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All-Natural Homemade Lipstick Recipe

August 30, 2012 by Katie Wells
Natural Homemade Lipstick Recipe with color variations
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Homemade Lipstick Recipe+−
    • Optional Color Add-Ins
  • Homemade Lipstick Instructions

I’ve gotten several requests for my natural lip balm, lipstick, and Chapstick recipes, and while I’ve been making these for years, I finally got around to actually measuring the ingredients so I could tell you the recipe (I usually just made it by eyeballing the amounts).

Surprisingly, conventional lipstick can be a source of harmful chemicals and since it is used on the skin (lips) and near the mouth, these chemicals can be easily absorbed. These homemade lipstick variations let you create a personalized lipstick color that is chemical free and inexpensive to make.

If you aren’t a fan of colored lip sticks, you can make this recipe without any added color options to achieve a basic natural lip chap.

Homemade Lipstick Recipe

  • 1 teaspoon beeswax pastilles
  • 1 teaspoon Shea butter or Cocoa Butter
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

This base recipe will create a smooth, clear lipstick that is very moisturizing and protective. It is made from completely natural ingredients and is safe for us on the lips or skin. If you want, you can add color with the following add-ins to create a color of your choice.

Optional Color Add-Ins

  • For Red Hues: 1/8 teaspoon of beet root powder or 1 drop of natural red food coloring with no chemical additives. NOTE: Add these very slowly as a little goes a long way!
  • For Brown/Tan Hues: 1/4 teaspoon (or more for color) of organic cocoa powder, a tiny pinch of cinnamon or turmeric to get the shade you want
  • For a more Matte texture: 1/4 teaspoon bentonite clay– I use this with a color so it doesn’t leave a white tint on the lips.
  • For Scent: A drop of essential oil of choice (optional)

Homemade Lipstick Instructions

Melt the beeswax, shea butter/cocoa butter and coconut oil in a glass jar without a lid in a small pot of simmering (not boiling) water. It should melt quickly because so little of each ingredient is used.

When melted, remove from heat and add any optional ingredients like color or scent. To get the hue in the picture above, I used a tiny pinch of beet root powder (1/8 tsp or less), 1/4 tsp cocoa powder, 1/8 tsp bentonite clay, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and a drop of peppermint essential oil (just because I like the smell). I think I added slightly more cocoa powder after mixing to darken it up slightly but I didn’t measure that one.

Once all ingredients are mixed well but still liquid, use a dropper to pour into the lip chap container. I used the glass dropper from an old tincture bottle. Fill just below the top as it will expand slightly as it cools. Leave to cool for at least half an hour. Store in a cool place (under 80 degrees) or it will soften.

Enjoy!

Ever made your own cosmetics? How did it go? What hue would you make of this recipe? Share below!

This natural homemade lipstick recipe is an easy alternative to commercial versions that contain harmful chemicals. Made with all natural ingredients.

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Category: Beauty

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (315 Comments)

  1. Elizabeth

    October 26, 2012 at 10:37 AM

    I made this with cocoa butter and a drop of peppermint oil and it is like I have a York Patty on my lisp. Yum! The peppermint makes it tingle like “real” chapstick. This recipe made 2 tubes with a little left to apply to everyone in the house 🙂 Just a note: I had no problem filling the first tube but by the time I had gotten to the second the mixture was hardening already. So move quick!!

    Reply
    • Jane Keogh

      November 3, 2014 at 5:14 AM

      Hi
      Where did you get your tubes?

      Reply
      • Lia

        December 11, 2014 at 4:06 PM

        you can try Sage Mountain. That’s where I get mine.

        Reply
        • Jaime Ketchum

          March 10, 2019 at 2:05 PM

          I’m gonna be using this recipe right now! I really trust you when it comes to all natural Products. I will let you know how it turns out

          Reply
        • Priya

          March 11, 2020 at 10:30 AM

          How to create orange colour

          Reply
    • katie

      December 29, 2014 at 5:03 PM

      ok I will give you ,my recipe you are going to need: 1 tsp of Vaseline
      2 tsp of coconut oil
      1/2 tsp of vitamin e oil
      1 tsp of mineral oil
      2 tsp of watermelon flavoring
      so that is all the stuff that you will need ok and I hope you know what to do next so I love sex

      Reply
      • Miki

        February 11, 2015 at 9:03 PM

        Katie, Vaseline is a biproduct of gasoline, and *NOT* safe for use anywhere on your body. Disgusting stuff!

