A simple, natural DIY lip oil recipe that will leave your lips feeling nourished with a healthy sheen. Made with natural ingredients and essential oils.
My lips used to be chapped all the time. You know what solved it?
Nope, not this natural lip oil. Did I get you?
Homemade lip scrub? Not that either. Although it is a good idea to remove your dead skin cells every once in a while...
I started tracking my water intake and worked up to 8 cups a day, which has made a huge difference in my lips and skin.
So I don't require a product as often to assist my lips, but sometimes I still do. Other times I don't need it, but I'd like a little bit of a shine on my lips. Using this oil is a great way to moisturize and provide a subtle sheen, yet it's not sticky or uncomfortable!
And, of course, the best part is it's made with all natural ingredients. None of these "weird, can't pronounce, no idea what they even are" types of ingredients.
Another good reason to make diy lip balm, lip oil, lip gloss or whatever other lip product you can think of, and all your other beauty products is it's WAAAY cheaper than buying them, especially if you're looking at buying anything that claims to be natural!
Plus, guys, it's so freakin' easy!! Just pour a couple of ingredients into a roller bottle and shake. Done!!
What's Lip Oil?
Lip oil is a mixture of oils that are hydrating for the lips. It's thinner than lip gloss, therefore it provides more of a subtle shine. Because it's made of natural oils and other ingredients, it's nourishing to cracked, dry lips.
DIY Lip Oil Ingredients
The skin on the lips is very different from the skin on other parts of the body and therefore, requires different care to remain healthy and hydrated.
Almond Oil
Almond oil (also known as sweet almond oil) moisturizes the lips and helps to prevent chapping. It contains Vitamins A, E and K, as well as has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help calm skin irritations. It easily absorbs into the skin without clogging pores, since it's lightweight and not greasy like other oils.
Almond oil also has a natural SPF of about 5 and since it's anti-inflammatory, can soothe lips that have been sunburnt.
Vegetable Glycerin
Glycerin or vegetable glycerin is a common ingredient used in skincare because it's a great moisturizer! It's also great at soothing irritated or wounded skin.
Glycerin is easily absorbed into the top layer of skin, called the stratum corneum, and therefore works well when added to topical products like lip oil! Because it's quite thick, it forms a sort of protective barrier on the skin as well.
Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E helps to promote cell turnover and regeneration, so newer skin cells will be brought to the surface of your lips. It can also reduce inflammation and slow the signs of aging, such as fine lines in the lips.
Essential Oils
Pure essential oils are naturally occurring compounds extracted from plants. They smell like their source (no chemical smells here!) and have different properties. Here are a few of the best essential oils for lips:
Peppermint
My favorite in DIY lip products. It produces a cooling and tingling sensation that promotes circulation to the lips, creating a slightly plumped effect. It's also such a great, fresh scent.
Lavender
Famous for being calming and soothing, it has the same effect on lips!
Frankincense
Great for conditioning and smoothing the skin. Perfect for lips!
Geranium
Both rose and geranium essential oils do wonders for the skin and have very similar properties, but geranium is about ¼ of the price of rose. Geranium oil reduces inflammation and soothes irritation.
You can use one oil or a combination of your favorite essential oils.
It's always a good idea to test a new product on a small area to ensure no allergic reaction! There are some cases where people are allergic to a certain essential oil.
FAQ
Lip balm, lip gloss, and lip oil are all products used for lip care and enhancement, but they have different characteristics and purposes.
Lip balm is a product designed to moisturize and protect the lips. It usually comes in a waxy or creamy form in a twist-up tube or small pot/jar. Lip balms often contain ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter and petroleum jelly that help to lock in moisture and prevent dryness, cracking, and chapping. Lip balms can be tinted or untinted and may have a matte or glossy finish. It's really easy to make your own lip balm.
Lip gloss is a cosmetic product that is used to add shine and a glossy finish to the lips. It is typically a liquid or gel-like product that comes in a tube or wand applicator. Lip gloss can be clear or tinted and may contain glitter or shimmer particles for a more dramatic effect. Lip gloss is not typically designed to provide long-lasting moisture or protection to the lips, but some may contain moisturizing ingredients.
Lip oil is a newer type of lip product that is designed to provide both hydration and shine to the lips. Lip oils are typically formulated with nourishing oils like jojoba, argan, or coconut oil that penetrate deeply into the skin to provide long-lasting moisture. Lip oils are often clear or tinted and provide a glossy finish that is similar to lip gloss but with a more natural look. Some lip oils may also contain other beneficial ingredients like vitamins and antioxidants to further improve the health and appearance of the lips.
Lip oil is amazingly easy to make with just a few simple and natural ingredients! If you are already making your own DIY personal care products, you'll likely already have most, if not all, of these ingredients.
Lip oil is a great mix between lip balm and lip gloss. It's nourishing and moisturizing like a lip balm and gives a lovely sheen similar to a lip gloss. It's not sticky like lip gloss is either!
