After nearly 20 years in beauty (which feels both incredible and daunting to write) I’ve seen countless lip products come and go–almost always a skincare collection’s ‘afterthought’. I’ve worked with some of the biggest brands in the industry, tested thousands of products, and written about even more. But today, I want to share something deeply personal – the story behind why I created what might be the biggest lip balm you’ve ever seen, and how my own struggle with eczema-prone lips led to Phatstix. It’s a journey that took me from frustrated consumer to kitchen chemist to brand founder, and taught me more about lip balms than I ever thought possible.

The Lip Balm Drawer of Disappointment

If you opened my bedside drawer a few years ago, you’d have found what I lovingly called my “lip balm graveyard.” La Mer, Augustinus Bader, Dior, Burt’s Bees – you name it, I’d tried it. Each had something I loved, but none quite hit the mark. La Mer was gorgeously nourishing but disappeared faster than a chocolate digestive in a cup of tea. Burt’s Bees stayed put but never quite delivered that deep-down moisturisation I craved. The luxury brands offered beautiful packaging and marketing, but often fell short on actual performance.

The real kicker? The cost per gram was eye-watering. Even the more affordable options like Burt’s Bees work out at about £1.12 per gram (as of late 2024). When you’re going through tubes like water because of eczema-prone lips, that adds up fast. I found myself buying multiple tubes at once, stashing them everywhere – coat pockets, desk drawers, bedside tables – and still somehow always needing more.

But here’s what really got me thinking: why are lip balms so tiny? We don’t expect our face moisturisers to come in 4.5g tubes, so why do we accept this for our lips? Especially when many of us apply lip balm multiple times throughout the day. It seemed like a problem that needed solving, not just for me but for everyone who’s ever reached for their lip balm only to find it empty… again.

From Kitchen Experiments to Professional Formula

Phatstix started as pure selfishness, really. One winter, after looking at yet another tiny, nearly-empty tube, I thought, “Why not try making something myself?” I’d dabbled in soap-making before, so how hard could a lip balm be? (Spoiler alert: much harder than I anticipated.)

My kitchen became a makeshift lab. I researched ingredients late into the night, ordered raw materials from suppliers, and started experimenting. The first attempt was… well, let’s just say it was more candle than lip balm. The second wasn’t much better – it melted if you looked at it wrong. But each failure taught me something new about the delicate balance of oils, butters, and waxes.

Fifteen formulations later (yes, fifteen!), I learned exactly how hard it could be. Some were too firm, others too soft, and don’t get me started on the crystallization issues that would appear weeks later. The crystallization was particularly frustrating – you’d think you had a perfect batch, only to find it grainy and unusable three weeks later. But each version taught me something new about what makes a truly effective lip balm.

I started giving Phatstix samples to friends and family, not thinking much of it. A year later, when my mum asked for another one because she was just finishing her first tube, something clicked. These weren’t just courtesy compliments – people were actually using and loving this stuff. That, combined with some personal health challenges at the time, made me realize this could be more than just a kitchen experiment.

The breakthrough came when I partnered with Here2Grow, a husband-and-wife formulation team in York. They took my kitchen experiments and turned them into gold – but remarkably, using pretty much the same natural ingredients I’d been working with. Their expertise helped solve the stability issues that had been plaguing my formulations, and together, we achieved something I hadn’t thought possible: a 12-month stable formula without a single artificial preservative or petrochemical.

Why Make Such a Big Lip Balm?

At 30g, Phatstix is about seven times larger than your standard lip balm. Yes, you read that right – seven times bigger. When I first showed the prototype to beauty industry friends, their reactions ranged from “Are you mad?” to “Why has nobody done this before?” But this wasn’t just about making a statement; it was about solving real problems:

1. Environmental impact: Instead of throwing away up to 12 small plastic tubes per year, you use just one larger one. In our industry’s push for sustainability, we often overlook the simple solution of just using less packaging overall.
2. Value: At £22, it works out 31% better value per gram than standard options. This wasn’t an accident – I was determined to prove that quality skincare doesn’t have to come with luxury markup prices.
3. Practicality: It’s harder to lose (trust me, I’ve tried!), and you’re not constantly searching for it at the bottom of your bag. Plus, the larger size means you can apply it more generously without worry.
4. Longevity: One tube lasts 12 months, meaning fewer replacement purchases and less waste. This also allowed us to focus on creating a truly premium formula, as the cost could be spread over a larger quantity.
5. Satisfaction: There’s something deeply satisfying about having a product that you know won’t run out after a few weeks. It changes your relationship with the product – you can be more generous in application, knowing there’s plenty more.

