DIY Burt's Bees Chapstick Dupe, Tinted Version!!
I know this makes me sound like I just got my tinfoil hat back from the dry cleaners, but most people either don't know -- or don't care -- that most lipsticks contain lead, and up to eight other toxic heavy metals such as chromium and aluminum. I'm not one of them. The fact that, while a single lipstick application is not harmful to you due to the trace amounts of the metals found in each tube, a lifetime of constant lipstick reapplication has long-term negative effects on your health such as making you more likely to develop stomach tumors or toxicity in your nervous system, is enough to turn me off lipsticks entirely. But seriously, don't just take my word for it -- follow my links above, including a link to a Berkeley study proving the toxicity of most lipsticks and cosmetics in general.
The discovery about the dangerous qualities of 'normal' cosmetics was neither a surprise or super impactful in my day to day life -- I already hated how dry my lips felt after wearing lipstick for .02 seconds, and I was never one to wear much makeup anyway. But when I wanted to look cute or professional and needed to throw on some lip color, I figured I would be safe using Burt's Bees tinted chapstick. Haha, nope. Same stuff in Burt's Bees "all natural products" as in your garden variety drugstore chapstick. Not to mention the negative effects of chlorine bleach on the environment, and you are supporting the titan of Clorox whenever you buy Burt's Bees, as Clorox is now their parent company.
But a girl still needs to have soft and colorful lips, so that's where taking it into our own hands and DIY-ing it comes in! It seemed daunting at first -- I didn't know how to make something pigmented enough to color to my lips without using chemicals either, and I was reluctant to try food dye and other still-questionably-chemical substitutes. And then, after some brief research, I discovered the wonders of mica powder!
Mica is a naturally occurring, crystalline earth mineral that can be ground up into a fine, shimmery powder, and has been used in a ridiculous number of things over human history from cosmetics to paints to even roof shingles! While long-term inhalation of mica powder in mills where it is ground can pose health concerns, it is completely safe for cosmetic use or ingestion (not that you should eat it!), and it comes in a large variety of colors and adds a natural shimmer to any project in which it is used. It is also useful as a texturizer, meaning it creates a silky feel in cosmetics and is perfect for individuals with sensitive skin due to the fact that it is a non-irritant and also has soothing properties to calm previous irritations from chemical cosmetics. Not only is it perfect for anything makeup related, you can also use it to color your soaps, candles, resins, and so many more DIY endeavors! And it's relatively inexpensive, especially because it's so heavily pigmented and you just need a tiiiiny bit for each project. However, please be cautious if you purchase mica to make cosmetics; a lot of times pigment colors will be sold under the name "mica" or even in the same package with mica, and those are NOT natural and are not always safe for cosmetic applications. It can also stain clothes sometimes, although the mica I've been using luckily washed out of everything just fine.
Now that you're as excited about the applications of mica as I am, let's get in to how I used it to make these tinted, moisturizing chapsticks!
I'm excited to share with you my favorite Burt's Bees tinted chapstick dupe. I hope you enjoy and can cut the cord with Clorox using these simple recipes! This is hands down my favorite DIY thing to do, because of how ridiculously easy and fun it is to make and how much everyone has loved it.
Looking for a regular, non-tinted chapstick recipe? Have no fear, Carly is here! I edited this into two posts for brevity's sake; check out the regular version here.
Carly's Tinted Chapstick Recipe
**adapted from Wellness Mama's recipe and my own trial and error. Have I mentioned how much I love Wellness Mama?**
Disclaimer: the links below are not affiliate links, and do not provide me with any income. I simply wanted to share what items I've found helpful and what has worked for me!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
The discovery about the dangerous qualities of 'normal' cosmetics was neither a surprise or super impactful in my day to day life -- I already hated how dry my lips felt after wearing lipstick for .02 seconds, and I was never one to wear much makeup anyway. But when I wanted to look cute or professional and needed to throw on some lip color, I figured I would be safe using Burt's Bees tinted chapstick. Haha, nope. Same stuff in Burt's Bees "all natural products" as in your garden variety drugstore chapstick. Not to mention the negative effects of chlorine bleach on the environment, and you are supporting the titan of Clorox whenever you buy Burt's Bees, as Clorox is now their parent company.
