How to Reset a Melted or Grainy Balm

Melted or grainy balm? Here's how to reset it

Because our products are made without water, emulsifiers or synthetic thickeners, they behave like the natural butters and oils they're made from. Warm them and they soften or melt; cool them slowly and some can turn grainy. Neither affects how well they work, and both are easy to fix.

If your product has melted

Put the lid on tightly, stand it upright in the fridge for a few hours until it has set, then let it come back to room temperature before using it.

If your balm has gone grainy

Graininess happens in products made with shea butter. Shea butter contains several natural fats that set at different temperatures. If it melts and then cools slowly (on a warm windowsill, in a parcel on a hot day, or after a cold night in the car), those fats set separately into small, gritty lumps. It's the same thing that gives chocolate a white bloom. The texture changes, but the product is just as good to use.

To make it smooth again:

  1. Screw the lid on tightly. Our products contain no preservatives, so it's important that no water gets in.
  2. Melt it completely. Stand the jar in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water until the balm is fully liquid with no lumps left. Use a cloth or oven glove, as the glass gets hot.
  3. Dry the jar, especially around the lid.
  4. Cool it quickly. Put the warm jar straight into the fridge and leave it until it has fully set, ideally overnight. Setting it fast is what keeps it smooth.
  5. Let it come back to room temperature before using it.

Please don't use a microwave: it heats unevenly, and our metal lids can't go in one.

What about whipped products?

Some of our products are whipped to make them light and fluffy. Melting one and letting it set again won't bring the whip back: it will set as a firmer, smoother balm. It's exactly the same product and works just as well. It just feels a little different.

How to stop it happening

Keep your products somewhere cool and away from radiators, sunny windowsills and hot cars, and avoid big swings in temperature. In very hot weather, the fridge is a good place for them.

Still not right?

If a reset doesn't bring your product back to how it should be, get in touch and we'll help.