Batch and container fill calculator
Turn a number of tubes, tins or jars into a batch weight with realistic overage, then split that batch into grams for every ingredient in your formula.
Two pieces of arithmetic stand between a formula and a finished shelf of product: how much total batch you need for the containers you have, and how many grams of each ingredient that means. This calculator does both, and it uses the same constants as the rest of the site so the answers agree with our formula pages.
Multiply your container count by its fill weight, add ten percent for what stays in the pot, and that is your batch weight. Then multiply each ingredient percentage by the batch weight and divide by 100 to get grams. A hundred grams fills about twenty 4.25 g lip tubes or three and a half 1 oz tins.
Container fill weights
Containers are sold by volume and filled by weight, which is the source of most of the confusion. These are the working figures used across Trebalm, based on a set balm density of 0.92 g per millilitre.
| Container | Fill weight | Per 100 g of batch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oval twist-up lip tube | 4.2 to 4.9 g | about 21 | Nominal 0.15 oz. Needs a firmer formula than a tin |
| Round 15 mm lip tube | 5.5 to 6 g | about 17 | |
| 0.15 oz slider tin | about 4 g | about 25 | Popular for sample sizes |
| 1 oz (30 mL) tin | 26 to 28 g | about 3.6 | The standard salve tin |
| 2 oz (60 mL) tin | 52 to 56 g | about 1.8 | |
| 4 oz (120 mL) jar | 105 to 112 g | about 0.9 | Whipped products weigh far less per jar |
A whipped butter or whipped tallow balm has air beaten into it, so a 120 mL jar might hold only 85 to 95 g rather than 108 g. If you are whipping, weigh one finished jar before you scale a batch.
Why overage is not optional
Losses come from four places: the film left on the beaker wall, the balm that sets in the pouring spout, what stays on the spatula and thermometer, and the last few grams that cool below pouring temperature before you get to the final container. Small batches lose proportionally more, because the surface area of your equipment does not shrink with the batch. Ten percent is a sensible default for a 100 to 500 g batch. Go to fifteen if you are pouring lots of small containers, and you can drop toward eight percent on a kilogram batch in a warmed jug.
Working backwards from what you have
The calculator runs in the direction people usually need, from containers to batch. It works the other way just as well: if you have exactly 250 g of balm, divide by the fill weight to see how many containers you can fill, then subtract a container or two for losses. The formula converter handles the related job of turning parts and volume measures into percentages, and batch scaling covers what changes physically when you go from a hundred grams to a few kilograms.
A worked example
Suppose you want 40 lip tubes at 4.25 g. That is 170 g of product. Add ten percent and you need a 187 g batch, which you would round to 190 g for easy weighing. If your formula is 14% beeswax, 26% shea butter, 45% sweet almond oil, 12% castor oil and 3% flavour, that comes out as 26.6 g, 49.4 g, 85.5 g, 22.8 g and 5.7 g. Weigh to 0.01 g, melt the wax and butter first, add the oils, take it off the heat, add the flavour below 50 C and pour at 65 to 72 C. The full method is in how to make lip balm, and filling lip balm tubes covers the pouring itself.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need overage at all?
Because a real batch never yields its full weight. Balm clings to the beaker, the jug, the spatula and the thermometer, and the last of it sets before you can pour it. Eight to fifteen percent covers it for most small batches. Small batches lose proportionally more than large ones.
How many lip balms does 100 g make?
About twenty standard 4.25 g oval tubes before overage, or roughly eighteen once you allow for what stays in the pot. The same 100 g fills about three and a half 1 oz tins.
Why does the tool use 0.92 g per millilitre?
It is the working density of a finished balm, used to convert a container's stated volume into a realistic fill weight. Molten balm is less dense than set balm, which is why tins dip in the centre as they cool. See tunnelling and dips .
My percentages do not total 100. Does that matter?
Yes. A formula that totals 97 or 104 is not a formula, it is a draft. The tool will tell you the difference so you can correct it before you weigh anything.
Can I use this for a much bigger batch?
The arithmetic scales without limit, but the process does not. A two kilogram melt holds heat far longer than a hundred gram one and will crystallise differently, and volatile aromatics are lost faster from a wide vessel. See batch scaling for what changes.
Reviewed and updated 6 September 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix and log it.