How to make your own lipstick like a pro!

I wanted to make a homemade lipstick that looks like the one you get in stores. Turns out how to make your own lipstick like a pro is not as hard as you can imagine. Packaging like this high-grade lipstick tube and a few tools can sometimes make a world of difference!

Lipsticks really do have the ability to add that magic touch to a woman’s appearance that makes you feel like you can conquer the world.

If you’re worried about all the toxic chemicals used in commercially produced lipsticks (and you should be!), it’s time to make the shift to natural, homemade lipsticks. Read on to find out more about the whys and hows!

Lipstick containers

I found those beautiful lipstick containers that have a silver body and cap, with glossy silver ring that looks exactly like the one you can buy at a major brand store. You can get those lipstick containers or empty tubes on Aroma Zone (they now deliver internationally from France!) or Amazon.com

When I was done with the final product in hand, I was almost as excited as when I made my first homemade face cream!

The secret to making this homemade and organic lipstick like a pro is the lipstick silicon mold!

It will give the perfect shape. This homemade lipstick recipe is not a regular lip balm recipe as there are a few steps you need to do with the silicon mold. This silicon mold has been custom made by Aroma-zone. It’s a French company that sells great quality beauty care ingredients. The only hiccup is that you most likely will have to pay a custom (tax) fee if you do not live in France.

You could also decide to get another lipstick mold I found on amazon. I have not tried this one yet but it has good reviews!

How to Make Lipstick Without Beeswax at Home?

If you’re vegan and don’t want to use beeswax, or simply don’t have it on hand at the time, fret not, for there are ways you can make an amazing lipstick without it. Alternate vegan options for beeswax include Rice Bran Wax, Candelilla wax, Carnauba Wax or Soy wax. These work just as well as beeswax, so you don’t have to worry about it affecting the quality of your end product.

Ingredients DIY Lipstick recipe

This organic recipe is without beeswax and could be a vegan lipstick recipe if you replaced the natural carmine red colorant by iron oxides.

Instead of beeswax, I’ve used rice bran wax, candelilla wax and carnauba wax.

Why so many waxes you may wonder?

It is because it will give the right creamy and thick texture. This is more suitable for color-rich lipstick. It has a soft satin and semi-matte finish and stay one for more than 5 hours.

It will moisturize your lips while showing intense color.

Rice Bran Wax comes from the cold press de-waxing of the rice bran oil. It can be used as a thickener and has emollient properties.

Candelilla wax is a wax derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub native to northern Mexico.  It has great protecting properties and is an effective emollient. Plus it adds a nice gloss!

Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of the Brazilian palm tree Copernica Cerifera also referred to as the “tree of life”. It is used as a thickening agent for lipstick and if one of the hardest of natural waxes.

I chose a red carmine color but you could create your own shade by mixing 1 tsp of camelia seed oil with mica or iron oxide of your choice. I suggest mixing a very small amount of mica or iron oxides together to get the color you are looking for BEFORE you incorporate into the camellia seed oil.

How to make your own lipstick

Tutorial on how to use the lipstick silicon mold

Step 1

Remove the cover and the base of the lipstick container

Step 2

Turn the bottom white part of the mechanism to the maximum in order to have the transparent inner part up.

Step 3

Clip the transparent inner part in the lipstick mold

Step 4

Put the lipstick mold upside down on a table and start pouring through the bottom of the body of the empty case.

Step 5

Pour the melted lipstick mixture quickly inside the lipstick container. Try not to exceed the little white gate.

Step 6

Place the entire (+ mold body of the case) 15 minutes in the freezer in the same position as casting.

Step 7

To unmold, put the lipstick upright and unmold gently the silicone mold.

Step 8

Turn the mechanism to retract the lipstick stick inside the body of the container, then put the base and the cover.

Step 9

Clean the silicone mold with warm water and soap. Let dry before you use it again. Voila, you are done!

How is Lipstick Made in Factories

If you truly knew the extent of the nasty ingredients used in your beloved lipsticks, you might not feel as enthusiastic about putting it on your lips. Tests by FDA in 2012 showed that in a sample of 400 different lipsticks, lead was present in the majority in the amounts of seven parts per million!

Some of the other toxic chemicals used in lipsticks include Polyparaben, Methylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, and Tocopheryl Acetate. A lot of dyes used are also known to contain harmful compounds like heavy metals.

You have to realize that small exposure built over a long period of time to those chemicals can have a negative impact on your health. If you’re like the average woman who wears lipstick daily and reapplies it repeatedly during the day, think of all the toxic chemicals you might be ingesting unknowingly. Investing in a natural, homemade alternative might be more crucial than you think.

How to Make Matte Lipstick?

If you’re a more matte kinda gal, you’ll be happy to know that you can achieve more or less the same matte look using a few select ingredients in your homemade lipstick that you do with your store brought one. All you need to do is add rice flour and zinc oxide to your normal lipstick mixture and proceed as you normally would. The rice flour and zinc oxide will help give your lipstick that sleek matte look. Take a look at my matte lipstick recipe here!

DIY Long Lasting Lipstick

How long a lipstick lasts on your lips depends mainly on the combo of wax that you use as its base. Also, the colorant that you use is a huge determinant too in this regard. You’ll find that a colorant like Carmine made from Cochenille (red) is especially guaranteed to make it long-lasting. Unfortunately, Carmine red dye is not a vegan option as it is made from insects!

While the longevity of your homemade lipstick obviously won’t be as great as a store bought ones, you can increase its wear time to some extent by following one simple tip. Apply your lipstick as you normally would and then powder your lips with bamboo silica (a great option you can find on Amazon is this one). What the bamboo silica powder does is that it absorbs the excess moisture, which helps lock in the color and makes it more long-lasting.

How to Make Pigmented Lipstick

Just because you’re making lipstick at home doesn’t mean that you should have to compromise on the quality and result of it. For maximum color payoff, consider using colorants like red carmine, beetroot, gremil colorant or red oxides. These will take your product pigmentation to a whole new level and help you achieve that vibrant pop of red color.

How to Make Pink Lipstick

Pink lipstick is essential in every girl’s makeup bag. You can make a shade of pink that’s perfect for your complexion by either using micas or by blending white clay or zinc oxide with the natural red colorant to achieve the shade you desire.

Can your Lipstick be Waterproof naturally?

I know this might come as unpleasant news to you but unfortunately, natural, homemade lipsticks can’t be waterproofed. Waterproofing would mean using certain silicones or copolymers/acrylates, which are a health hazard. If you used these, it’d beat the entire purpose of making lipsticks at home—they’d no longer be safe and 100% natural.

And that’s a wrap! Hopefully, you’re now convinced to make the switch to homemade lipsticks.

I’ve love to hear from you about this DIY beauty recipe, do you think this was helpful to learn how to make your own lipstick?

Please take two minutes of your time to let me know your thoughts in the comments below!