When you have a house full of boys like we do, you can bet that there’s at least one kid whose idea of the perfect vacation would be a three-day wilderness hike with just the bare minimum of resources and the challenge to hunt and cook his own food. He didn’t grow up with MacGyver to find out there’s a thing called lip balm tube hacks.
Supplies? A knife and a compass, and maybe a blanket is all he needs, he says.
Don’t forget the lip balm, buddy boy.
I found the perfect video to add to my son’s YouTube playlist. A guy named IntenseAngler outlines 5 Clever Uses for Chapstick. It includes a field expedient fire starter (using your lip balm and a Q-tip) and an emergency candle.
First, let’s clean them. You can take a blow dryer to the lip balm and blow out the inside until the last of the residue has melted. Then use a Q-tip to wipe it all out. Clean in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly.
DIY Lip Balm: it’s easy to make your own lip balm the way you like it. Just do a Google search.
Have lipstick you don’t like? Melt a few different lipstick colors together and see if you can make a new shade from it. I’ve done this! Just melt using a double boiler, and then fill the lip balm tube with the melted lipstick using a medicine dropper. Allow to solidify and you’re ready to go.
Carry or hide jewelry – it’s the perfect size for light necklaces or stud earrings (lotion sticks are even better for this!)
Store extra salt, pepper or seasonings to keep handy for your next camping trip or restaurant visit.
Mini Sewing Kit: you can store safety pins, needles, thread, pins and even a couple of buttons.
Office supplies: have paper clips, small nails and push-pins ready for use.
How about the lip balm itself? Keep those handy for these ideas:
“Elephant Elbows” are elbows so dry, they look like elephant skin. Swipe some lip balm and apply to your elbows to make them look conditioned and nourished.
Cuticles: Apply lip balm to your cuticles and massage.
Eyelids: Try it on your eyes before applying eye shadow for a smooth look.
Disheveled-looking eyebrows? Apply lip balm to your brows and then groom with a brow brush. (It can also work for flyaway hair).
Paw Pads: One customer, Kate, said she used a lip balm for her dog’s paws. Her dog suffered from hyperkeratosis so she’d massage it into his paws since she knew that the ingredients were non-toxic for her pet. Worked like a charm!
Apply to a blister that’s just beginning to form.
Paper cuts: apply lip balm to start the healing fast.
Remove a ring: swollen fingers making it difficult to remove your ring? Apply lip balm for easy removal.
Stuck zipper? apply lip balm and get the zipper zipping again.
Shoe buffer! put the shine back into your leather shoes with lip balm.
Prevent fog from forming on your glasses or other lenses by first using your finger to lightly coat the lenses with lip balm, then wipe residue completely with a clean soft cloth. Future cleaning will be easier than ever.
Protect your carbon steel knife blades from rust and corrosion using the same technique as #3. (My son does this with Beesilk.)
Use lip balm to lubricate the threads of your outdoor equipment (like your flashlight) or use on screws that are starting to stick.
Make a fire starter on your next camp-out by taking bark from a tree (like Juniper/cedar bark), rub lip balm throughout the fibers, make a nest with it, and the light the mass for a longer burn time.
Make an improvised birthday candle by inserting a Q-tip in the center of the tube with the cotton piece sticking out. Light and celebrate.
Improve the friction of your tools by applying lip balm to the edges.
