Have you ever wondered how to make lip gloss at home? Learn how to make natural lip gloss with only 4-ingredients! This easy recipe is made with all-natural ingredients, is soothing to dry lips, and only costs pennies per tube to make.
DIY lip gloss is so fun to make and can be customized any way you want. The main ingredients needed to make lip gloss at home are olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax. I recommend taking it a step further by adding in color as well as essential oils for a beautiful scent, added benefits and flavor.
My daughter was pretty excited about this project and quickly decided that all of her friends and cousins needed a tube too. She is right; this homemade lip gloss would make the perfect gift for anyone on your list or a fun DIY to do on your next girls’ night.
PIN IT FOR LATER
HOW TO MAKE NATURAL LIP GLOSS
So, to make this lip gloss, really all you need is a carrier oil and butter-no, not the kind you eat. For real, it is that simple. I am using olive oil and coconut oil, but any carrier oil will do. You could also use sweet almond oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, or grapeseed oil. Learn more about carrier oils here.
For the butter, I am using mango butter. You could also use shea butter, cocoa butter, or a combination of all three. Mango butter is my favorite for lips because it is very smooth and hydrating. Mango butter also works well in whipped body butter and natural deodorant.
You can add in natural skin-safe dyes or herbal powders to add color to your lip gloss. Or you can leave it just the way it is, and it will still work great!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fractionated coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons mango butter
- 1 tablespoon beeswax
- 10 drops of essential oil (optional)
- Natural coloring (optional)
- Empty lip gloss container
HOMEMADE LIP GLOSS RECIPE
- Melt the olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in a double boiler.
- Once all the ingredients are melted, remove them from the heat.
- Add in essential oils and coloring if using. Stir well to combine.
- Pour into lip gloss tube or small lip balm container.
TIPS
You will need to work fast when making this recipe as the ingredients will harden pretty quickly. For best results, have everything set up and ready before starting. Make sure your lip gloss tubes are open and standing upright, ready to pour the liquid in.
The olive oil and fractionated coconut oil will not harden, but the mango butter and beeswax will. This will make the perfect consistency for your lip gloss.
If you live in a warm climate, you may want to store your lip gloss in the refrigerator to keep it from melting.
LIP GLOSS WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
Adding in essential oils is optional if you decide to, there are a few things you need to know. It is important to note that some citrus essential oils are photosensitive and should be avoided in direct sunlight. I love the smell and taste of wild orange essential oil, but this one should be used with caution.
Because we are using essential oils so close to the mouth, it is important only to use essential oils that are safe for internal use. Or be sure to avoid getting the lip gloss in the mouth; this might be hard if you are making this for a child.
Be sure to avoid using hot essential oils such as oregano, clove, cinnamon, thyme, and ginger in your homemade lip gloss. These oils can cause skin irritations if not diluted properly and when used on sensitive skin such as the lips.
Some of my favorite essential oils to use are
- lavender
- frankincense
- peppermint. Peppermint essential oil feels especially good on dry, chapped lips.
HOW TO TINT LIP GLOSS AT HOME
Making the lip gloss a different color is a great way to customize your homemade lip gloss even more. You can most certainly leave it the way it is, and it will have a creamy yellowish color, depending on if you use white or yellow beeswax.
I actually color these using the same tints as my blush cream and lip liner by using beetroot powder, hibiscus powder, or even cocoa powder.
Or you can use skin-safe natural dyes, similar to what you would add to a bath bomb. If you are using powders, I suggest starting with a small amount, about 1/4 of a teaspoon, and adding more until the desired color is reached.
If you are using skin-safe coloring you can start with 2-3 drops and add more as needed.
To lighten or darken any color option below, add in cocoa powder or arrowroot powder.
- Red: Beetroot powder
- Orange: Ground paprika
- Yellow: Ground ginger
- Pink: Hibiscus powder
- Green: Macha powder
- Brown: Cocoa powder
DIY LIP GLOSS WITHOUT BEESWAX
If you are vegan or prefer not to use beeswax, you can substitute it for soy wax or candelilla wax, as you’ll find in my vegan lip balm recipe. You will use the same amount, and the lip gloss will come out with a similar consistency. You can also omit the wax altogether if you want the lip gloss to be more of a liquid.
DOES LIP GLOSS NEED A PRESERVATIVE?
Because we are not using any water in this recipe, it is OK to skip on the preservative. The ingredients in this lip gloss will last for at least a year at room temperature. Be sure to store in a cool, dark place and in an airtight container to keep the lip gloss fresh longer.
BEST CONTAINER FOR HOMEMADE LIP GLOSS
You can use a lip gloss tube, squeezable lip gloss container, or a small lip balm container to store your lip gloss. I do not recommend using a roller top tube as this gloss will not be a thin liquid and could clog up in one of those dispensers.
What to read next
DIY Lip Gloss
DIY lip gloss is so fun to make and can be customized any way you want. All you need to make lip gloss at home is olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax. You can add in color and essential oils for more added benefits and flavor!Â
Materials
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fractionated coconut oilÂ
- 2 tablespoons mango butterÂ
- 1 tablespoon beeswaxÂ
- 10 drops of essential oil (optional)
- Natural coloring (optional)Â
Instructions
- Melt the olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in a double boiler.
- Once all the ingredients are melted, remove them from the heat.
- Add in essential oils and coloring if using. Stir well to combine.
- Pour into lip gloss tube or small lip balm container.
Lauren Kelly says
I love this so much, exactly what I was looking for. I told me niece I would also make it with her!
