Homemade Natural Makeup Recipes

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I get a lot of questions about natural makeup options, and this was definitely one of the tougher things for me to find natural alternatives for. In college, I practically collected makeup, and had endless tubes, compacts, and brushes that never even got half used.

Natural Makeup

While there are some good natural alternatives that you can buy (see list below), the cheapest, easiest and most natural way is to just make your own, and you might have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already!

Natural Skin Care

What you do to your skin before you use makeup is just as important as the makeup you use and there are some great natural options for skin care.

I absolutely love the oil cleansing method, which leaves skin very soft and smooth by using natural oils to balance the skin. I typically use the oil cleansing method at night and wash my face with raw honey if needed in the morning. You can also use a natural sugar scrub (equal parts sugar and natural oil) or natural microdermabrasion (baking soda) to make skin look younger.

With proper skin care, the skin will be naturally healthy and you won’t even need to wear makeup most of the time. Most days, I skip the makeup altogether, but  when I do wear it, these are the recipes I use:

Natural Foundation

Homemade Option: At the recommendation of a friend who had used cocoa powder for natural bronzer, I started experimenting with natural foundation options, and came up with a recipe similar to a mineral make-up.

I start with a base of arrowroot powder and zinc oxide (can also use cornstarch, but arrowroot works better) and then slowly add in cocoa powder and finely ground cinnamon powder until you get a shade close to your skin tone. You can then store in a jar or old powder container and use a brush to apply. It took me a few tries of mixing to get the color correct for my skin tone, but most days, a quick brush of this is all I need. I later discovered that adding gold mica powder gave it an even smoother texture and made skin radiant.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons zinc oxide (Can use arrowroot powder instead if desired, but it will not offer quite as much coverage)
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon gold mica dust
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp of desired natural clay powder (optional) I used a pinch of White cosmetic clay, Fuller’s Earth Clay and french green clay
  • up to 1 teaspoon finely ground cocoa powder to get desired color
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon of translucent mica powder can help for really oily skin

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients to get desired color and coverage.
  2. Zinc oxide will give coverage and matte finish.
  3. Colored mica powders, natural clays and cocoa powder will give color. Start slowly and add as needed, testing on inner-arm as you go to find your shade.
  4. Store in a small glass jar with a lid.

Note: If you prefer, just arrowroot powder (or white cosmetic clay), cocoa powder, and (optional) cinnamon powder can be used. This will create a great and completely natural/edible foundation but it will not stay as long as a powder containing zinc oxide and mica. I personally feel safe using zinc oxide on my skin (non nano and uncoated) but if you don’t, just stick to the arrowroot version.

There is a lot of variation in this recipe… creating homemade makeup is more of an art than a science and your exact color and base combinations will depend on the amount of coverage and color you want. Zinc oxide as a base will create a makeup very similar to store bought mineral makeups and adding mica powder will give skin a natural “glow.”

If you don’t have or aren’t comfortable with those ingredients, a simple mix of arrowroot and a small amount of cocoa powder and cinnamon will work really well but won’t offer as much coverage.

If you prefer a liquid foundation, check out this tutorial.

Pre-made Options: If making makeup isn’t your thing but you still want some natural options, there are a few good choices. No commercial choice is as natural as the homemade options, but they are a tremendous improvement over any conventional options! Jane Iredale is the best brand I’ve found and they offer some great options for mineral powder, liquid foundation, pressed powder and more.

Natural Bronzer/Blush

Simplest Homemade Option: Similar to above, natural bronzer and blush can be easily made with a base of arrowroot and by adding more cocoa powder and cinnamon to get a darker shade. I’ve also tried powdering dried beet root (in the dehydrator) or dried hibiscus flowers to add a pink tone which works well as long as you can very finely powder them. Store in a shaker make-up container or an old compact.

Boutique Homemade Option: For a slightly more customizable and longer lasting homemade option, use zinc oxide powder (non nano and uncoated) as a base and add cocoa powder and a red or pink hued mica powder to get the desired color.

Commercial Options: For natural blush, I love Aubrey Organic Silken Blush or Jane Iredale blushes.

Natural Eye Liner and Shadow

Homemade Options:Always be careful when using any products, even natural ones, near the eyes. I mix up several colors of eye shadow using cocoa powder (brown shades) Spirulina (green shades) and arrowroot (light shades). My favorite is just cocoa powder with a tiny bit of arrowroot mixed in for smoothness.

For eye-liner, I either use a tiny bit of cocoa powder mixed with coconut oil, or a tiny dab or activated charcoal and whipped shea butter. Be careful not to get either one in the eye. I store the eye shadow in an old powdered eye shadow container and apply with my finger or a very slightly damp brush.

