Learn to Make: Lip Scrub

Lip scrubs are made with very basic ingredients. You will need a base oil or butter (or mixture of base oils and butters) and an exfoliant.

Base Oils - You can use any oil for your base or even a mix of oils. Our favorite is avocado oil, but most liquid oils will work as well. Here are some options:

Butter - Butters or butter blends can also be used in lip scrubs. There are a wide variety of butters available. Here are some options:

Exfoliants - The exfoliant is what scrubs your lips. The popular choice for a lip scrub is sugar because it is sweet to taste, but other exfoliants can be mixed in to create a more dynamic scrub. Exfoliants include:

White Granulated Sugar - White granulated sugar is the popular choice for lip scrubs as it is readily available and since it’s white, takes color well. You can also play around with brown sugar, turbinado sugar, etc.
Walnut Shell Powder - Walnut Shell Powder is a very nice fine grain exfoliant. When mixed with sugar, it adds a dynamic speck design to the scrub to add a bit of color variation.
Orange Peel Granules - Orange peel is rich in vitamin C and other fruit acids that are thought to benefit skin by increasing the production of collagen and stimulating circulation. When mixed with sugar, it adds color variation making the scrub interesting to look at.

Most additives that are oil-soluble can be incorporated into lip scrubs. Never add anything water-based, as it will separate out from the base. Some additives include:

Flavor Oils - Flavor oils are used in flavoring lip balms, lip-gloss, and lip scrubs. Some are sweetened and some are not. The typical usage rate is about 1-2% of the total lip scrub recipe, but double check IFRA guidelines to make sure you comply. Sweetened flavor oils should be tested at 1% and then adjusted up from there, as they can taste bitter if too much is used.

Fragrance Oils - Fragrance oil can be used in lip scrub as long as it is lip safe. IFRA Maximum Skin Exposure Levels for your fragrance oil for use on lips should be 1% or more. The typical usage rate is about 1% of total lip scrub recipe.

Essential Oils - Essential oil can be used in lip scrub as well. The usage rate is 1%. Make sure that the essential oil that you use is lip safe and IFRA approved up to 1% or more in lip products.

Vitamin E - Vitamin E T-50 is an excellent antioxidant for products containing oils. The usage rate for Vitamin E is 1%.

Colorants - You can add color to your lip scrub by using an oil-based colorant such as Oil Locking Mica. Here are some options:

*Make sure that any additives you use in your lip scrub are lip safe. Lip scrub is best packaged in smaller pot and jar type containers or in lip balm tubes. If using a jar, make the packaging smaller than a body scrub to add variation to your product line.

Mini Pots and Jars - There are a variety of mini pots and jars that you can choose from. These are best for a ‘looser’ or liquid oil based scrub.

Lip Balm Tubes - Lip balm tubes come in many shapes, colors and sizes. More solid scrubs made with butters are best for lip balm tubes. Creating a lip scrub recipe is super simple. The following formulas are great starting points depending on the type that you want to create.

Equipment Required

Small heating/mixing container
Tablespoon
Spatula or spoon
Hair net and gloves
Plastic Dropper to measure fragrance in ml

Basic Liquid Oil Lip Scrub

Liquid Oil - 1 part
Exfoliant - 2 parts
Flavor Oil - 1%

Basic Liquid Oil Lip Scrub (about 3 ounces)

Avocado Oil - 1 tablespoon
Grapeseed Oil - 1 tablespoon
White Granulated Sugar - 4 tablespoons
Flavor Oil - 3/4 ml

Process: Measure out all ingredients and mix. Spoon into pot or jar containers.

Basic Butter Blend Lip Scrub

Butter Blend - 1 part
White Granulated Sugar - 1 part
Flavor Oil - 1%

Basic Butter Blend Lip Scrub (about 3 ounces)

Butter Blend - 1.5 ounce
White Granulated Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Flavor Oil - 3/4 ml

Process: Melt butter blend. Add sugar and flavor oil and mix. Mix until it thickens a bit and pour into lip balm tubes.

If you need help with conversions, print and save this chart. Lips scrubs are similar to body scrubs. From jars or pots scoop a small amount (half a peas size) out of the container and rub on lips, sloughing off dead skin, for about one minute. Rinse, pat dry and apply lip balm.

For tubes, you will just rub on lips, like a lip balm. Rinse, pat dry and apply lip balm. VIDEO: Morning Coffee Sugar Lip Scrub
VIDEO: Cranberry Lip Scrub RECIPE: Morning Coffee Sugar Lip Scrub
RECIPE: Cranberry Lip Scrub

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