        Reply
        • Sonia

          September 30, 2019 at 8:02 PM

          And I’ve hear mineral oil isn’t safe either !

          Reply
        • anna

          January 5, 2020 at 1:36 AM

          your thinking of G-G-G-Gasoline

          Reply
      • Tori

        August 25, 2019 at 8:57 PM

        So when I made the mixture, it turned out all grainy, and the color wouldn’t mix in, could you tell me why? I really love the idea. Love your products! ???? Keep going!

        Reply
  2. Melissa Duncan

    October 23, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    I’m so excited to try this! I just ordered my butters today and my natural dyes should be coming in this week :D. Ever since I started doing some research, my whole outlook on what I put on my body has changed. Thank you for posting these recipes for people like me!!

    Reply
  3. Brittany Murawski

    September 28, 2012 at 1:27 AM

    is there an alternative to the beeswax? I am highly allergic to it but would love to try

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      September 28, 2012 at 8:48 AM

      Mountain Rose Herbs has a non-bee sourced emulsifying wax that would probably work as well.

      Reply
    • Natalia

      March 8, 2014 at 1:16 AM

      Carnauba wax is vegan and sourced from a type of palm :). It is much harder than beeswax though so start with 1/2 the amount and see how you like the texture

      Reply
  4. Kate

    September 2, 2012 at 9:36 PM

    I usually use 1tbs of beeswax with 3 tbs of coconut oil and 1tbs of castor oil (cause I like it glossy) and I don’t have melting issues. I always have one in my pocket.

    Reply
  5. Karey

    September 2, 2012 at 6:45 PM

    I’ve made a lipstick using alkanet as the colorant. Do you have any opinions on that? Since I’ve not tried beet, am wondering which truly adds color to the lips. And after reading the comments, because I use more beeswax and mango butter, so to be less melty in my pocket, I think they don’t allow much color to transfer I’m guessing. I love my homemade and don’t really need the color so much, just the emollient qualities.

    Reply
  6. Vivian

    August 31, 2012 at 5:06 PM

    have you used the clear lipstick containers? how did they work out for you?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      September 1, 2012 at 12:07 PM

      I have… They look a little messy with the color on the inside but they work…

      Reply
  7. Amy Knecht

    August 31, 2012 at 12:43 AM

    Is there anything I could add to make it stay more solid when it’s warm? It gets pretty warm in my house in the summer because we don’t like to run our cooler too much, plus I often carry lip balms and glosses in my pocket when I’m out and about, so I’m afraid of it melting.

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      August 31, 2012 at 12:22 PM

      Add more beeswax until you get it as solid as you want… the more you add, the less lipstick will transfer to your lips each time, but it will stay solid at high temps.

      Reply
    • Anna Derengowski

      January 5, 2013 at 8:57 PM

      Try using a wax with a higher melting temperature like candelilla or carnauba.

      Reply
  8. Lillian Davenport

    August 30, 2012 at 6:28 PM

    oh, I like this idea and I just might try it! I go through lipstick very, very slowly and it goes bad before I’m even halfway done with it, plus who the hell knows what they’re putting in it at the MAC factory? This seems fun!

    Reply
    • Rhonda

      May 22, 2014 at 8:58 AM

      Just a quick FYI-My Dr. just took me off all comercially made personal care products. (thus why I am here) He did however say some of my makeup was ok to keep using. He said MAC and BareMinerals are the least toxic options out there.

      Reply
      • Taryne

        December 16, 2014 at 1:16 PM

        Have you ever heard of melaleuca? They have a line of amazing quality natural cosmetics, although they are pricey. Not much more pricey than Mac or any of those other top of the line make-up suppliers. I usually get my make-up from them, but right now, I’m a broke collage student looking for blue lipstick :p

        Reply
        • Choon Ai

          January 27, 2015 at 10:06 PM

          I know this is months later, but for cheap blue lipstick, crayola might be your answer. I’ve never tried this myself, but here are some helpful links https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lipstick-Out-of-Crayons, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QloxsO9Jy0E.

          Also for the DIY mascara and eyeliner comments, FYI, this can be a horrible experience for contact lens users when it starts drying out and crumbling or when washing off and all the grains get into your eyes.

          Reply
    • stacey

      December 4, 2014 at 5:38 PM

      I do know for certain that mac uses lead in their lipsticks. Which scares the living crap out of me and is the main reason i started making my own. Bare minerals however is pretty decent. Maybe only one or 2 ingredients i don’t like using in my own stuff.. People do your research before using any store bought beauty items! It’s scary stuff.