Laura says
That is a great idea!
wilhelmina says
This is such a cool DIY! I love how easy it is to customize. My daughter thinks this is one of our ost fun projects yet!
Laura says
I am so glad you liked it!
Katie says
These make such amazing gifts- and I love the color options!
Laura says
Yes, it would be the perfect gift! I am glad you like the recipe!
megan says
how many does this make?
Laura says
It made about 10 tubes for us!
Sue says
Would you be able to provide this recipe in grams?
Andrea Mitchell says
Hey . How many tubes did this make?
Laura says
It made 12.
Brinklee says
What size lip gloss container did you use?
Laura says
I have the ones I used linked in the post. They should be 10mL
Megan says
Do you find that the beeswax and butter combination makes this too thick to squeeze out of a tube?
Laura says
It comes out of my tubes just fine, you can add less if needed.
Debbie says
Mine made 4 tubes full, so maybe my lip gloss tubes were larger. I have a question on the natural coloring. I bought the set that you linked. I was not able to get it to mix in at all. Am I doing something wrong? The lip gloss itself is great!
Laura says
I am glad you are enjoying the lip gloss! I had to wait until it thickened a little and then mixed it in.
Rea Hart says
Looks great, i want to try it later! Do I put the mixture straight in the pan or do I put it in a jar with boiling water in the pan? Some other ones said to use a jar!
Laura says
I prefer to use a double boiler to make sure nothing burns, but you can put it straight in the pan if you do it over low heat and keep an eye on it.
Carol says
Does this recipe work in the squeezable tubes? ie Does it squeeze freely out of the squeeze containers? I had used another recipe and had a very hard time to get it to squeeze out of the container.
Laura says
Yes they do work out of sqeeze tubes, that is what I used!
Candice Winningham says
Can mica powder be used to add color to the lipgloss
Laura says
Yes!
Alex says
Does it come out sticky?
Precious Alexander says
This has been a great recipe for the start of a good side hustle for me. Thanks 😊!
Adrienne Bradley says
Are there any substitutes for mango butter that will work well by any chance? Thank you in advance
Laura says
Cocoa butter or shea butter
Megan Bell says
Does natural color mean food dye or what brands ? Where you buy it at if it’s not food dye coloring
Laura says
I use dye that is skin safe, it is linked in the post.
Sandra says
I don’t see the link for the dye linked in the post, has it been removed?
alyssa says
this is a really graet recipe my lips are so moist. 10/10 must recomened.
Aino says
Excellent formula! Full spoons were really easy to convert into smaller batches. I replaced olive oil with apricotseed oil and also added some natural colours and aromas.
Salma says
I love this,because I live in sub- Sahara Africa,northern Nigeria,sometimes the weather could be harsh,with this homemade lip gloss,I think I have to worry less. Thanks
Sophie Not says
How much will this make?
Julia says
Can you not use mango butter
Laura says
It will change the texture.
Shelly says
I have the containers with the sponge tip applicator – this would get too firm, I believe for that. Do you recommend putting less butter/beeswax? Thanks and love this idea
Laura says
Yes, you can adjust the beeswax to make it less thick.
Peter says
This turned out amazing! If I want to turn this into a chapstick, would I simply double the beeswax in the recipe?
Laura says
I am so glad you liked it! I have a chapstick recipe too that you can follow!
ava says
Hello…. How many tubes of lip gloss do you get out recipes….???
Danaiyah says
can you give me recipe for lip gloss
Laura says
It is in the blog post. 🙂
Becky says
I forgot the olive oil is this a problem?
Liz says
Could I use normal butter and not use beeswax, would it still come closely the same?If I dont have a tube could I still leave it in a jar?
Laura says
I have not tested it that way so I can’t say for sure. Yes, you can leave it in a jar.
Natalee Stellwagen says
How many ml does this make?
Ava says
Love this recipe, just don’t have mango butter.
Where do you purchase mango butter from? I’m from a different country so I haven’t seen it anywhere.
Do you know of any substitutes of mango butter?
Laura says
I have it linked in the blog post. You can also use shea butter or cocoa butter.
Jacquie says
I loved Victoria’s Secret lip gloss, it was sweet, thick and sticky. They discontinued it a few years ago and I have never found one as good. How would I make this lip gloss thick and sticky?
Drea M. says
Can you add glitter?
Laura says
Yes, my daughter actually did that!
Emma says
Hey I have read this cool lipgloss tutorial and I was wondering can we find the mango butter in Amazon or?…because I am not sure where we can find this
Laura says
Yes, I have it linked in the post!
Tracy says
hi, how many tubes does this recipe make? I would like to make this as stocking stuffers and wondering how many batches I need based on the number of tubes I need. Thx
Laura says
This recipe made 6 tubes.
Cathy Madsen says
How many ml does this recipe make?
Linda says
I made this recipe to give as Christmas gifts. I decided to try it without any wax and it is very much a liquid! I put it in small lip balm containers, but the liquidity is such that I’m afraid it will spill out of the container and cause problems for all my friends and family. Can I pour the contents of the jars back into a bowl and add more mango butter to harden it up? If yes, how much mango butter do you suggest I add? Thanks for your help!
Laura says
It would be hard to modify this recipe without the wax. You can certainly add a little extra mango butter, 1 tsp at a time to help thicken it up. Let me know how it works out!
Nora says
Nice
Grace Funmilola says
This was so helpful
Emma says
What does each ingredient do? and can I make it without olive oil