This carnation coloured Blushing Argan Lip Balm is inspired by Josie Maran’s Argan Lip Treatment. It sounded like a good idea, but the reviews were a little mixed. Some users raved about it—subtle, smoothing, shiny. Others said it was a bit lackluster, from less-than-ideal (though very cute) packaging to a plasticky smell to a grainy texture. Also, it’s $18 for a measly 6.8g (0.23oz) of the stuff. So, I set out to see what I could do.
The first thing I did was eliminate about 2/3 of the ingredients. Things like Octyldodecanol, Ethyl Cellulose, Isostearyl Alcohol, and Calcium Sodium Borosilicate got the boot. The original contains 24 or more different ingredients—mine has 8, plus the essential oils. I basically just kept the recognizable, easy-to-obtain ingredients, and dropped the rest.
Up next, I formulated mine for tubes instead of pots. Pots require fingers for application, which is messy and germy. I’m far more likely to apply lip balm from a tube than a pot, so that was a no-brainer.
The reviewers described the original as having an apple-like scent, which screams fragrance oil. Instead I blended petitgrain, rose geranium, and peppermint for something slightly floral, with a bright citrussy note from the petitgrain, and a cooling peppermint hit that tempers the sweetness of the floral note.
I filled ten tubes (48g) for a whopping $1.25 (or $2.70 with the cost of the tubes). It’s a light balm with a wee hit of pink, and a bit of shine. It’s not heavy or intensely moisturizing, making it perfect for warmer summer days. Mmm, lovely.
Blushing Argan Lip Balm
10g | 0.35oz jojoba oil (USA / Canada)
10g | 0.35oz castor oil (USA / Canada)
8g | 0.28oz unrefined shea butter (USA / Canada)
5g | 0.17oz olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)
5g | 0.17oz argan oil (USA / Canada)
10g | 0.35oz beeswax (USA / Canada)~4 drops liquid carmine dye or a wee sprinkle of red iron oxide or a wee sprinkle of carmine (optional—for a pink/red tint)
1 pinch (1/16 tsp) oil-soluble titanium dioxide (optional—for a bit of opacity so the balm is a milky pink)
I use these cute little measuring spoons to measure out tiny amounts like “pinches”4 drops petitgrain essential oil
2 drop rose geranium essential oil
4 drops peppermint essential oil (USA / Canada)Weigh the oils, unrefined shea butter (USA / Canada), and wax out into a heat resistant glass measuring cup. Place the measuring up in a pot of barely simmering water to melt the oils.
Once everything has melted, remove the entire double boiler from the heat (leaving the container of oils in the hot water) and thoroughly blend in the titanium dioxide and carmine (or red iron oxide) using a flexible silicone spatula.
Stir in the essential oils.
Remove the container of oils from the hot water bath and stir until the mixture cools a bit and thickens slightly (so the titanium dioxide doesn’t settle out).
Pour the lip balm into 10 lip balm tubes and enjoy! I like to label mine with these cute brown paper labels.
I’ve found some people don’t find jojoba oil (USA / Canada) to be very moisturizing in lip balms—it can be quite the opposite for them. If this is you (or if you just don’t have jojoba), feel free to swap it out for sweet almond oil (USA / Canada), apricot kernel oil, or safflower oil.
Don’t have the carrier oils called for in the recipe? Read this for a guide on how to choose appropriate alternatives.
HI Marie! very nice recipe (as always)…and the color of lip balm, is very nice…bravo…i like pinky color but i like it subtle…and pale…but here is very nice!…we can use this as a blush stick too?, I believe it would be very good as a blush!….Hello from Grecce…
Hi Anthanasia! The pink colour really only comes out in the tube, not on the skin, so this won’t work for blush—I do have some recipes that will, though 🙂
looks awesome! The color pops-up, really.. but I find carmine kinda gross, since it’s made from dead crushed beetles. Do you know any substitute for that, besides alkanet root?
You can use a wee pinch of red oxide instead 🙂
Hi Marie….oh what a shame!….but I still like the color anyway!…oh thank you Marie (for the recipes)…you’re very kind…oh! scares me the idea to put carmine on me because it is processed by insects! And i think that is little dangerous? or unhealthy? anyway i don’t like it! hello from Grecce and thank you again….
Carmine gets gets a 1/10 for danger at Skin Deep which is pretty much as safe as it gets, and it’s really no more gross than eating meat if you think about it. Carmine has been used as a colourant for centuries, and is approved for use in food as well (it’s usually hidden under the “natural colourants” label). At any rate, it’s got a better safety rating than any of the alternatives (red iron oxide and artificial dyes).