      Reply
  9. Maggie

    August 30, 2012 at 5:18 PM

    Question on using the beet root powder as a coloring agent… I have used beet root powder as a coloring agent in lip balm and found it to be a very grainy, unpleasing texture. What do you find this does to the texture of the lipstick? I tried straining the beet root powder granules out of my lip balm and then the little color that was left all sunk to the bottom of my tin when the mixture cooled. Any tips?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      August 30, 2012 at 5:47 PM

      This seemed thick enough that it stayed but it was a very fine powder.. You could use the natural food coloring of you’d prefer though

      Reply
      • jill

        February 18, 2015 at 12:05 AM

        Hi, I would live to know where I can purchase the green lip balm tins that you show on here.
        I bought the plastic ones but would really love those tins!

        Reply
        • Katie - Wellness Mama

          February 18, 2015 at 10:42 PM

          I found them at a salvage store but maybe there are some on Amazon?

          Reply
        • Connie

          May 6, 2015 at 7:05 PM

          I found the tins on Bulk Apothecary (website).

          I have a question…since this is natural with no preservatives is there a problem with spoilage, mold or other issues? Thank you in advance.

          Reply
          • Katie - Wellness Mama

            May 7, 2015 at 12:31 PM

            No, because there is not any liquid and oils last a very long time…

          • Lin

            February 21, 2016 at 1:42 PM

            You can always add a few drops of natural vitamin E as it will act as a preservative

          • Kimberly

            May 16, 2018 at 4:35 PM

            Vitamin E is not a preservative. It would not keep a mixture from molding or growing harmful bacteria. What it will do is prolong the shelf life of oils and butters so they do not go rancid as quickly. It is an antioxidant. Please do not confuse the two. It results in people making and distributing unsafe homemade products. That being said, no water, or water based ingredients, in the recipe means no need for a preservstive as long as you are careful not to introduce water into it via wet hands, dropping it into the sink, etc.

      • Morag

        March 27, 2016 at 5:50 PM

        I was wondering if you could use flavoring oils? I wanted to make up some for the kids.

        Reply
      • Bree Colbern

        August 4, 2016 at 8:54 AM

        Do you know how I can get a bright red color in the lipstick? I’ve been trying to find a recipe for it, but just can’t seem to really find a good one…

        Reply
        • Justine

          October 12, 2017 at 8:45 AM

          Alkanet root to infuse red into the coconut oil may work

          Reply
    • Heather Oswald Bucaram

      August 30, 2012 at 5:58 PM

      When I make mascara, I use coffee, which tends to be grainy. I just sit and smash it to smithereens while I’m watching T.V. with my mortar and pestle. Anything will turn into a really fine powder with enough elbow grease.

      Reply
      • Penny Brown

        March 10, 2013 at 11:48 PM

        How do you make your own mascara?!?!?! I want that recipe bad too!!! 😉 ….whose elbows did you grind to dust? hehe

        Reply
        • Deb

          March 19, 2013 at 3:44 PM

          Making your own mascara? Please share the recipe!! I would be so grateful for that.

          Reply
          • Donna

            October 10, 2013 at 11:00 PM

            Here is a recipe I use. 1 part beeswax to 1 1/2 part coconut oil. Make sure you use a new unused mascara container. Then add 1 capsule activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is said to prevent infections in open wounds, and no it’s not the same as the charcoal in the mines that cause black lung. It’s essentially very burnt wood. Even though I made some, I have only worn it once. I don’t really like mascara. I guess in Heather’s case, she uses very ground up coffee. I am thinking it must be the dark roast too. The darkest bean you can find. I might try that next. I also watched a girl on a vid take slivers of almonds and fry them until they were burnt to a crisp and black as charcoal. She then let them cool, and crushed this into a very fine powder, added a bit of oil, and used as an eyeliner. Supposedly it’s a very old Indian tradition. I guess you could try adding burnt charcoal nuts too, but anything you add for color must be ground to a flour like consistency. I have learned this the hard way using natural foods for pigments!!! The trick is to get it as close to cocoa powder as you can, or you will be disappointed.
            You can also infuse colorful berries and herbs in oil until the oil turns the color you want, then use that tinted oil for lip balms and blushes, but the color is not as deep. Keep jar of oil in sunshine in the window until the dye is leached out into the oil in the warmth of the sun. Tricky business this natural makeup thing, but well worth the obvious health benefits and savings in money. I need a good recipe for natural shampoo for dry hair if anyone has one.