But a girl still needs to have soft and colorful lips, so that's where taking it into our own hands and DIY-ing it comes in! It seemed daunting at first -- I didn't know how to make something pigmented enough to color to my lips without using chemicals either, and I was reluctant to try food dye and other still-questionably-chemical substitutes. And then, after some brief research, I discovered the wonders of mica powder!
Mica is a naturally occurring, crystalline earth mineral that can be ground up into a fine, shimmery powder, and has been used in a ridiculous number of things over human history from cosmetics to paints to even roof shingles! While long-term inhalation of mica powder in mills where it is ground can pose health concerns, it is completely safe for cosmetic use or ingestion (not that you should eat it!), and it comes in a large variety of colors and adds a natural shimmer to any project in which it is used. It is also useful as a texturizer, meaning it creates a silky feel in cosmetics and is perfect for individuals with sensitive skin due to the fact that it is a non-irritant and also has soothing properties to calm previous irritations from chemical cosmetics. Not only is it perfect for anything makeup related, you can also use it to color your soaps, candles, resins, and so many more DIY endeavors! And it's relatively inexpensive, especially because it's so heavily pigmented and you just need a tiiiiny bit for each project. However, please be cautious if you purchase mica to make cosmetics; a lot of times pigment colors will be sold under the name "mica" or even in the same package with mica, and those are NOT natural and are not always safe for cosmetic applications. It can also stain clothes sometimes, although the mica I've been using luckily washed out of everything just fine.
Now that you're as excited about the applications of mica as I am, let's get in to how I used it to make these tinted, moisturizing chapsticks!
I'm excited to share with you my favorite Burt's Bees tinted chapstick dupe. I hope you enjoy and can cut the cord with Clorox using these simple recipes! This is hands down my favorite DIY thing to do, because of how ridiculously easy and fun it is to make and how much everyone has loved it.
Looking for a regular, non-tinted chapstick recipe? Have no fear, Carly is here! I edited this into two posts for brevity's sake; check out the regular version here.
Carly's Tinted Chapstick Recipe
**adapted from Wellness Mama's recipe and my own trial and error. Have I mentioned how much I love Wellness Mama?**
Disclaimer: the links below are not affiliate links, and do not provide me with any income. I simply wanted to share what items I've found helpful and what has worked for me!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (This is the coconut oil I've been using; absolutely fantastic for facial moisturizer and general lotion, and of course for DIY recipes. I bought a 2 pack for $9 from Walmart about 9 months ago and have still at least 3/4 of one container left. I've also heard it's very cheap at Sam's Club, but I don't have a membership so I can't verify.)
- 2 tablespoons of cosmetic-grade beeswax pastilles (I have been using these beeswax pastilles from an all-natural company, and have been very pleased by the amount and utility for the price. Wellness Mama calls for only one tablespoon to make this more like lip gloss, but I prefer it to be harder and more chapstick-y so I used more beeswax. Your mileage may vary.)
- 1 tablespoon of shea butter (This is the shea butter I use, one container like that lasted me about half a year of DIY-ing and also just using it to rub it on my dry skin. You can also use cocoa butter in this recipe, if you'd like.)
- 1/2 teaspoon of mica powder (I used the color "powder" for this project, which came in this set; you get 24 different colors, and it is cosmetic grade as well as appropriate for soap, candle, slime dye, and so much more. You can use any color your heart desires for this project. Mica powder is very pigmented, so it comes in tiny packets because you really just need tiny amounts, and you'll use a box like this forever. However, not all mica is suitable for cosmetic use, so be sure to do your research before you purchase mica powder for makeup making! ADDITIONAL WORD OF CAUTION: I got this on my white countertops and all over my fingers and it washed off fine (however, I tended to it immediately), but some Mica is EXTREMELY pigmented and will stain anything it touches forever. Your mileage will vary, so be careful.)
