Anyhoo I've been asking around about the tubes as I've never used them before, and low and behold a totally unexpected (non B&B) person tells me they have some I can have - for free! This girl got them a few years back thinking she would make balms to sell at week-end markets but never got around to it .. So they've been stored away until this morning .. And I now have a zip lock bag of 50 red & purple tubes to play with until my order arrives from the US *yippee*
But Oh My, switching to tubes is not as easy as I imagined it would be!
I think I wasted nearly half my lovely balm in spillage :(
And when I did the top up pour to hide the dimple, it didn't stick to the first pour so all the domes you see below fell off! (one inside circle) ..
Luckily I had the smarts to order a 'pour tray' along with the new tubes (and heat bands), so that should fix my spillage problem .. And I'm going to have another go tomorrow using a stainless steel milk jug with a much sharper spout than my pyrex one ..
But how do I top them up so they have nice rounded tops that stick?
Please share your hints and tips with me if you know how to do this correctly! I'm kind of desperate for answers, and clearly NOT a natural!
These look fantastic! i would love to try one out
ReplyDeleteOh Clear, I so don't know from experience what to do. I have read that you pour slightly cooler to avoid the dimple. Others just embrace it apparently. A touch of a heat gun will help but may be contraindicated with a plastic tube!
ReplyDeleteHere is a great link to help you:-
http://www.aussiesoapsupplies.com.au/Lip-Balm-for-Lip-Tubes-p-73.html
How cool! The purple tubes are awesome! I use a pipette/dropper to fill my lip balm tubes. I also read just as the top is cooling, but still liquid, to add the last drop to the top. who knows, I've only successfully done it once.
ReplyDeleteI use the pour tray for my lip balms do a bit of an 'overfill' on each one. Then I use a scraper or sharp knife to scrape excess lip lip balm from the tray once it's set, and when I pull the lip balms out they are nice and full with a flat top. Hope that helps. x
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about tubes the other day- I currently do shallow tins... I'm dreading it...lol.
ReplyDeleteThese are all wonderful comments! I use a pipette to fill my tubes as well. I add drops of lip balm until there is a dome, and then go back over them as they start to cool. Still get some dimples, but I say - oh well! The heat gun does work, but it's tricky as well to melt it enough to flatten out the tops without it spilling over the edge.
ReplyDeleteI also band them together in groups of seven, and that helps stabilize them as I fill them. I tried the trays and didn't like them. Maybe because I tried to remove them before they were fully set up.
Best wishes! Practice makes perfect - or helps anyway!