Natural Solutions: DIY Homemade Lip Gloss Recipes

In search of natural DIY Lip Gloss Recipes? Homemade natural lip gloss is fun and easy to make, and there are a ton of different recipes for lip gloss which you can try out right now. What’s even better is, once you get a feel for making your own lip gloss, you can come up with your own lip gloss recipes. In this article, I’m going to teach you the basics of DIY lip gloss, the materials and ingredients you need to get started, and several homemade lip gloss recipes to try. First though, let’s talk about the difference between lip gloss and lip balm.

Lip Gloss vs. Lip Balm

Many people use the words “lip gloss” and “lip balm” interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same thing. When you buy lip gloss at the store, you’re purchasing a product which is purely cosmetic in nature. It is designed to make your lips appear fuller, glossier, and more eye-catching. If you purchase lip balm, however, you are getting a product designed to provide some kind of health benefit to your lips. Lip balms are generally medicated to provide relief from chapping or prevent sunburn.

When you make your own lip gloss at home, it can double as homemade lip balm! For a lip balm to have health benefits, it doesn't necessarily have to contain medication; it can be infused with natural ingredients which not only enhance the appearance of your lips, but also provide other benefits. Natural lip balms and glosses are often healthier than store-bought products which can contain artificial additives. Both lip gloss and lip balm, unlike lipstick, are transparent products. They will change the appearance of your lips, making them appear more moist, but not their color.

Supplies and Ingredients

Before you can get started with your own lip gloss or lip balm, you’ll need some basic supplies. Don’t forget that you will need a container for your finished creation. You may even want to plan to make a whole batch. Even though one container of lip balm will last you a while, homemade lip balm can make a fun and creative gift for your friends or family members. You can either pick up small tins or small glass or plastic containers to hold your finished lip balm. If you’re shopping locally, you might try picking up some small bead containers or something similar at a craft store. If you’re looking for supplies online, you can actually purchase containers intended for lip gloss in bulk.

Petroleum Jelly vs. Beeswax

Most recipes for homemade lip gloss or lip balm use either petroleum jelly or beeswax as a base. Both substances have similar properties and can protect your skin against losing moisture. Petroleum jelly is a petroleum by-product, which in the past was promoted as a general cure-all. It isn’t one (it doesn’t heal cuts and burns for example, as many people once believed), but its moisture-locking properties have been medically verified. The substance is generally considered safe for cosmetic use, but beeswax makes a great alternative if you prefer something which is organic.

Now I’m going to share several different recipes with you. These recipes will make more lip gloss than you will need, so you’ll have an easy gift ready for friends. And the result will probably be better than any product you’ll buy at a store. As far as hunting down the ingredients goes, you’ll probably have the most luck if you head on over to a natural foods store to do your shopping. There you’ll find the natural ingredients required, including herbs and essential oils which go into the lip gloss recipes.

Simple Beeswax Lip Gloss

We’ll start with a very basic recipe for lip gloss which also works as lip balm, sealing moisture into your lips and protecting them against chapping. This recipe makes a batch of a dozen, so you’ll need a dozen lip gloss containers going in.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons beeswax (this is roughly equivalent to an ounce)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons shea butter

You’ll also need:

• A dozen small containers

• A small saucepan

• An eyedropper

Steps to making Simple Beeswax Lip Gloss:

1. Begin by placing the beeswax in your saucepan and turning the heat on low. As the beeswax melts, add in the coconut oil and the shea butter. Stir all your ingredients together while they melt.

2. Now all you have to do is use the eyedropper to transfer the melted mixture into your containers. Once each container is full, you should add several more drops to each. As the ingredients inside cool and harden, they will collapse slightly. This is why you need the eyedropper, instead of a spoon or a cup. It is easier to control, especially the last few drops.

3. Allow the finished containers to cool down. This process can take several hours, and if you disturb the mixtures by checking them early, you’ll dent them. So you may want to walk out of the house for a few hours and then come back and check later.

4. Once the mixtures have cooled down, you can cover them up and decorate the lids as you’d like.

This is probably the most basic, simple recipe for homemade lip gloss you can make. It’s easy to start with this recipe as a base and modify it as you desire with essential oils or flavoring (i.e. vanilla extract) to add some different properties. Essential oils can contribute not only flavor, but also health effects. Use them with care though as they may only be used in very small concentrations.

Lavender Lip Gloss

Here is another, more complex recipe for a lip gloss that adds a hint of color and contains some great natural ingredients for enhancing the health of your lips and skin. It will be a little more expensive to pick up the ingredients, but can be well worth the effort. Once you’ve made the basic recipe above successfully, try out this one for something a little fancier.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (you may substitute almond oil or jojoba oil)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon vitamin E essential oil (if you have vitamin E liquid caplets, you can alternately squeeze out the contents of three of them into the mixture)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (for flavor)
• 7 drops of lavender essential oil
• 1 teaspoon of any natural lipstick of your choice

Steps to making Lavender Lip Gloss:

1. Put a small saucepan on the stove on low heat, and put the beeswax, honey, and olive oil inside. Allow them to melt together, and stir them into a homogenous mixture.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Now (without delay), mix in your vitamin E and lavender essential oils, cocoa powder, and lipsticks.

3. Next, transfer the bowl into a small dish containing ice water. Add in the honey and keep stirring until the mixture is fully integrated.

4. Use your eyedropper to transfer the mixture to your containers.

5. Walk away for three hours as the finished lip gloss cools off.

Creating Your Own Lip Gloss Recipes

By now, you may have noticed some patterns to how lip gloss is made, and hopefully you have a basic understanding of the ingredients you need, and those that are optional. You need at the very least to have beeswax or petroleum jelly, and you need some kind of oil as well. Some people think olive oil feels “greasy,” but this is a matter of personal preference. Honey and Shea butter can enhance your lip gloss and add more substance.

Essential oils, flavorings, and colorings are all extras, but they can make your lip gloss taste better, look more enticing, and possibly even convey additional health benefits. Some of the most popular essential oils for lip gloss recipes include lavender essential oil, peppermint or spearmint essential oil, rose essential oil, or orange essential oil. Make sure that you look up safety information on any essential oil before you use it, since essential oils are extremely potent.

Cocoa and vanilla extract are very popular additions for flavoring. There are plenty of other choices which work well, too. Some people use Kool-Aid to add in easy flavoring. You can also use fruits (mashed up, with the pieces removed, and only the juice remaining) or juice to add flavoring to your mixtures. Vitamin E is a popular choice since it is very healthy for your skin.

Making easy homemade lip gloss is a fun and rewarding activity to do on your own, with your friends, or with your kids. You can customize the recipes to your heart’s content, and share your inventiveness and generosity with your friends. Making lip gloss is pretty easy once you manage to track down on the ingredients you need, and recipes can be either simple or elaborate. Homemade lip gloss makes a great gift for others—or for yourself!