- A double boiler, or if you're a broke college student like me, a glass bowl that you can heat over a small pan of water on the stove
- Containers for your finished product! I really like using these chapstick tubes, because they're just like "normal" chapstick, easy to carry around/use and are also reusable for future projects, but some people really like putting their tinted chapstick, especially if they make it more like lipgloss, in tins like these.
- A spoon or tiny measuring scoop that you don't mind getting all waxy
- OPTIONAL: 30+ drops of essential oil (Your possibilities are endless here! You can make any smell you can dream of! I've made rosemary and lemongrass flavor, rose and vanilla, and peppermint so far. No matter what scent you go with, just make sure to put 30+ drops in total or there will be no noticeable smell at the end. CAUTION: be sure to avoid citrus essential oils for this project, as they can make you more susceptible to sunburn! And no one wants to be that person with the flaky lips.)
- OPTIONAL: A friend or helpful kiddo to help you out (because everything is always more fun with friends, crafting included! Just make sure to share your finished product as payment 😉.)
TOTAL COST TO MAKE: Assuming you already have some essential oils on hand (since those vary so widely in price), and that you have something you can use as a double boiler, it costs about $52 to make this recipe if you have to go out and purchase all of the ingredients using the links I provided above. However, this recipe makes 12 tubes of lipstick/tinted chapstick, and you will have wayyyyyy more materials to either make more chapsticks or to embark on other DIY projects. In order to buy 12 tubes of Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm, you're going to be spending about $60 which means you come out vastly ahead cost-wise when you consider how many more chapsticks you can make with all those ingredients. Additionally, you can likely find ingredients in smaller amounts if you don't care to become a DIY queen, which could cut down on cost too. And you're not smearing poison on your lips that dry them out every day! Yay! DIY Life 1, Clorox 0!
Anyway, let's get started.
DIRECTIONS:
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt your beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil in your double boiler/glass bowl over pan of water until the mixture is completely liquefied. You don't have to stir it constantly, but you want to make sure none sticks to the bottom, and it seems to melt quicker if its stirred.
- Remove the pan from heat, but keep the glass bowl over the hot water so your mixture stays liquid. This stuff starts to get hard fast, beware!
- Add your essential oils, if using. Adding them in smaller increments and then testing the mixture on your skin is recommended, but I'm very impatient and just test it by what I think smells right, and it works just fine for me.
- This is when you should start mixing in your mica powder. The recipe calls for about 1/2 teaspoons of powder, but honestly, I just eyeball this and add a little at a time until I get a color that I like. Do this slowly; a very tiny amount goes a looooong way.
- Quickly, now, time is of the essence so this stuff doesn't solidify - start using your scooper/spoon to fill the tubes or tins. Having a friend help you with this step is recommended, since they can hold the tubes over and prevent you from ruining all your hard work by spilling all 12 of your tubes....😰.....not that I know from experience or anything....
- Once filled, leave the tubes uncapped overnight (or at least for several hours) until they are completely hardened and ready to use. Then, cap them and clean up any runaway wax on the outside of the tube (happens literally every time, I swear).
- You should now have about 12-14 tubes for your personal and gifting enjoyment! These are going over really well as Christmas presents, and I have enjoyed how luxurious and colorful they've made my lips!
- It can be tempting to leave the cleanup for future-you, but the longer the wax sits on things, the harder it is to wash it off, so I would suggest tending to any dirty dishes you may have incurred immediately and resting later 😃
I hope this recipe is as easy and fun for you to make as it is for me, and be sure to check out the untinted version over on this post! Thanks for stopping by and I hope to talk to you soon! As always, leave any comments or insights you have below and feel free to press the pink SUBSCRIBE button at the top of my page if you want to keep up to date on my wacky DIY adventures!
Peace, love, and holiday well-wishes,
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