The ingredients tend to separate, so give your container a good shake before each use. Tip the bottle up slightly as your run the rollerball across your lips a couple of times. The more you roll, the more product will be applied to your lips.
This depends on the person and how dry the lips are. Just reapply as needed, as you would a lip balm. But you'll enjoy the extra benefit of having beautifully shiny lips as well!
When making DIY products at home, the only time you'll need to even think about using a preservative is when there is water in the recipe. Water can introduce bacteria, which will make the product spoil quickly. As there is no water in this recipe, there is no need to intentionally add a preservative.
However, some ingredients in this recipe are generally used as preservatives in DIY products, so you can be confident, as long as no water is introduced, that your lip oil will not spoil.
Vegetable glycerin is a natural preservative and Vitamin E oil acts as a preservative in waterless DIY products, such as this one. Some essential oils also have antimicrobial properties, such as peppermint, tea tree, lavender and lemon.
The ingredient in this recipe that determines the thickness is vegetable glycerin. The amount that I put in creates quite a thin mixture. If you prefer it thicker and closer to a lip gloss consistency, you can use up to 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin. You may try to add more, however, your final product may become too thick to easily run through the roller ball applicator.
Variations of DIY Lip Oil
General Variations
- Use any carrier oil instead of almond oil. I would recommend rosehip oil (full of essential fatty acids and very moisturizing), castor oil, avocado oil or fractionated coconut oil (liquid at room temperature). You can use olive oil, I just don't prefer it because of its noticeable scent.
- If you don't have vegetable glycerin, you can substitute jojoba oil, which is a thicker carrier oil that will help to thicken your lip oil.
- Use any essential oil you want or don't use any at all! The smell of peppermint oil is probably my favorite.
DIY Lip Oil With Flavoring
- You can actually buy different lip balm flavorings and there are SOOO many options!
- Sunrise Botanicals sells 36 lip balm flavor oils! So, if you want to get really fancy, check them out. Some examples of their flavors are cheesecake, watermelon, cookies and cream, wintergreen and gingerbread!
- Add ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract for a natural vanilla flavoring.
DIY Lip Oil With Tint (I wouldn't recommend it...)
For many DIY recipes, natural common household ingredients, such as cocoa powder and beetroot powder are used to create a tint. This does not work in this recipe! The powder does not incorporate well and you can end up with a grainy texture.
You can purchase lip tints like, but the colorants in them are not natural, so I wouldn't recommend them. If you really want a hint of color, perhaps a homemade lip balm or lip glosses would be a better fit!
DIY Lip Oil With Flowers
You can make your DIY lip oil super pretty by adding some dried flower petals or buds to the bottle before pouring your ingredients in! It's very important that the petals are completely dehydrated, as any water introduced will quickly spoil the product. Over time, the essential oils in the petals will also infuse into your lip oil.
How to Make DIY Lip Oil
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon almond oil (or another carrier oil)
- ¾ teaspoon vegetable glycerin
- ¾ teaspoon Vitamin E oil
- 3 drops of essential oil (optional)
Instructions:
- Carefully pour all ingredients into a 10 mL roller bottle (this kit comes with a small funnel as well!) or lip gloss tube.
- Close the lid and shake well before every use. Tip up slightly to apply.
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📖 Recipe
DIY Lip Oil
A simple, natural DIY lip oil recipe that will leave your lips feeling nourished with a healthy sheen.
Materials
- 1 teaspoon almond oil (or another carrier oil)
- ¾ teaspoon vegetable glycerin
- ¾ teaspoon Vitamin E oil
- 3 drops essential oil (optional)
Tools
- 10 mL roller bottle or lip gloss tube
Instructions
- Carefully pour all ingredients into a 10 mL roller bottle or lip gloss tube.
- Close the lid and shake well before every use. Tip up slightly to apply.
Lesandra
Can the oils be heated together so they combine well without being separated?
Errika
Oh, a great idea! I didn't think of trying that. I'll give it a go and let you know if it helps with the separation issue. Thanks for commenting!
Errika
I tried heating the oils, and unfortunately, it didn't seem to make any difference. They still separated and the tube required a little shake before application!
Rae
That’s because glycerin is water soluble. It will never mix with oil. Try using castor oil to thicken it. It also provides moisture.
Rae
Glycerin isn’t an oil and is water soluble so that’s why they separate. Nothing will make them combine. I use castor oil instead.
Errika
A good suggestion!
Cindy
I love Peppermint and Vanilla . And intend to make a bunch of them so will make bigger batch and load up my bottles! Thanks and sorry I cannot color the oil!
Rae
Glycerin is water soluble and doesn’t mix with oil. The oil and glycerin stayed separated in the roller bottle.
Landa
Would swapping the glycerin with a smaller amount of beeswax provide a more balm type product? If so has anyone played with the ratios?
Errika
It would definitely make it thicker, but I haven't tried so I can't say how it would work out. If you try it, let us know!
VINEVIDA
It's refreshing to see articles like this one that encourage embracing natural solutions. The DIY lip oil with essential oils is a testament to the author's commitment to holistic well-being. Thank you for sharing.