To make a smoother eyeliner, I mix equal parts of coconut oil and shea butter (about 1/2 ounce of each) and add about 1/2 tsp of activated charcoal to make a black eyeliner that is thicker. You can also do this with cocoa powder for a brown hue.

Commercial Options: Jane Iredale offers a few options for natural eye-liner.

Natural Mascara

Homemade Option: I don’t wear mascara most days, but when I want a natural option, it is an easy one to make. In a small bowl, I just mix a few drops of Aloe Vera Gel from Mountain Rose Herbs, a couple drops of Vitamin E oil, and a pinch of activated charcoal (not very precise… I know). I mix it up as I use it, though you could also make and store in an old mascara container or in a small jar and just clean the mascara wand between uses. I brush it on with a clean mascara brush, or even a used Bass Toothbrush from OraWellness.

Boutique homemade option: If you want to take the time to make a fancier recipe, my homemade mascara uses black mineral powder for amazing thickness and length.

Commercial Options: The two natural ones I’ve tried and love are Organic Wear and Jane Iredale.

Natural Makeup Remover

Skip the need for buying an extra product (probably full of less than ideal ingredients) and try one of these simple natural makeup removers you probably already have around the house.

Supplements for Skin Care

I’m firmly convinced that what you put into your body is just as important, if not more so, than what you put on it when it comes to skin health. I used to have terrible acne and since changing my diet (removing dairy) and supplements, I don’t break out at all and my past scars have healed. The supplements that seemed to have made the biggest difference in skin health for me are:

  • Fermented Cod Liver Oil– for the Vitamins A, D and K, Omega-3s and Antioxidants, all which are great for the skin.
  • Gelatin – Which is a pre-cursor for collagen and has made my hair, skin and nails noticeably stronger and smoother (great for cellulite too).
  • Magnesium– An anti-inflammatory and lacking in many people’s diets. Topical Magnesium Oil seems to be the most effective for skin health.

Ever made any your own makeup? What is the toughest thing to find natural versions of for you? Let me know below! 

These DIY natural makeup recipes can be made at home to avoid the chemicals in conventional beauty products.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a 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.

Comments

410 responses to “Homemade Natural Makeup Recipes”

  1. Frances V. Soctomah Avatar
    Frances V. Soctomah

    Hi, Katie! I’ve just recently “rediscovered” your site after looking for more ways to go natural when it comes to my beauty routine. I’m glad you mentioned the Norwex cloths in your post as I’ve been looking into purchasing some. I was wondering if you had compared them to the E Cloth? I’ve been looking at people’s comments and they keep saying that the E Cloth is just as good as Norwex, but cheaper. But they’re all talking about using it for general cleaning, not for your face. I was thinking because E Cloth is 1/200th the size of hair vs. Norwex at 1/100th, the E Cloth might be softer/better at picking up dirt than Norwex (even though the Norwex sounds amazing). Can you offer any input?

  2. Liliana Elliot Avatar
    Liliana Elliot

    How do you make liquid foundation? I love the powder one that you have shown above! But, you can see my wrinkles a whole lot more. You have amazing recipes!! Thank you.

  3. Liliana Elliot Avatar
    Liliana Elliot

    Katie, I truly admire you for all f this wonderful knowledge!! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing all this wonderful beauty recipes, your family is quite lucky to have you. We are lucky for your site!! Thank you.

  4. Magan Avatar

    Hi, I just made the face powder and the cocoa gives my skin a more purple tone. I have more yellow tones to my skin. I added nutmeg because the cinnamon would be too irritating to my acne prone skin but it doesnt do much as far as altering the color. My question is, what else can I use to give the powder more yellow tones and less purple?
    Thanks!!

      1. Magan Avatar

        Thank you! I will try it and see if that helps. I’ve heard turmeric has great benefits as well!

  5. Brandy Lynne Avatar
    Brandy Lynne

    The websites that you so generously share all of these all-natural healthy beauty remedies are just absolutely amazing. I have tried the banana, mayonnaise, sugar scrub and egg wash/mask. I am in love with all that I have tried so far. Thank you!!!

  6. Ande Ritchie Avatar
    Ande Ritchie

    Thanks for this recipe! I just made some loose powder. Quite possibly the easiest thing I’ve ever made. It looks great! I’m just wondering though. I have oily skin. Am I going to have a cocoa oil slick on my skin with horribly clogged pores? (I also made your coconut sugar scrub which is what I use for cleansing and moisturize with coconut oil.)

