If winter left your lips dry and chapped, a scrub is a great way to restore them. Just like body scrubs, lip scrubs exfoliate away dry skin. Once the dry skin is removed, lip balm absorbs better. Granulated sugar is the perfect lip exfoliant because it’s gentle but scrubby (and it tastes good if you happen to get some in your mouth).
This Floral Sugar Lip Scrub is a combination of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and rosehip seed oil to create a texture that’s solid at room temperature. It’s quite firm, but softens up when it comes in contact with skin. If you prefer a softer texture, decrease the amount of cocoa butter. A great way to test the formula is with the spoon trick. Rose Gold Mica adds a light pink hue, but does not transfer color to lips. Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil gives a floral scent.
To use, apply the scrub to dry, clean lips and scrub away! Wipe or wash away any extra lip scrub on the lips. After using the scrub, apply your favorite lip balm to hydrate. This Kukui Nut Oil Lip Balm would be perfect. Depending on how high you fill each container, this recipe makes about 15 lip scrubs.
What You’ll Need:
About 15 Clear Lip Balm Pots
1.5 oz. Coconut Oil
0.5 oz. Cocoa Butter
0.3 oz. Rosehip Seed Oil
1 mL Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil
1/4 tsp. Rose Gold Mica
4.5 oz. Granulated Sugar
Dropper
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ONE: In a small heat-safe bowl or container, add the coconut oil, cocoa butter, and rosehip seed oil. Place the container in the microwave on 30-60 second bursts until the cocoa butter has completely melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave as the container may be hot.
TWO: Add the Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil into the container and stir in completely. Add the Rose Gold Mica and stir until there are no longer any chunks of mica.
THREE: Add the granulated sugar to the melted oils, and stir to fully incorporate the sugar. The texture of the mixture will thicken.
FOUR: The exact texture of the mixture will depend on how hot it is. If your mixture is extremely hot, the sugar will tend to fall to the bottom. If this is happening, stir the mixture until it cools. The colder the mixture, the more the sugar will suspend throughout the oils. Once it’s a “gloopy” texture (similar to the photo below), transfer the scrub into the lip balm pots. Allow them to fully cool before use. To use, apply the sugar scrub to your lips and exfoliate away! Wipe or wash off any excess sugar scrub on your lips, and apply your favorite lip balm.
- About 15 Clear Lip Balm Pots
- 1.5 oz. Coconut Oil
- 0.5 oz. Cocoa Butter
- 0.3 oz. Rosehip Seed Oil
- 1 mL Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil
- ¼ tsp. Rose Gold Mica
- 4.5 oz. Granulated Sugar
- Dropper
- In a small heat-safe bowl or container, add the coconut oil, cocoa butter, and rosehip seed oil. Place the container in the microwave on 30-60 second bursts until the cocoa butter has completely melted. Be careful when removing from the microwave as the container may be hot.
- Add the Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil into the container and stir in completely. Then add the Rose Gold Mica and stir until there are no longer any chunks of mica.
- Add the granulated sugar to the melted oils, and stir to fully incorporate the sugar. The texture of the mixture will thicken.
- The exact texture of the mixture will depend on how hot it is. If your mixture is extremely hot, the sugar will tend to fall to the bottom. If this is happening, stir the mixture until it cools. The colder the mixture, the more the sugar will suspend throughout the oils. Once it's a "gloopy" texture (similar to the photo below), transfer the scrub into the lip balm pots. Allow them to fully cool before use. To use, apply the sugar scrub to your lips and exfoliate away! Wipe or wash off any excess sugar scrub on your lips, and apply your favorite lip balm.
Can I use vanilla liquid flavor instead of flavor oil?
or liquid food coloring instead of mica?
For that you’ll want to check with the vendors you purchased those products from to see if they are suitable for use in a lip scrub.
hai, for this recipe, if i want to make it as stick lip scrub, what should i add to this recipe and how much of it?
Here’s an awesome blog post we did that goes over how to formulate your own lip product recipes: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/how-to-create-lip-product-recipes/
I made this following the recipe, except I substituted the exact same amount of Vitamin E for the Rosehip Seed Oil. The scrub is very soft, not setting up well, and it seems some of the oil has separated out and formed a layer on the top. Was the Vitamin E a bad idea? Is there another oil I should have used instead? Or is there something I could add to help firm this up?
Hi Kelsey!
I’m thinking to sell some handmade lip scrub, and I have DMDM Hydantoin preservative, may I know is it safe to put in lip product? If yes, how many percent is it?
