How to reset grainy skincare balms

How to Reset Your Lip, Face and Body Balms After Hot or Cold Weather

Natural balms are usually made of pure plant oils and butters and nothing else. There's no preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilisers so when it's excessively hot or cold, they’re more sensitive to temperature changes. If your balm has melted, hardened too much, or developed a grainy or crystallised texture, don’t worry! This doesn’t mean it’s gone bad and with a little effort you can get it back to silky perfection. 

light skinned hands showcasing the colour and texture of inlight beauty's balms. orange balm is on the back of one hand a a wooden inlight beauty spatula is being held in another

Why do balms go grainy?

Balms made with ingredients like shea, cocoa or mango butter can sometimes:

  • Melt in heat and become runny or soft

  • Harden in cold and feel too firm

  • Go grainy or slightly grainy after cooling slowly

This is all down to how natural fats crystallise when temperatures fluctuate. It’s normal, your product remains safe to use (as long as no other factors are at play of course), and doesn’t affect how the product performs on your skin. 

How to Reset Your Skin Balm

Bring your balm back to its best with this simple technique:

1. Fully Remelt the Balm

  • If it’s grainy or too firm: Place the closed jar or tin in a bowl of very hot water (or on a warm radiator) until the balm completely melts into a smooth liquid. You can also use a double boiler on a hob or giving it a short warm up in the microwave.

  • Be careful handling hot containers, using over mitts or towels and be sure that the warming method you've chosen is suitable for the type of container that you have. For instance, metal tins and microwaves don't mix. 

2. Rapid Cooling

  • Once fully melted, pop the jar (still closed) into the freezer or fridge.

  • Quick cooling helps the fats solidify uniformly to smooth out any graininess and give your balm back its silky texture. 

3. Let It Return to Room Temperature

  • After cooling, allow the balm to come back to room temperature before use and enjoy the restored texture!

Woman holding a beauty product from vegan beauty brands.

How To Use Grainy Balms

If your balm is just a bit too firm or grainy:

  • Warm it between your hands for a minute - body heat quickly smooths it out on application. 

  • For runny balms that just melted in transit or heat, simply chill in the fridge for a short while until firm again.

How To Prevent Texture Changes

To prevent having to reheat and reset your balms be sure to: 

  • Store at a steady temperature (cool and dry, away from direct sunlight).

  • Avoid extreme hot–cold swings as that’s what causes crystallisation and graininess.

And there you have it! Texture changes are a sign that balms are natural and free from synthetic stabilisers and they can always be gently reset back to silky smooth with a little love!

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