Formulate a strawberry lip gloss
How to formulate a natural red lip gloss with plant-based colourants.
INTRODUCTION
A lip gloss should not provide strong coverage; it is unlike lipstick. The base is oils, mainly castor oil, that help achieve a lovely shine when the gloss is applied. It also contains some waxes with a higher (but not hard) viscosity. I find that the best gloss base is by mixing waxes, but if you are following the vegan trend, you can stick with only vegan waxes such as candelilla, carnauba or berry wax.
Many DIY formulas use bases, but I think there is something magical about making your own products from scratch.
INGREDIENTS
Beeswax and candelilla wax provide the thickening properties of our gloss. These waxes don’t behave the same way. You can leave out beeswax, but then be prepared to experiment with the amount of vegan waxes you need to replace it.
The colours come from plants, namely Radish, Sweet potato and Elderberry. These powders are found at Aroma-Zone, France (see link below). If you are in the US, you may want to contact Sensient to obtain some samples.
To boost the red shade, I used Gromwell CO2 extract, again, from Aroma-zone. It has a stronger natural scent, so you may detect it or even dislike it. You can omit or cover it; for example, I used Plum kernel oil and Strawberry oil to mask the scent.
I also use a little bit of titanium dioxide for opacity. This can be left out; the gloss will be excellent without it.
Of course, don’t forget your tocopherol. I like using the 70% blend, but you can go for 50% if that is what you have.
When you make make-up products, you must wear a mask and protect the surfaces since colours like these may stain. You will also need scales that weigh 0.001g as we are not making a big batch.
SOURCING
This is where I purchased my ingredients:
Plant powders/ colourants - various
Gromwell CO2 extract - INCI: Lithospermum erythrorhizon extract
Coco silicone - INCI: Coco-caprylate, Tocopherols
HOW TO USE
Apply on the lips as often as needed. It may stain slightly.
