Learn how to make lipstick with this all-natural and straightforward recipe. Using simple ingredients and natural colorants, you can make your very own lipstick that lasts!
I have made several different DIY makeup recipes over the years to save money, live more eco-friendly, and control the ingredients going onto my skin.
I’ve swapped over my entire makeup bag with homemade products such as all-natural foundation, DIY setting powder, homemade eyeshadow, DIY eyeliner, and homemade mascara. The DIY versions work beautifully and they’re so fun to make!
I’ve made lots of DIY lip gloss and homemade lip balm, but I still wanted a lipstick to use for weddings, dates, and other times I’d like to dress up a bit.
It took a little trial and error, but I have finally perfected a homemade lipstick recipe! Lipstick is simple to make and the results are so rewarding.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Save money: Natural lipstick can be quite expensive! This recipe doesn’t take a lot to make and it will save you from purchasing lipstick for years.
- Customize your color: I always love making my own makeup because I can get the exact color I want! Plus, it’s fun to experiment with different color combinations and make unique shades.
- Moisturizing ingredients: I don’t know about you, but storebought lipstick tends to dry out my lips. This homemade lipstick is made with nourishing beeswax and natural oils that hydrate the skin while giving it a lovely color.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Beeswax: The wax is what holds this product together, makes it last longer, and makes it waterproof.
- Shea butter: Shea butter has amazing properties for the skin and can be especially good for chapped lips. It is very hydrating and sinks deep into the skin.
- Coconut oil: Similar to shea butter, coconut oil is very moisturizing and will hydrate dry, chapped lips. Be sure to use regular coconut oil for this recipe, not fractionated coconut oil.
- Vitamin E oil: The added vitamin E oil will help soothe and soften chapped lips. In addition, vitamin E oil has amazing benefits for the skin and is very hydrating.
- Zinc oxide: Zinc oxide is a fine white powder that is often used to give a product SPF protection, such as homemade sunscreen. In this recipe, the zinc oxide gives the lipstick a matte look.
- Mica powders: Mica powders will give the lipstick a vibrant color without artificial colorants. Use more powder for a bolder color and less for a more muted look. I strongly encourage you to take the time to research your mica source as many mica powders are obtained with unethical practices. I use Mad Micas for my mica powders as their ethics statement checks all of the boxes for me.
- Lavender essential oil: This is an optional ingredient, but it gives the lipstick a lovely smell and can even offer benefits to the skin, such as anti-inflammatory properties and moisturizing abilities.
- Lipstick Containers: There are two options for making and storing the lipstick: a lip balm container tube or a lipstick silicone mold with lipstick tubes. The lip balm tube is easier to fill, but the lipstick molds will give you that classic angled top. In this tutorial, I’ll be using the lipstick molds and lipstick tubes to show you how to do it.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you’d rather not use beeswax, there are several alternatives that may work, including carnauba wax, candelilla wax, soy wax, or rice wax. The ratios of the ingredients may have to be adjusted slightly if you choose a different wax.
- Feel free to use other essential oils in place of the lavender! However, I would recommend avoiding photosensitive oils as they can cause burning of the skin.
- Rather than mica powders, you can use common kitchen ingredients to color your lipstick! I don’t find that they produce as nice of results, but they are affordable and easily obtainable. Here are some suggested amounts for different lipstick colors:
- Deep red: 1/2-1 teaspoon rose clay powder
- Red/pink: 1/4 teaspoon beet powder
- Pink: 1/4 teaspoon strawberry powder
- Brown: 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder
- Light brown with shimmer: 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- Green: 1/4 teaspoon maca powder
- Yellow: 1/8-1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
How to Make Lipstick
Follow the below photo tutorial or watch the video in the recipe card to see how I did this! The lipstick molds can be intimidating at first, but they are quite simple once you get the hang of it.
Step 1. Melt beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil in the double boiler on medium heat, stirring occasionally
Step 2. Remove from the heat. Add in zinc oxide, vitamin E oil, and lavender, stirring in well.
Step 3. Add your colorant and stir until there are no streaks and it’s one uniform color.
Step 4. Prepare the molds by placing the silicone tip into the plastic stand and attaching the metal lid.
Step 5. Carefully pour the melted lipstick into your prepared molds. Allow the lipstick to fully harden.
Step 6. Once the lipstick has hardened, use a drill bit the size of the lipstick tube’s center guide and drill a hole into the center of the bottom of the lipstick approximately ¼”
Step 7. Carefully remove the drill bit and the metal lid. The lipstick should look like the above photo.
