Scientists use the knowledge of chemistry to make many products that you use on a daily basis, like lip gloss, soap, hand sanitizer and even foods you like to eat! Be a chemist and make your own lip balm today!
Materials:
2 tablespoons coconut oil, ½ pack of Kool-Aid or other drink mix, water, 1 tsp sugar, small pot or jar, bowl, spoon
Alternative materials: petroleum jelly (vaseline) instead of coconut oil
Time Estimated:
20 minutes
Directions:
Place two teaspoons of coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl
Place the bowl into the microwave and microwave for 5 seconds
Check to see if coconut oil is soft after 5 seconds and stir; heat in 5 second intervals until coconut oil is soft and stirrable
Pour half the pack of Kool-Aid, 1 tsp water, and 1 tsp sugar into a small bowl and mix until a paste forms
Mix the paste into the coconut oil mixture and stir until smooth and there are minimal to no lumps
Pour the mixture into a small jar and cool in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until the lip gloss is solidified
Enjoy! Try it on your lips!
Think Like A Scientist:
Why did we use Kool-Aid to color our lip balm? What else could we use?
Why did we have to put the lip balm in the fridge at the end? Let us know your answer in the comments below!
How It Works:
This experiment is an example of a lot of different really awesome topics in chemistry! One topic is about melting points. A melting point of a substance is the temperature at which a substance turns from a solid to a liquid. A solid is one form of matter, and a liquid is another form of matter. In this experiment, you can see that with the addition of energy (which in this experiment is the heat that comes from the microwave or your mixing), matter can change its state. Scientists often use melting points to classify substances.
Coconut oil has a LOW melting point, meaning that you do not have to add a lot of heat or energy to it to change its state of matter! When the molecules and atoms in the lip gloss cool down, they slow down. This slowing down process is when the lip gloss you made turns back into a solid! This is called solidification.
Another cool concept of chemistry shown here is the difference between unsaturated and saturated fats. Different types of fat, like butter, canola oil, and coconut oil, melt differently because of the types of chemical structures they have, called “lipid chains.'“ This is a super advanced topic, but all you need to know is that different types of fats have different chemical structures, and because of that, they all have different properties!
Chemistry is the study of all the atoms and molecules around us and how they interact with one another. Scientists use their knowledge of chemistry to make many chemicals that make up products you use on a daily basis, like lip gloss, soap, hand sanitizer and even foods you like to eat! When we understand the properties of materials around us, we are able to mix those materials together to make new products! Just like the lip gloss you made today!
Now that you’ve had your turn to be a scientist, check out another incredible scientist- Nina! Nina is a research and development manager for a cosmetic company. You can watch her interview on our Youtube channel!
Looking for more fun at home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