        • Madison

          November 23, 2013 at 12:51 PM

          This is my recipe- I find it to be a lot less wet and with a lot better hold, but a little bit more complex.

          1 tsp coconut oil

          1 tsp shea butter

          2 ½ tsp. Aloe Verra Gelly

          2 tsp. Grated beeswax

          2 drops vitamin e oil

          1 drop vegetable glycerine

          2 capsules of Activated Charcoal

          ¼ Tbs Cornstarch

          Reply
          • KATIE

            December 29, 2014 at 12:35 AM

            THAT IS REALLY GOOD BUT THIS IS MY RECIPE

            1 TSP COCONUT OIL
            3 DROPS OF FLAVORING FROM MICKRL’S
            FTUFD,RYXSDKRTDRTDEKM

      • Adios

        March 12, 2013 at 2:18 PM

        That’s so cool!

        Reply
  10. Tammy

    August 30, 2012 at 2:30 PM

    What is the texture like if you leave out the bentonite clay?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      August 30, 2012 at 2:37 PM

      It is more smooth and glossy

      Reply
      • Tammy

        August 30, 2012 at 2:45 PM

        Thanks for the speedy reply! I think I’ll give this a try.

        Reply
        • Christy

          February 19, 2014 at 11:31 AM

          that rhymed hehe 🙂

          Reply
          • Emma

            August 20, 2014 at 6:50 PM

            haha! Love it

        • Jana

          June 2, 2015 at 5:43 PM

          I love to make lipstick but it always mess up but I like to wear lipstick on my lips except sertant colors like dark colors.

          Reply
      • Carnette

        January 14, 2014 at 11:17 PM

        Thank you for the recipe. How would I make this into a liquid stain?

        Reply
        • Kim Norris

          June 14, 2014 at 6:47 PM

          Do you think you could use beet juice instead of beet powder?

          Reply
          • Wellness Mama

            June 14, 2014 at 8:10 PM

            You can certainly try it, although because you are using a liquid, the lipstick might turn soupy. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

          • Jessica

            July 15, 2014 at 3:32 PM

            I just tried beet juice and it didn’t work. It is more water based and the the rest is oil based so it separates.

          • Anna

            January 21, 2015 at 12:16 AM

            What if you soak some beet slices in the melted oils/wax to colour? I think it will work.

          • Emily

            May 18, 2015 at 12:17 PM

            I tried this recipe first using beet powder (gritty and awful, possibly because I tried making my own beet powder). Next, I tried using a few drops of beet juice with the clay and cocoa. It wouldn’t mix completely with the oils and I ended up with clumps of grit at the bottom. I strained this with cheese cloth and added a couple more drops of beet juice. I immediately transferred it to the tube and stuck the tube right into the freezer. (To keep it from separating.) The result is a non-gritty lipgloss / stain texture. Love it! It might not work for people who want the more thick / matte texture, but maybe you could add more clay in after those steps. Thanks for the recipe!!!

          • Hannah

            September 5, 2016 at 2:07 PM

            Maybe half the amount of beeswax or increase the coconut oil amount that way it is a little thinner.

      • Jacee lowe

        December 18, 2014 at 3:48 PM

        I’ve been using this exact recipe and I can’t get it to turn out right, it’s either too oily and smooth and won’t leave any color on the lips or gritty? Can you help?

        Reply
        • Erika

          January 3, 2016 at 5:25 PM

          Use emulsifying wax (organic and all natural of course)

          Reply
      • Maggie

        February 16, 2015 at 4:58 PM

        Sounds like many of us are having the same problem; it’s not carrying enough color to the lips. Better color with the clay in, but gritty texture. Help!!

        Reply
        • Amanda

          November 18, 2015 at 10:32 AM

          Try using arrow root powder in place of the clay. It’s the smoothest powder I’ve ever felt. I use it in all my lip balms and deodorants. It mixes perfectly without any grit. Also, try Mango or Kokum butter instead of cocao. It’s smoother.

          Reply
          • Sarah

            January 21, 2016 at 7:28 AM

            Kokum butter is awesome! Sadly is is not suggested or used enough in home-made cosmetics, possibly because it is a little more expensive (but well worth it). I’ve been using it for years in a home-made anti-aging cream and it works wonders. The downside is that it is much harder and stiffer than shea or cocoa butter and has to be melted first for ANY recipe. I highly recommend it.

        • Kimberly Norris

          January 4, 2016 at 2:11 PM

          I found that to be the case as well. But I add just a bit of arrow root to my recipe and it works like a charm. It will stay on almost all day.

          Reply
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