If you’re like us, the last time you tried to make a DIY tinted lip balm was in 4th grade with a Barbie lip-balm maker, which included a bunch of petroleum jelly, scented drops, loose glitter (because that makes sense), and stickers. And yes, they turned out terribly.
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But the one—and only—positive side to that gummy, sticky experiment was that you knew exactly what you were slathering on your lips, which is more than you can say for most of the lip products you’ve purchased in the last decade. With DIY lip balms, there are no over-priced packaging, no guilt when you inevitably lose them (hey, they were cheap to make!), and, best of all, no rules. Except, like, don’t eat them, or whatever.
So we put on our snooty, high-standards hat and combed through the interwebs, looking for the best tinted lip-balm recipes that were not only fully do-able for the average non-chemist, but also pretty cheap and cool to make. And, because this is 2016, we’re presenting them to you in video form (words? What are words?), so you can watch and follow along. Have fun this Sunday crafternoon, and please, no glitter, this time.
1. Vanilla Tinted Lip Balm
Coconut butter, rose oil, and vanilla extract give this tinted lip balm its super-smooth finish.
2. Soft-Pink Honey Balm
Use as much—or as little—of your favorite lipstick to give this balm a wash of color.
3. Minty Lip Balm Stain
Pink and purple gel food coloring and a dab of Vaseline turn your basic lip balm into a surprisingly long-lasting lip stain.