The Honest Bits About Ingredients

Every ingredient in Phatstix earned its place through rigorous testing. When you’ve spent as long as I have in the beauty industry, you learn that less is often more, but each ingredient needs to pull its weight. Here’s what made the cut and why:

Base Ingredients

• Beeswax: For its incredible protective qualities. This isn’t just any wax – it’s a material that’s been used for millennia in skincare. It creates a breathable barrier that protects while allowing skin to function naturally. I’m actively searching for a British beeswax supplier who can provide steamed wax (to remove impurities) – if you know one, please get in touch!
• Shea Butter: This ingredient means more to me than just its moisturising properties. During my time at The Body Shop, where I started my career as a local store’s charity and campaigns manager, I learned about the Ghanaian women’s cooperatives who produce it. These cooperatives have given women voices in their communities and economic independence. Using the same source for Phatstix feels like coming full circle.

Nourishing Oils

• Raspberry Seed Oil: This is our secret weapon. While it doesn’t smell of raspberries (though you might catch a hint if you try hard enough), it’s packed with Vitamin A and has shown promising results in skin regeneration studies. It’s not a retinol, but research suggests it can help with cell turnover when used consistently.
• A Carefully Balanced Oil Blend: Sunflower, jojoba, almond, and grapeseed oils each serve specific purposes. The sunflower oil, for instance, provides natural preservation properties, allowing us to skip artificial preservatives entirely.

Additional Butters

• Cocoa Butter: Adds richness and lasting protection
• Mango Butter: Provides lightweight but effective moisturisation

What’s equally important is what we left out. No artificial preservatives, no fragrances, no flavours, no petrochemicals. Even common natural preservatives like Tocopherol (Vitamin E) weren’t needed – we achieved stability through careful formulation instead.

The decision to skip fragrance and flavour in Phatstix was particularly influenced by advice from Jane Cunningham (British Beauty Blogger), who has been an invaluable supporter throughout this journey. When you’re essentially eating small amounts of a product throughout the day, why add unnecessary ingredients?

The Packaging Journey (And Why It Drove Me Slightly Mad)

I’ll be honest – finding the right packaging was a journey that nearly broke me. I spent months searching for a British manufacturer who could produce a 30g twist tube. What I discovered was either prohibitively expensive (we’re talking tens of thousands of pounds for custom tooling) or required minimum orders that would have filled my entire house.

Let me take you through some of the more interesting attempts:

The Porcelain Dream

Yes, I seriously considered making the body (not the mechanism) out of porcelain. Imagine how gorgeous that would have been! Thankfully, more sensible heads prevailed before I could spend too much time down that particular rabbit hole.

The Biodegradable Dilemma

Biodegradable options seemed promising until we discovered potential stability issues and concerns about leaching. These materials are still essentially plastics, and when you’re creating a product meant to last 12 months, you can’t risk any degradation affecting the formula.

The Paper Problem

Paper tubes were… an experience. Picture using a paper straw that’s been in your drink for hours, but make it a lip balm container. After a few weeks of use, they looked sad and unhygienic, with lip and bacteria fragments trapped in the layers. Not exactly the premium experience I was aiming for.

The Aluminum Investigation

This one led me down a rather sobering path. While researching aluminum production (which seemed like an eco-friendly option initially), I discovered some troubling information about labor practices and environmental impact. It was a stark reminder that “sustainable” materials aren’t always what they seem.

In the end, I chose recyclable plastic from a reputable manufacturer. It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s durable (I’ve literally thrown these around my house during testing), recyclable, and practical. The tubes are made from ABS and PETG, both widely recyclable materials.

I’m still actively searching for better alternatives, particularly from British manufacturers. If you have connections in sustainable packaging or British manufacturing, I’d love to hear from you. My dream is still to bring production fully to the UK and find an even more sustainable solution.

Looking Forward

Phatstix was born during a challenging time in my life, and it’s become something incredibly personal to me. While I take the formulation deadly seriously, I don’t take myself too seriously – hence the name. (And yes, it had to be spelled with ‘ph’ because I’m a child of the 90s and some things just stick with you.)

Each tube carries a little message on the back – nothing pretentious or preachy, just a gentle reminder of something we all need to hear sometimes. Because let’s be honest, while we’re solving chapped lips, we might as well spread a bit of joy too.

I know a big lip balm won’t change the world. But if it can make your lips happier, reduce waste, save you money in the long run, and maybe make you smile at the slightly cheeky message on the back of each tube, then I’ll count that as a win.

The beauty industry can sometimes take itself too seriously, hiding behind pseudoscience and marketing fluff. With Phatstix, I wanted to cut through all that – to create something that simply works, lasts ages, and brings a bit of fun to your daily routine. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want from our beauty products?

What’s Next?

I’m constantly working on improvements and innovations. Current projects include:

• Searching for British manufacturing solutions
• Investigating new sustainable packaging options
• Developing relationships with local ingredient suppliers
• And yes, still occasionally experimenting with new formulations in my kitchen (old habits die hard)

Have you tried Phatstix yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know any British manufacturers working with sustainable packaging solutions, please drop me a line – I’m always looking to improve and evolve.

Use code META10 for 10% off your first Phatstix order – because who doesn’t love a discount on a massive lip balm?