rice wax. Just keep in mind that beeswax isn’t vegan, so it may not suit everyone, and that you’ll have to adjust the amount of wax you use. I’ve shared more substitution tips in the FAQ section at the end of this this post.

1. Botanical oils

The first thing you’ll need is botanical oils to form the nourishing base of your balm.

You’ll need sunflower oil, jojoba oil, apricot oil, and camellia tea oil – you can find all of the exact measurements in the formulation table later in the “how to make this balm” section of this post.

These oils are emollient, meaning they’ll deeply nourish your skin, leaving it silky-soft.

Camellia oil is particularly special because it’s been used and treasured for centuries, notably by Geishas for their dewy complexions. It’s also rich in oleic acid, antioxidants (A, K, D, and E), and squalene. Additionally, it helps restore elasticity, combat UV damage, and support the skin barrier. Its lightweight, non-greasy texture absorbs quickly, making it ideal for all skin types.

2. Floral waxes

Next, you will need waxes to hold the balm together.  What makes this balm so special is that you’ll be using floral waxes instead of traditional beeswax.

If you haven’t heard of floral waxes before, they’re not actual waxes but residues from the production of floral absolutes, which are highly concentrated, fragrant extracts from flowers.

You will need jasmine wax, mimosa wax, frangipani wax, and rose wax. Unlike beeswax, which isn’t vegan, these waxes are plant-based. They melt into a silky, semi-solid texture and also have amazing skin benefits.

Floral waxes also feel incredibly light and luxurious on the skin while locking in moisture, acting as a protective barrier against environmental stress, and preventing water loss. They’re also great vegan alternatives to traditional waxes.

If you’re interested in learning more about waxes, check out these posts:

6 vegan waxes for organic cosmetic formulations

How to work with natural cosmetic waxes

3. Actives – Hyaluronic acid pearls

And now for the real showstopper of this balm: hyaluronic acid pearls. You will need 0.7g of hyaluronic acid pearls, which is about 5 or 6 pearls.

If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen the hyaluronic acid hype. And it’s trending for a reason! Hyaluronic acid (HA) is celebrated for its ability to attract and retain moisture, plumping the skin and leaving it looking hydrated and dewy. If you want to learn more about hyaluronic acid, check out this blog post:

Hydration revolution: The formulator’s guide to hyaluronic acid

But what makes this floral balm so unique is that you’ll be using hyaluronic acid in its pearl form instead of its powder or liquid form. These pearls help strengthen your skin barrier, protect against environmental stress, and give you a radiant glow. They’re also incredibly luxurious.

4. Final extracts

Finally, you’ll need the following botanical extracts:

• Bisabolol, which is an anti-inflammatory extract that can be made from chamomile or the Brazilian candeia tree, but is often synthetically produced to protect candeia tree populations.
• EcoSilk, which is a vegetable emollient made from sugar beet and coconut, which will help improve the skin feel and also nourish your skin.
• Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that will protect your balm from rancidity (basically, stop it from going bad).
• Rose plant pigment, which gives the balm its beautiful natural pink colour.

While these extracts aren’t cheap, they will help you create the most stunning and professional-grade floral balm that you can use yourself, share with friends and family, or even adapt to sell if you want to start your own skincare brand!

Equipment

You’ll also need the following equipment to make this balm:

• A water bath, which you can set up with a hot plate or your stove and a pan of water
• A jewellery scale with 0.01g precision for accurate measurements
• 1 glass beaker
• A few glass rods and pipettes, as well as a spatula and some spoons
• A mini whisk
• And a glass jar for your finished product

And that’s it! You can find all of this equipment on our Amazon storefront.

You’ll also need a hair tie to tie your hair back, an apron, and disposable gloves to keep you safe and your workspace clean while making this balm.

How to make a $250 floral beauty balm

Formulation type: Hot-process

Time: Around 45 minutes + 1-12 hours to set the balm

Level: Beginner-friendly

Here’s how to make 50g of this luxurious floral balm, step-by-step:

• Step 2: Weigh your ingredients one by one in a beaker

Now, let’s actually make this balm! This balm is super easy to make, as it uses a one-pot method. Basically, you’re going to weigh every ingredient into a single beaker, starting with the ones that can tolerate heat first, and adding the heat-sensitive ones at the end.