Step 8. Carefully remove the metal ring and insert the lipstick into the tube, pressing it down over the center guide until it is seated in the tube.
Expert Tips
- For best results, allow the lipstick to harden overnight before using it.
- Avoid leaving your lipstick in the car or hot areas of your house as it can melt.
- If you have dry, flakey lips, consider using a homemade lip scrub to exfoliate before applying your lipstick.
- Take your time drilling the hole in the lipstick and transferring it to the lipstick tube. These steps can be a bit tricky and require carefulness.
Best Natural Lipsticks
Making your own lipstick is one of the best ways to ensure that the ingredients are top-notch. However, I know that not everyone is a DIYer or has time to make homemade makeup.
Before I started making my own, I tried a lot of natural lipstick brands. I’ve found the ones I think work the best and I’ll share them with you.
As always, making your own will be cheaper, but if you are running low on time, sometimes buying it may be the only option.
Below is a list of the top 5 best natural lipsticks that you can buy if you don’t have the time or the desire to make your own.
- 100 Percent Pure Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick
- Axiology Bullet Lipstick
- Henne Organic Lipstick
- Bare Minerals Hydra-Soothing Lipstick
- Beauty Counter Color Intense Lipstick
Recipe FAQs
Homemade lipstick lasts for at least a year if stored in a cool, dry place.
Before applying lipstick, make sure that the lips are dry, clean, and free of flaky skin. Prime your lips with a homemade natural concealer to enhance the color or lightly mist with a homemade setting spray.
Opt for multiple thin layers of lipstick rather than one thick layer and consider using a brush to apply it.
If you have a natural DIY lip gloss or a nude DIY lip liner, apply that over the lipstick to avoid smudging.
Related Recipes
- DIY Tinted Lip Balm with Natural Ingredients
- DIY Lip Balm with Coconut Oil
- Homemade Lip Plumper
- DIY Lip Oil for Moisturized Lips
If you tried this Homemade Lipstick Tutorial or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
How to Make Lipstick
Equipment
- Double Boiler
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz beeswax pellets 1 ½ tbsp
- 0.8 oz shea butter 1 ½ tbsp
- .33 oz coconut oil ½ tbsp
- 3 drops vitamin E oil
- 0.05 oz zinc oxide ½ tsp
- ½ teaspoon mica powder add more for richer color, see notes below
- 2 drops lavender essential oil optional
Instructions
- Melt beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil in the double boiler on medium heat, stirring occasionally
- Remove from the heat. Add in zinc oxide, vitamin E oil, and lavender, stirring in well.
- Add your colorant and stir until there are no streaks and it's one uniform color.
- Carefully pour the melted lipstick into your prepared molds. (see video)
- Allow the lipstick to fully harden, then use a drill bit the size of the lipstick tube's center guide and drill a hole into the center of the bottom of the lipstick approximately ¼".
- Carefully remove the metal ring and insert the lipstick into the tube, pressing it down over the center guide until it is seated in the tube.
Video
Notes
- For best results, allow the lipstick to harden overnight before using it.
- This lipstick should last for at least one year if stored in a cool, dry area.
- You can also use a lip balm tube instead of the lipstick tubes and silicone mold. This is a much easier process, but you won’t have the traditional angled top on your lipstick.
- Add more mica powder for a richer color and less for a more mild color.
Komal Sehgal says
Superb, very well explained . I will definitely try to make this.
Laura says
Thank you so much!
Renuka says
Excellent explanation
Laura says
Thank you!!
Angela Baele says
Hi there, Do you know if the shea butter could be substituted with beef tallow?
Thanks so much
maria says
i’m like 90% sure you can, but i don’t know if it’ll come out the same texture as with the shea butter.
Neethu says
How do you measure dry ingredients to tablespoons/ teaspoons? Or are these measured once they are melted (each).
Holly says
How many tubes does this recipe make?
Emily Alonzo says
Is she’s butter interchangeable with cocoa butter
Catsy says
Cocoa butter is a much harder butter, so you will need to adjust the proportions. I would use less cocoa butter and replace it with more coconut oil, or add some oil (sweet almond, avocado, even olive oil.)
I suggest modifying it and cooling a bit of it to test it, then re-melt it and adjust if you need to. If it’s too soft, add a little more cocoa butter or beeswax. If it’s too hard, add oil. I’ve had to experiment with balm recipes to use the ingredients I prefer (I also like cocoa butter) but it’s not as difficult as it sounds, you can always remelt very easily. Don’t overheat it or it will reduce the efficacy quality of vitamin e.