How to make lipstick from scratch? If you want to learn how to make lipstick at home with natural ingredients, then you are on the right page. This DIY lipstick recipe is my favorite, and I will explain to you why!
I’ve tried several lipstick recipes, but none of them were like real lipstick. They were all like lip balm and the color did not show up on my lips.
Finally, I found a DIY lipstick recipe that I really like! So, I am rushing to share this awesome DIY lipstick recipe here on my page.
This DIY natural lipstick is smooth, stays on the lips for longer than some regular lipsticks, not heavy, and it moisturizes the lips well. I also noticed it gives a slight plumping effect to the lips. I can say it is a lip balm and a lipstick combo.
Pros of this DIY natural lipstick:
- Natural ingredients! I am not scared to ingest them while having my meals.
- Color shows on my lips!
- Not heavy.
- Moisturizing
- Protects against over-drying and cracks.
- Great protection from chilly weather.
- Cost-effective if you already have the ingredients. If not, it is still cost-effective as you can make lots of other beauty and care products using the same ingredients.
Cons of this DIY natural lipstick:
- If you use smelly lanolin, your lipstick will smell the same. So, you will need to pay attention when purchasing it. I use Lansinoh lanolin, which has no smell at all. I also have pure lanolin from Now foods, and it smells like lamb (which I wouldn’t use for this DIY lipstick recipe).
- This recipe makes lots of lipsticks, so you may want to adjust the amount based on your needs. I ended up with about 25-30 lipsticks of the same color.
Are you ready to learn how to make lipstick from scratch?
About the ingredients used in this DIY lipstick recipe
Before learning how to make lipstick from scratch, we need to know what kind of ingredients to use and why do we use them. This do-it-yourself lipstick recipe uses the ingredients below.
Castor oil moisturizes and gives a smooth and plump feeling to lips. I do not recommend substituting it with any other oil in this recipe.
Lanolin is the best thing for cracked and chapped lips and skin. It provides a staying power to the lipstick and protects the lips from the cold, wind and any other external irritants. It is also waterproof. Lanolin is one of the essential ingredients in this lipstick. It is derived from the wool of the sheep and called wool wax. Use lanolin without any smell in this homemade lipstick recipe. Lansinoh Lanolin has no smell at all.
Beeswax is the wax secreted by bees to make honeycombs. It is usually yellow but can be white if filtered. Choose a white beeswax to avoid undesired color changes in your final product. Mixing yellow with red results in orange.
Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of the Copernicia prunifera palm and also known palm wax or Brazil wax. Purified carnauba wax is considered food safe and non-toxic. I assume it is safe to use in a lipstick and I don’t know any other good substitutes.
Vitamin E oil. Choose “alpha-tocopherol” as it is the most biologically active form of the vitamin E. Synthetic vitamin E is usually derived from petroleum products, and it begins with “dl”, for example, “dl-alpha-tocopherol”.
Mica is a naturally occurring mineral, which is usually composed of potassium, iron, aluminum, magnesium and water. I can’t say it is 100% safe simply because I don’t know. I need more in-depth research on this. For now, most sources claim it is very safe. I used Rose colored mica and White (not very shimmery) mica.
Iron Oxide is basically a rust. Iron oxides are used as colorants in the cosmetic industry and considered safe when used externally. One low concern is that Iron Oxides are suspected nano-scale ingredients which can absorb into the skin. Do not sniff the Iron Oxide powder. I did not use it because I did not have it.
D&C colors mean colors that can be used in Drug & Cosmetic industries. I did not use any in this lipstick recipe (but Mica).
Grapefruit seed extract is used to preserve the product. I used a few drops of rosemary oil, and I did not notice any spoilage of my homemade lipsticks which I use about a year long.
Essential Oils for fragrance. I used Vanilla essential oil and Lavender essential oil. I also used a few drops of Rosemary oil & Tea Tree oil. Use natural essential oils, not synthetic ones. Adding a few drops of Cinnamon essential oil may help plump your lips. Some people may be sensitive to Cinnamon essential oil so please take precautions.
Stevia Extract for a sweet taste. Very optional. Stevia extract is a white powder and is a refined version of stevia leaves. This is not a natural product, but you need a tiny amount which will not make any changes to the consistency of our lipstick mixture.
How to Make Lipstick from Scratch? DIY Lipstick Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.8 oz Castor Oil
- 0.08 oz Color (Iron oxide, Mica powder, and D&C color combination to get the desired shade). I used Rose red mica.
- 0.36 oz White Mica powder for shimmery lipstick or another desired pigment
- 0.5 oz White Beeswax Pallets (or grated white Beeswax)
- 0.32 oz Carnauba Wax
- 0.06 oz Vitamin E oil
- 0.16 oz Lanolin
- Grapefruit extract – few drops (I didn’t use)
- Natural flavor oil – few drops (I used Vanilla, Lavender, Tea tree, and Rosemary essential oils)
- 1-2 pinches of Stevia extract (optional)
Instructions
-
- Pulverize the colors and mixtures in a grinder or something that can make them very fine and powdery. I used very fine Mica, so I skipped this step.
- Mix castor oil, colors, and pigments (I used Rose Mica and White Mica) in a double boiler or a pan. If using a pan, heat the mixture over a very low heat. Stir well.
- Add beeswax pearls (or grated beeswax), carnauba wax, Stevia (optional) and Lanolin. Stir and heat until fully melted (or until it reaches170°F).
- Remove from heat. Stir. When the mixture cools down a little, add a few drops of Grapefruit seed extract and desired essential oils for scent. I used 3-4 drops of Rosemary essential oil, 8 drops of Vanilla essential oil, 10 drops of Lavender essential oil. Adding 1-2 drops of Cinnamon essential oil may help plump your lips. Some people may be sensitive to Cinnamon essential oil so please take precautions.
- Fill empty lipstick or lip balm containers with the mixture. Let cool.
- The lipstick is ready!
Please, visit the DIY Beauty Recipes section on my website for more recipes like this.
Recipe courtesy of Penta Vedra Soap Shoppe. I slightly modified the recipe adjusting it to my own needs.
I hope this recipe give me the vibrant and bold colors I need. I need my lipstick to stand out in a crowd. Thank you will try.
Hi, Voncile! The color dept depends on how much and what kind of pigment you use. Let me know how it turns out! Feruza.
How would I narrow down this recipe for just five or six tubes at a time.