How to Make Eyeliner

Homemade waterproof eyeliner made with beeswax, oil, and activated charcoal. With just 3 ingredients, it is super easy to make and use.

Anytime we “put” something on our skin, especially in sensitive areas such as around the eyes, it is necessary to be aware of the ingredients and the potential effects they will have on the skin.

Conventional eyeliners are often filled with ingredients that can irritate the eyes. Over time, using eyeliner on the inner eyelid can be harmful to your eyes.

Most women use eyeliner daily to enhance their eyes and give them a more “defined look.”

Thankfully, learning how to make eyeliner is very simple and it works great! I am going to share with you a brown and black eyeliner recipe with natural ingredients you can most likely find in your pantry.

IS EYELINER TOXIC?

Just as it is important to be aware of the food that we put in our bodies, it is important to consider the products we are putting on our skin.

Most women are exposed to hundreds of chemicals daily and don’t even realize it.

From shampoo to makeup, we are smearing toxic ingredients all over our bodies every single day.

Most conventional eyeliners contain parabens, formaldehyde, preservatives, synthetics, and butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHT and BHA.

These ingredients are highly toxic and can cause irritations. In fact, some of these are not even allowed to be used in certain countries.

DIY EYELINER

Making your own makeup, such as eyeliner or my DIY blush cream, is not hard to do, and you can be confident that you are not applying harmful ingredients to your face.

To make eyeliner, you will need wax, oil, and something to color it.

To make black eyeliner, you can use activated charcoal and to make brown eyeliner, you can use cocoa powder. Cocoa powder will come in handy to make DIY dry shampoo, DIY setting powder and homemade foundation too!

Making your own eyeliner will save you so much money as it is very cost-effective to make.

HOMEMADE EYELINER

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• 1/16 teaspoon beeswax
• 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon activated charcoal or cocoa powder, more or less depending on preference
• 2-3 drops vitamin E oil, optional

BEESWAX

Beeswax has a way of making its way into many of my makeup recipes, most recently in my homemade smudge-free mascara and matte lipstick recipes.

For good reasons, though, beeswax has wonderful properties for the skin and is naturally anti-bacterial. In addition, the beeswax will give the eyeliner the perfect texture and it will make it waterproof.

OIL

You can use coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, or any other carrier oil for this recipe. The oil will give the eyeliner a smooth texture, making it easy to apply.

I used coconut oil because it has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties and can help to keep your skin healthy.

WATER

You will need a little water in this recipe to get the perfect consistency. Use distilled water to prevent bacteria and extend the shelf life of the eyeliner

VITAMIN E OIL

Vitamin E oil has incredible benefits for the skin and can help reduce signs of aging and dark circles under the eyes.

It has a thick consistency and can add the perfect texture to your homemade eyeliner. This recipe can be made without it, but the vitamin E oil will add lots of benefits for your skin.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL OR COCOA POWDER

Activated charcoal is a fine black powder made from bone char, bamboo, wood, coconut husk, peat, petroleum pitch, coal, olive pits, or sawdust.

It can be used to absorb toxins and gently detoxify the skin. I love using a DIY-activated charcoal mask on my skin.

Cocoa powder is the perfect powder to use to make brown eyeliner. Cocoa powder is used in my homemade eyeshadow and has great properties for the skin and can soften, clear, and reduce signs of aging.

For a dark brown color, mix equal parts activated charcoal and cocoa powder.

HOW TO MAKE EYELINER

1. Measure out the beeswax and oil and place in a small saucepan.
2. Melt the ingredients over medium heat.
3. Once the ingredients are melted, remove them from the heat and pour into a small container.
4. Add in vitamin E oil and activated charcoal or cocoa powder, depending on your color choice, and stir to combine.
5. If it needs to be thinned out, add a couple of drops of water until you get the perfect consistency.

HOW TO APPLY EYELINER

This recipe makes a liquid eyeliner that can be applied with a small eyeliner brush. If you have shaky hands, do this sitting down with your elbow resting on the table to steady your hands.

To apply, start at the inside and move toward the temples.

Do not get the eyeliner in the eyes!

You can apply your eyeliner to the top lid and lower eyelid.

And that’s it! It is becoming increasingly popular to follow up any makeup with a setting spray (or you can make your own setting spray). The setting spray will help keep the eyeliner in place and really define the color.

HOW LONG WILL EYELINER LAST

This eyeliner will last up to one month. With the added water in this recipe, I suggest throwing it out after one month to prevent spoiling.

HOW TO MAKE EYELINER AT HOME WITHOUT ACTIVATED CHARCOAL?

Activated charcoal can be very messy and stain almost everything. I learned this the hard way when I had a child with an unknown rash and I made a homemade draw salve.

If you want to make eyeliner without charcoal you can use cocoa powder to color your liner. Cocoa powder makes a pretty brown color and is less messy than charcoal.

HOW TO MAKE WATERPROOF EYELINER?

Beeswax forms a barrier on the skin, making water run right off. It is high in vitamin A and can support cell regeneration. The beeswax in this recipe is what will make this eyeliner waterproof.

To make this recipe vegan, substitute beeswax for soy wax. The ingredients are very similar and require no measurement adjustments.

Store this eyeliner in an airtight container to make a perfect on-the-go makeup, like I do with my DIY eyebrow gel.

I do hope you enjoyed this simple makeup recipe. If you enjoy DIYing it, consider this all-natural lip liner recipe next.