Start by setting up your water bath and heating it gently while you weigh your ingredients. Add each ingredient carefully into your beaker, taring after each addition, using the “tare” button. This will reset your scale to zero, so all your measurements are precise.

First, add the plant oils: you’ll need 15g of sunflower oil, 10g of jojoba oil, 8.75g of apricot oil and 5g of camellia tea oil. Next, add the floral waxes: that’s 2.5g of jasmine wax, 2.6g of mimosa wax, 1g of frangipani wax, and 0.5g of rose wax. Finally, add your hyaluronic acid pearls (0.7g) and your EcoSilk (2.5g).

• Step 3: Heat your heat-resistant ingredients

You’re now ready to melt these ingredients. Place your beaker into your pre-heated water bath and let the ingredients melt. This should take around five minutes.

You’ll likely see the hyaluronic acid pearls melt first because they’re softer, and the floral waxes will melt last because they have a higher melting point.

Congratulations! You’ve just made your very own high-end multipurpose floral balm – a product that could easily rival luxury skincare sold for hundreds of dollars. I’m so excited for you to try it and share it with your family and friends.

I’ll also let you in on a secret: making your own skincare doesn’t have to be that expensive. The only difference between a $10 balm and a $250 balm is the ingredients. Not the method. I just wanted to show you how easy it is to make a luxury skincare product.

If there’s one thing to take away from this post, it’s that you don’t need to be a chemist to formulate high-end, safe, stable, and sellable products. All you need is the right training, and our free organic skincare formulation course is the perfect way to start. In it, you’ll learn how to create safe, effective, and natural skincare products from scratch. I hope to see you there!

Suggested suppliers 

Here’s a list of suggested suppliers you can use to source the ingredients for this balm:

INKY Ingredients (UK)

Aroma-Zone (EU)

Aromantic (UK)

Alexmo Cosmetics (EU)

Manske (EU)

The Soap Kitchen (UK)

Ellemental  (EU)

Lotioncrafter (USA)

Essential Labs (USA)

Go Native NZ (New Zealand)

Naturally Balmy (UK)

O&3 – The Oil Family (UK/EU)

Soap & More (Canada)

Handymade (EU)

Formulator Sample Shop (USA)

FAQ/Substitutions

If you can’t find the ingredients for this balm, don’t worry! Here are a few substitution ideas:

• Can I swap the floral waxes?

Yes, you can! If you can’t find floral waxes where you live, you could use beeswax instead (Cera Bellina). This will give you the closest texture to the original balm.

You could also try using other plant waxes, like rice bran wax, for example. Just make sure to slightly reduce the amount of wax used. Also, keep in mind that not using floral waxes will remove the natural floral scent, but you can add a few drops of essential oils to recreate it.

• What can I use instead of hyaluronic acid pearls?

Hyaluronic acid pearls are harder to substitute, as they’re so unique, but you can try replacing them with other oil-soluble active ingredients. Co₂ extracts, coenzyme Q10, or bakuchiol are great options. The benefits will differ, but your balm will still be amazing.

• Can I replace EcoSilk?

EcoSilk is a lightweight emollient and silicone alternative. You can use any other light emollient or silicone alternative, like olive squalane, or simply increase the amount of camellia oil if you can’t find it.

• Can I add more pigment?

Absolutely! Increase the pigment for a stronger colour, or leave it out entirely if you can’t find plant pigments. Just remember to adjust the other ingredients accordingly to keep the balance of the formulation.

• Where can I learn to make my own skincare and haircare products?

At Formula Botanica, the world’s leading online organic cosmetic formulation school, we offer free and paid self-paced courses to teach you everything from basic natural formulations like facial oils and balms to advanced formulations like creams and serums. Join tens of thousands of students today by enrolling in our free training course, and learn how to create your own organic skincare and haircare products from scratch!

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Brooke Medhurst

Brooke Medhurst is a Tutor at Formula Botanica. Find out more about the Formula Botanica Team.