How to make natural lip gloss

I enjoyed doing it my lipstick with natural ingredients, but sometimes a girl needs a little lip gloss. A natural lip gloss can add some shine and color to your lips and is simple to do. Here's how to make natural lip gloss that's moisturizing and nourishing to give your lips some love!

DIY lip gloss

A popular tutorial for making your own lip gloss is to simply combine Vaseline (Vaseline) and crayons. While it's light and offers some color, this formulation has some (big) problems.

petrolatum it is a by-product of the petroleum (gasoline) refining industry and has some potential side effects. Evidence points to toxic hydrocarbon contamination and breakdown of skin collagen. These toxins accumulate in the body and can even pass through breast milk.

Then there's the crayon problem…

While crayons are technically non-toxic, they are not meant to be used in skin care (much less ingested). The pigments used are proprietary and (unlike DIY crayons) there is no way to know what you are getting. In fact, Crayola is convinced consumers should not use their pencils for makeup prescriptions.

So how do you DIY lip gloss then?

Homemade recipe for lip gloss

There are many safe, natural ingredients you can use to make your own lip care recipes! or lip balm the recipe is great for moisturizing the lips and the natural lip gloss can do the same. Carrier oils help hydrate, while beeswax and shea butter protect. You can also add a few drops of essential oil for added aroma and benefits.

You can add a bit of tint or go for more of a sheer lip gloss. Since beeswax, butters, and oils naturally have a color, it won't show clearly on the container, but it will on the rim. For colorants, mica works well to add some shine. Another option is to infuse the carrier oil with alkane roots for a red pigment. Beetroot powder is sometimes recommended, but it does not give much color and becomes harsh.

How to make lip gloss

Now that we've eliminated the crayon/vaseline option, what ingredients do we use? Conventional lip gloss bases use ingredients like Versagel as a base. While it is clear and easily tinted, it is also made up of tongue twisters like Hydrogenated Polyisobutene and Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate. (Yes, that's really a word!)

I don't like to swallow any of this by putting it on my lips!

Instead, this recipe uses carrier oils, beeswax, castor oil, and alkanes root (optional) for color. Castor oil really is the secret ingredient. It not only nourishes the lips but also gives them that shine. If you don't want a painted option, then remove the root alkanes. Sweet almond oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil work here. I didn't use coconut oil as it changes from a liquid to a solid depending on the temperature. That way, if your house gets cold, you're still able to apply lip gloss.

Lip gloss container

I often make lip balms to give as gifts and use the lip balm containers or molds. The lip gloss is much softer, so it won't work in a Chapstick container. There are many lip gloss tubes with an applicator stick available on Amazon, but I could only find plastic options. The popular squeeze bottle option is also plastic. Instead, I decided to use a glass roller bottle for this lip gloss.

If you don't have a roller bottle, then a metal or glass can will work. Keep in mind that the product will be soft so it can get messy. You can always increase the beeswax a little to make it stronger in a jar.

How to make scented lip gloss

Essential oils are an easy and healthy way to flavor your lip gloss. Some essential oils, such as cinnamon, clove and lemon, can cause irritation and burning, even in small amounts. Others, such as lime, lemon and bergamot are phototoxic. Phototoxic oils can cause burns if the skin/lips are subsequently exposed to sunlight.

Some good lip-safe options (when diluted properly) include:

You can mix and match those flavors that sound good and experiment to create your own flavors!

More natural beauty products

Here are some more DIY recipes to try. They make great gifts (and don't forget to keep some for yourself!).

Have you ever done your own makeup before? What products would you like to see recipes for? Leave a comment and let us know!