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      You shouldn’t, and with the routine, hopefully your skin will adjust and you won’t have oily skin anymore…

      1. Ande Ritchie Avatar
        Ande Ritchie

        Just wanted to update you. The loose powder works like a dream. I have had absolutely NO problems with residue or clogged pores. If anything, my skin is healthier than ever! Can’t thank you enough!

  7. Kayla Avatar

    I’m excited to try these remedies, thank you for the tips! But I do have one concern. My skin easily breaks out, and I haven’t used makeup on my skin all summer, so it’s pretty clear now. However, my skin has natural discoloration around my eyes as well as by my chin and mouth area, and I’m looking for a solution as to be able to make my skin look smooth and not blotchy, as well as not make me break out. Would this make me break out?

  8. Lauren Graves Cromwell Avatar
    Lauren Graves Cromwell

    I have made homemade lip gloss and lipstick. For lip gloss, I used a guessed amount of petroleum jelly and 1 single packet of crystal light in any flavor with a Qtip. for an exfoliating treatment for the lips, apply immediately after mixing. For glossy look, let sit for at least 5 hours for the crystals to melt into the mixture.
    For lipstick, I chopped up a crayon (they are nontoxic), mixed it with cocoa butter or shea butter in a heat friendly bowl. Put water in a pan (not a pot) and put on the stove to simmer. Once simmering, place the bowl into the simmering water and watch the ingredients melt together. Stir often to mix completely. Apply when cooled.

  9. Maddie Avatar

    In the mascara recipe what else can I use besides the activated charcoal (I don’t have any) I would love to make the switch to natural products but I don’t have most of the ingredients needed.

    P.S. love your sea salt spray just made it today and after searching for products to make my hair curly/wavy for years this has finally satisfied my standards (cheep, easy to use, effortless)

  10. Lola Avatar

    Does anyone know where I can purchase Arrowroot Powder in Orlando, FL? I’m staying with some friends for about a year and I’d really like to buy it somewhere here, not online. Thanks

  11. Jillian Melissa Avatar
    Jillian Melissa

    Toughest thing for me to find is natural waterproof mascara and eyeliner.

  12. Katie Avatar

    I’m wondering if I can make a coffee tinted eye cream for the bags under my eyes? Aside from all the wonderful effects it can have, it even tints moisturizer the exact shade I desire! Do you think it is safe to wear?

  13. Darcy Avatar

    So, what is the difference between cornstarch and cornflour? Do they do the same thing?

  14. Alicia A. Finney Avatar
    Alicia A. Finney

    Great article you’ve written! I just wanted to share some of my own thoughts and experiences with homemade makeup.

    Just now I attempted to make a small test batch of the cocoa powder-coconut oil eyeliner, and it just wouldn’t transfer color! What are the ratios you’ve used where you’ve had success? I wound up trying out the test batch of would-be eyeliner as bronzer, which I liked much more as it was quite subtle, however I noticed it tended to gather in larger pores and make them much more noticeable.

    Other than that, I’ve noticed that cocoa powder alone makes a wonderful loose, build-able brown eyeshadow. I haven’t had much success with adding cornstarch, it tends to clump to the skin and doesn’t do much for altering hues, what are your thoughts on this? Aside from the texture, how would you say arrowroot powder compares?

    One other question, how is the pigment staying power of the powdered hibiscus/beetroot for the blushes? Very curious about these.

    Thanks! 🙂

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Since writing, I’ve found that activated charcoal in water or oil works awesome as an eyeliner… arrowroot seems to be more finely powdered and I haven’t had any clumping with that or the beet/hibiscus…

  15. Sha Avatar

    Hi,

    Hoping someone can help me out.

    I need to make a natural white (or close to white) powder in place of the traditional red tilak dot women wear in India.

    They wear red kumkum powder:

    1 part tumeric

    1 part slaked like/hydrated lime/calcium hydroxide

    A little water.

    It makes a red powder that can be applied to the forehead and lasts a long time.

    So I need to make a natural white equivalent of that basically – any natural ingredients allowed.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks!!!

    1. malini Avatar

      For some reason, when you add lemon juice to turmeric, it turns it red. That might work. Also, if you mix slippery elm powder with hibiscus and rosehip powder in water, it accentuates the red.

      Or you might try beet powder with blueberry powder with a bit of turmeric.

  16. Marsha Holloway Avatar
    Marsha Holloway

    What do you think about the other products that organic wear offers?

  17. Alyssa Avatar

    I tried the foundation recipe and also added powdered slippery elm and maca root to help with getting the right tone. Then I used the extra foundation and just added paprika (since I already had it in my kitchen) and it worked great for a blush/bronzer. Can’t wait to try more DIY’s from your site!

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