Lip Balm/Gloss Experiment

Since my hair is all braided up and honestly I have kind of tired of creating new products for my hair and skin ( body & facial cleaners) I have moved onto lips and nails, makeup and possibly candles!

This post is about lip products.  I've been cooking up some ideas and it's time to test them out now that I have ALL the supplies!

Soon I will be making all these types of lip balms & Lip colors below:

1. Lip Balm (Base)
2. Lip Balm w/ Castor Oil & Mica
3. Lip Balm w/ versagel & Mica
4. Vaseline w/ mica

Supplies Needed:

Equipment                                                                                             Ingredients

• Double Boiler                                                                                Shea Butter
• Lippie containers                                                                           Mango Butter
• Alcohol                                                                                         Cocoa Butter
• Wooden Spoon                                                                            Cocounut Oil
• Toothpicks                                                                                   Castor Oil
• Container for base Lip Balm                                                          Beeswax
• Melter Cups                                                                                 Candilia Wax
• Scale                                                                                            Lip safe Mica & dyes
• Measurement Spoons                                                                   Versagel
• Patience & Time                                                                           Vaseline
• Coffee Grinder/Pestle & Mortar                                                    Rosemary Extract/Vitamen E Oil

                                                                                                         
 

Man!!  This seems like alot of work, but I'm impatient and I want to test out all these theories and decide on my favorite one for lip application.  I am always interested in saving money so, some would be a cheaper habit to maintain than others, i.e. Vaseline.   I am testing for feel, staying powder and pigmentation. 

As for the preservative, I say this is optional, but if you decide to opt out, try to make formulation for jars that do not require as much hand in jar or lip brush contamination.  You can also just make small amounts and throw away left overs after so much time.  Plus, these formulation are water free, which generally do not require preservatives.  Be careful not to get water in balm/glosses.

Stay tuned for my results!!

This blog and post is meant for fun only, not for sell.  Please do your own research and practice GMP and learn about preservation.  These products were not tested for sell. 

New Lip Balm Base

This is my most recent lip balm creation.  It is the same as my previous recipe, except I added lanolin for it's moisturization and assistance w/ color adhesion in lip products.   

20% Cocoa Butter
30% Mango Butter
20% Beeswax
22% Carrier Oil
7% Lanolin
.25% Vitamen E Oil
.1% EO/Flavoring Oil  optional
.1%  Sweetner ( Honey, Glycerin, or Stevia) optional


Results: This lip balm is great, but my intentions to use it as a base for my liquid(creamy) lip colors is not so great since I will have to reheat the base in order to add color and the versagel.  I only make 1 lip color at a time to avoid wasting product and to experiment while I am learning the tricks to coloring lip products.  The balm, due to the butters, crytalizes from too much heating.   If you just want to make a nice balm, this recipe is great as long as you melt the butters once and slowly.  It is very soft during application and offers a slight shine to lips and lasts.  You can also add color to tint this balm as well. 

P.S  Add castor oil to make into  lip gloss.

Creamy Lip Color recipe coming soon!

Enjoy!

DIY Oil Blotting Powder & Primer

source

I have been testing a recently order primer sample for the past few days and I noticed at the end of the day, I didn't have shiny forehead.  I'm usually VERY shiny by the time I get to the gym, ugh!  So, this powder is a winner so far!

Why am I posting this?  This is not a prodcut review, but rather a you can make this "product" at home for a fraction of the price. 

The powders ingredients are....drumroll.....kaolnite.  Now isn't that just the INCI name for kaolin clay???  So of course I googled it to make sure my hypothesis was correct and BOOM it was.  According to Mountain Rose Herbs,  Kaolin clay is:

Total Kaolinite- 97%

Silicon Oxide- 46%
Aluminum Oxide- 37%
Iron Oxide- 0.79%
Titanium Oxide- 0.37%

So this 2 gram(.07 ounces) sample that I just paid $3.00 plus shipping costs about $4.00 for 8 ounces.  Shut the front door!  See this is why I give some natural companies the side eye, like really!?!  I found several companies that sold this very powder with varying ingredients for $12+ for kaolin clay in a jar w/ a sifter.

Source (example only)

Some other variations to this finishing powder/primer/viel include cornstarch, rice powder, arrowroot powder(sensitive to conrtsatrch), titaniam dioxide, etc.  There are some other minerals that can be mixed, but I don't plan on figuring out the correct formulas for using them.  For now the kaolin clay works fine, but when the summer hits, I may up the anty and add some other minerals or just purchase this one oily skin powder I got mine eys on, lol.  This powder has those above mention minerals I'm not trying to figure out proper formulations with at the moment.  (I'm currently in a just buy it mood right, now). 

Long strory short, try Kaolin Clay as a great primer and oil blotting finishing powder that can be used alone or with makeup.

Ways to personlaize:

• Cornstarch
• Rice Powder
• Tinatinum Dioxide (UV protection)
• Zinc Oxide
• Arrowroot Powder
• Brown Oxide(tinted color)
• Learn about more ingredient options here

Enjoy!

All Braided up Regimen

So I have installed some box braids and although this is a protective style with extension, I still must take care of my hair and scalp, maybe even more so.  So this is my planned regimen and "products". 

P.S.  I was so tempted to just go to my local BSS and get some braid spray or curl activator.  Those are the only products I have EVER used on braids with extension, lol!


Daily Moisturizing Spray every 1-2 days (P.S.  I make only enough per moisturizing session because I use tap water and use no preservatives)

• 4 oz water
• 2 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel
• 1 tsp Veggie Glycerin
• 2 tbsp Debating to add a little conditioner???

Scalp Oil- 1-2x/week

• Infused Jojoba Oil
• Hibiscus flower
• Nettle
• Rosemary Essential Oil
• Lavender Essential Oil

Ayurvedic Butter every 2-3days

• Seal in Moisture

Clay Wash & ACV Rinse every 1-2 weeks

• Focus on scalp to prevent dirt balls (I don't know what else to call them,lol) from forming and ripping out my hair
•  Going to make clay wash very fluid for rinsing.

So my regimen isn't really different except I will be oiling my scalp and there will be no daily manipulation.

How do you do to maintain your Braids?

Tinted Moisurizer

This is a great idea and you can use different lotion/cream bases of choice!

Enjoy!