Living a vegan lifestyle has become more and more popular over the last couple of years and if you follow me on Instagram (Check out @healthy.happy.ina if you haven’t already. I spend a lot of time there too and it would mean the world to me if you followed! 😄) you’ll see that I like to cook a lot of vegan recipes as well.
When you’re vegan you go beyond not eating meat, by avoiding animal products altogether. That also means you don’t consume products made by animals, like honey or dairy.
But these ingredients aren’t just used in food items. They’re in your skin care too.
A popular skin care ingredient just like this is Beeswax, a wax that’s secreted by honey bees. That paints quite the picture, doesn’t it? 🙂
Beeswax is used in a lot of skin care products from lotions to lip balms.
And this wax isn’t just used by conventional, mainstream skin care brands. It’s also a popular ingredient for natural beauty products.
Luckily there are alternatives out there if you want to go full vegan, like waxes that are derived from plant based materials.
This DIY Vegan Lip Gloss recipe only uses 3 ingredients and make it super easy to make your own vegan alternative at home.
Made with only a few natural ingredients, it’s also a good skin safe alternative if you suffer from allergies or sensitivities to certain synthetic ingredients found in some store bought items.
Different types of Vegan wax:
Candelilla wax
Probably the most common used vegan wax alternative out there is candelilla wax. It’s harvested from a plant that grows in North Central Mexico and the Texas Big Bend area (source).
If you live relatively near these areas, candelilla wax is also a good environmental-friendly option because you keep transportation to a minimum.
Carnauba wax
Carnauba wax is harvested from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree. Because of its origin it’s sometimes also referred to as Brazil wax.
It’s one of the hardest waxes out there, as it has a high melt point.
Other vegan waxes
Japan Wax: As you can guess by its name, Japan wax is made from berries that grow in Japan and China.
How To Use Vegan Wax in Beauty Products:
Every wax has its own melting point. The melting point of beeswax for example is around 145 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius. That makes it fairly easy to remove from utensils and surfaces.
When I use a tougher wax like carnauba wax, I use utensils that I throw out later. Like a re-purposed jar that I clean out thoroughly first. To stir the mixture I use wooden chop sticks they give away with your sushi order.
In most beauty product recipes like lip balms and lotion bars you can swap beeswax for another, vegan wax. Keep in mind that because each wax has its own unique properties and melting point, the result may differ from what you’d get when using beeswax.
Other ingredients in this Vegan Lip Gloss:
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a unique beauty ingredient. It has a buttery, solid consistency at room temperature and when applied to your skin it melts and sinks in like an oil. Coconut oil is also very rich and moisturizing, has a nice neutral scent and gives a glossy finish.
Choose cold pressed, unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil for best quality.
Castor oil
Unlike other carrier or plant based oils, castor oil has a thick consistency. It also has a very high glossy sheen, making it the perfect choice for a lip gloss!

DIY Vegan Lip Gloss Recipe
You can easily make your own vegan lip gloss at home with this 3 ingredient recipe.
Materials
Instructions
- Melt the wax using the double boiler method on medium heat.
- Once the wax has melted add the coconut oil.
- As soon as the wax and coconut oil have melted, add the castor oil and stir until it forms a liquid.
- Add cosmetic mica and stir until dissolved. Use more or less to get the color you like.
- Pour the mixture into the containers and let cool to room temperature. I like to let them sit overnight.
Notes
Color options: I added 1/4 tsp pearl mica for the transparent gloss, 1/4 tsp pink mica for the hot pink and added another 1/4 tsp of gold mica to get a pretty coral shade.
Essential Oils: You can add a drop of essential oil to give this lip balm a more interesting scent, but always be cautious when using essential oils on a sensitive area of your skin like your lips. Read the contraindications of your essential oil first.
If you like this DIY than don’t forget to put a pin on it!
And you also know this product is cruelty free as it has not been tested on animals, but only on me!
Enjoy!
Ina, your guinea pig.
Made your own lip gloss with this recipe and proud of what you made? Send a picture to ina@themakeupdummy.com or tag @healthy.happy.ina on Instagram!
You Might Also Like:
How To Make Vegan Lotion Bars:
jai
Saturday 6th of April 2019
hi
did you omit one mica for the other or add them together for the coral colour?