Hmmmm! maybe but….YUCK!…and just the idea that it is insect brings me disgusted!….but thank you for the useful (as always) information about carmine….and…hello…
Well, you can always use red iron oxide instead—that’s basically rust, no bugs 🙂
Hey Marie! My Rose EO I use is the 5% dillution from NOW! and it’s actually pleasantly potent. Is there a huge difference between rose and rose geranium, scent wise?
They’re both pretty floral, though you will find the rose to be much more rose like (obviously…). The rose geranium is floral, and reminds me of roses, but is still definitely geranium like (if that is helpful at all, lol!). For this you could definitely use your rose dilution instead—just be sure to do sniff tests as you add it so you get the scent level you want 🙂
Hi Marie! Great post! Ill try making this with red oxide, as you suggested to Veronika. In the meantime..I have been searching unsuccessfully for the same aroma that is in Morocanoil used for my hair. I want to wear it as solid perfume but it alludes me! (have Argan oil, which, of course, is odorless)! Do you know of any fragrance that is a close match? Thanks for your beautiful work/posts! Sheron
Thanks, Sheron! I’ve never smelled Morocanoil products, so I’m afraid I can’t be of much use right now, but I’ll keep an eye out for a bottle I can sniff in the shops 🙂
Good Morning! Thanks for getting back to me. Morocanoil has a faint aroma which lasts only for a few minutes when applied to hair. Tried to use it as perfume but the aroma dissipates in minutes! Suave shampoo company makes shampoo and conditioner called Moroccan. The shampoo smells a little sweeter, but both are great. I usually use other organic shampoo but once I smelled it had to have it. Can I send some to you? Again, thanks. Have a nice day!
Call off the trip to the post office—I thought I remembered my mom leaving some here the last time she visited, and I was right! It does smell nice and subtle, and definitely not anything like argan oil 😛 I thought I detected some notes of a light citrus and something vaguely floral, and perhaps some linalool (a natural fragrant compound that’s in many essential oils). The main scent, though, isn’t reminding me of anything from the essential oil world. Something dry and perhaps a touch musky… hmm. If I come across anything in the future that reminds me of it I’ll be sure to report back 🙂
OK, Thanks!
🙂
I’ve always thought Moroccanoil smelled like vanilla, so maybe if you add vanilla to the fragrances your nose detected, you’ll get something similar. But my nose may not be any good. =)
Hmmm… perhaps benzoin would be a good starting point…
I thought the smell was familiar and when I smelled benzoin it seemed dead on…. Maybe a smidgen of mild, sweet citrus and something else?
Hmmm… well, I always do love a good mystery/project 😉
Hi Marie, I just completed my first batch of this lipbalm -my first ever- and the first stage of one of the whipped bodybutters. The lipbalm feels very nice but maybe next time no peppermint.
I adore really nice cosmetic products -read expensive- and I am a cook by trade. So when I stumbled onto your recipes I just had to try them!
Lovely goodlooking blog and clearly written recipes, seasons greetings from Holland,
Katja
Hi Katja! Thanks so much for DIYing with me 🙂 I’m glad you’re enjoying your projects!
I just purchased the carmine powder – is it possible to use the powder instead or make my own carmine dye by suspending it in something….glycerine perhaps?
Hi Ali! You can try, but I’ve always been hesitant to experiment with something so expensive. The powder is not oil soluble, and neither is glycerin, though it can be emulsified into oil based concoctions with a change in texture to something a bit softer/gummier.
Hello again,
I’m curious, can I make this with just the main ingredients and leave out the coloring and E.O? I have everything but them. Could I just use Geranium EO? I dont have Rose Geranium
Many thanks!
Hi Shannon! You can, but I would advise you to see if you actually like having straight geranium that close to your mouth—I heavily diluted the rose geranium because I found it far too floral for my tastes 🙂
Thank you so much for your reply! I love how you take the time to answer all the replies.
🙂
Just made the most basic version of this and it feels wonderful! Thank you!
Best,
Brooke
Wonderful! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Hi Marie, this seems like a beautiful recipe and I can’t wait to try it. I am all out of castor oil though and I was wondering with what can I substitute it. If I put Shea butter, it might be a little too much and since I always use the unrefined option, it will end up smelling a little nutty. Any ideas?
Hmm. Castor oil is pretty special, but in general I’d recommend a thicker, slower-absorbing liquid oil—something like oat oil 🙂
Hi again and thank you for your fast answer. I don’t have any oat oil either (and have never worked with it). So I just ordered the castor oil. Better safe than sorry 😉
Thanks again Marie
No worries! Castor oil is really inexpensive and very versatile so I doubt you’ll regret having it around 🙂
Love this recipe! I think it might be my favorite so far!
Thanks Marie.
I’m thrilled to hear it! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