Last Updated on November 17, 2021
When I lived in San Francisco, I spent too much time at Credo Beauty. Every time I went in with my best friend, she’d want to buy a lip scrub, and I’d say, ‘But it’s so easy to make your own!’ I finally convinced her to give it a try, and she’s never going back to the store bought stuff. It’s easy, fast, and effective – I know you’re going to love this DIY lip scrub too!
Lips involve some pretty incredible muscles, and specialized skin. That tender tissue requires TLC – especially after a cold and windy day. Lips deserve their very own beauty regime, and that’s where these DIY lip scrubs come in.
Most of us try to protect and moisturize our kissers with lip balms and sunscreens. But day-to-day life is tough on sensitive skin. Exposure to elements can quickly turn luscious lips into a chapped and peeling horror show.
With a few simple kitchen ingredients, you can revive your lips and bring them back to smooth kissableness.
DIY lip scrub is easy, affordable and a great way to save money, take care of yourself, and reduce packaging waste. Most scrubs have only 3-4 easy ingredients which are likely in your kitchen. If you have sugar or brown sugar (exfoliant) and coconut oil or jojoba oil (emollient), you can create a basic homemade lip scrub in minutes. Add special flavors and your lips will celebrate!
In addition to a lip scrub, check out my article on Face Scrub for an entirely soft and glowing complexion.
Dry lips are so common, almost every major beauty line has a lip scrub available. They’ll also charge exorbitant amounts for a tiny plastic jar that will for sure find its way into a landfill. But DIY lip scrubs are so cheap and easy to make, you don’t have to fall for the fancy packaging. Instead, head to your pantry.
Lip scrubs, with their exfoliating qualities, are ideal for gently removing expired cells from lips. Emollients, which are almost always part of the recipe, help soothe and seal in moisture and protect against future dryness. Smooth, hydrated lips, that’s why lip scrubs exist.
Table of Contents
emollients and exfoliants in homemade lip scrub
Emollients are substances that help moisturize skin. They seal moisture in and offer healing properties. In a lip scrub, you absolutely want this.
DIY lip scrubs usually contain an emollient such as coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or pure vitamin E oil.
Each of these oils offer nourishment and healing to skin, including lips. They also provide a vehicle for the exfoliating component to cling to.
Exfoliants provide mild abrasion- the scrub aspect. A common exfoliating ingredient is granulated sugar. Yep, just plain old white sugar. Because of its softness, brown is often preferred when a very gentle scrub is desired. Baking sugar, which is extra fine sugar, can also be used.
Other exfoliant options include coffee grounds. After you make your morning cup of coffee save those coffee grounds. Not only are they great for your compost, but wonderful for exfoliating DIYs like this homemade lip scrub. The caffeine improves circulation which results in plumper and healthier looking skin.
Some other common options are ground flax meal and ground cinnamon which increases circulation and creates temporary plumpness in lips. Mmmm. Nice!
commercial vs.diy
For me, it comes down to a number of factors: cost, ingredients, and packaging. In striving to create less waste, a homemade lip scrub is pretty much going to win the contest every time.
Up first, is cost. I’ve seen lip scrubs sell from as low as $5 to as high as over $50. I personally choose to make my own because you can make it yourself for pennies and repurpose or upcycle an old container.
Next is ingredients. Do your research and make certain you’re applying only safe ingredients to your tender mouth area. One of the reasons I like shopping at Credo or Detox Market is that they have a really strict standard for clean ingredients that are allowed into their products.
And the last factor is packaging. When you buy a cosmetic or beauty product, you will always encounter some sort of container. Most aren’t very earth friendly or compostable.
But, if DIY really isn’t your thing – which is totally fine – there are some great low waste, eco friendly, and organic skincare companies getting it right! Take a look at these Zero waste skincare brands.
ingredients for one super easy-to-make lip scrub
- 1 tsp.Coconut oil- emollient
- 3 tsp.Sugar- exfoliant
- 2 drops lavender or peppermint oil (optional)
put it together
- Step 1: Soften the coconut oil if it’s solid, by adding it to a small bowl and setting the bowl in warm water for a few minutes. It only needs to be soft, not melted.
- Step 2: Stir in the sugar
- Step 3: Add peppermint or lavender oil (optional)
- Step 4: Mix gently until everything is well blended.
using your diy lip scrub
- Apply a small amount of scrub to your lips.
- Using a light touch, massage in, making sure to get all areas.
- Leave on for 5 minutes
- Gently remove with a warm wet cloth. (Optional: If the sugar dissolves and you like the feel of the scrub on your lips, go ahead and leave it on!)
- Store in a small clean, dry (hopefully repurposed) container with a lid.
How long will my homemade lip scrub last?
If you don’t use it all up it will last up to six months in the fridge. But I have a feeling you’re going to love your sleek, smooth, hydrated lips so much, you’ll be making more long before six months can pass.
Should I use my lip scrub every day?
I know it’s tempting, but applying lip scrub can actually do the opposite of what you’re wanting. It can cause your lips to dry out. So use it no more than 2-3 times a week and slather on the natural lip balm in between.
Lip scrubs are a fantastic way to pamper yourself. There are also other scrubs that will help your face and skin. If you missed my article on Face Scrub, please check it out!