Thank you
This lip product doesn’t have water and it is unlikely that water will be splashed into it, so it doesn’t need a preservative. If you want to add a preservative, check with the vendor to find out if it is lip-safe.
thank you!
Almost forgot.. if i want to put some vitamin e oil as a natural preservative how many gram it is??
Because Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, it is thought to extend the shelf life of the oils. But it’s not a preservative, since it doesn’t prevent other yucky things from growing. Adding Vitamin E to your recipe could be a nice touch. We recommend adding it at 0.5% of the total weight. Make sure to make a small test batch first to see how it will turn out.
More about preservatives here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
More about lip balms: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/how-to-create-lip-product-recipes/#more-52404
This post is all about Vitamin E: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-vitamin-e-oil/
Hi Kelsey,
I’m wanting to make a lip scrub like this but with coffee flavoring!
What do you think is the best way of getting that?
Somethings I’ve considered so far is
– half cocoa butter/half coffee butter
– Coffee flavor oil
– Combination of these
Also, would sweet almond oil be an acceptable substitute for the Rosehip Seed Oil? I have a bunch of SAO on hand 🙂
The combination of cocoa/coffee butters and flavor oil would give you a really nice scent, sort of like a mocha. We don’t have a coffee flavor oil but this Vanilla one would smell nice: https://www.brambleberry.com/Vanilla-Flavor-Oil-P3843.aspx
The flavor oils don’t have a taste, but you can add 1-3% of this one to add sweetness: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Smacking-Sweet-Flavor-Oil-P4679.aspx
Yes, sweet almond oil would work well in this recipe. It has a lightweight and moisturizing feel.
Sweet almond oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sweet-Almond-Oil-P3205.aspx
Hi Kelsey,
I duplicated your recipe with some minor tweaks ( actual ingredients different, kept the same amounts)
I made 3 different batches each with some minor differences to see what I liked best.. After combining all the ingredients, all three of them the sugar had settled and not mixed in too well with the oil.. I thought the oil was a little too hot so I let it sit for 1 hour. When I came back to it, I stirred it again but it was still not incorporating well with the oils. After this, I tossed it into the fridge for a few.. Although it did harden it a little after I stirred I could see it still was not the goopy texture you described..
Do you think adding increments of 5g of sugar until it reaches the right consistency is my best bet, or what would you recommend?
That’s a good place to start. More sugar will give the scrub a less oily texture, and it will also suspend evenly.
Hi,
How long will the scrub last before going bad? Are there any preservatives that could be used?
This scrub will last about a year. It stores best in a cool, dry place. Learn more about the shelf life of products here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/shelf-life-bath-products-ingredients-rancidity-vs-mold/
This product doesn’t need a preservative because it doesn’t contain water and likely won’t get water splashed in during use. If you do want to add one, you’ll need to find a lip-safe preservative. The preservatives on our website aren’t approved for use in lip products.
Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
I would Love a smoother lip scrub if I left out the Cocoa butter would it be a creamier texture or just real oily? If so is there a butter I can use to make it creamier not as stiff? Does the Cocoa butter Emulsify the mixture? Thanks
Without the cocoa butter, this recipe will feel fairly oily. If you want a creamier texture, try a soft butter like avocado or lavender.
Avocado butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Butter-P3207.aspx
Lavender butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lavender-Butter-P6842.aspx
I had a question about the ingredients and what substitutions can I make. Can you replace the fragrance oil with an essential oil and is there a natural flavor oil that can be put in as well?
You can’t use a fragrance oil in this recipe because they’re not approved for use on the lips. We recommend using lip-safe flavor oils: https://www.brambleberry.com/Flavoring-Oils-C177.aspx
You can also use lip-safe essential oils. Find a list of those here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotligh-extracts/
How many 1oz. containers can this recipe possible fill?
The recipe makes 6.8 ounces, so it will fill about 6-7 of the 1 ounce containers.
I just made this with Margarita flavor oil and Kermit Green mica, all else the same. It turned out perfectly. Fantastic recipe!
That sounds like an awesome combination, nice and citrusy.
Margarita Flavor Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Margarita-Flavor-Oil-P3848.aspx
what can I substitute Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil with? Does any fragrance oil work? Can I substitute rose gold mica with beetroot powder?
You can’t use fragrance oils, but you can use any of our lip-safe flavor oils or essential oils. Find flavor oils here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Flavoring-Oils-C177.aspx
And find a list of lip-safe essential oils in this post: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
Beet root powder is water soluble, so it won’t mix into the balm. You can use any of these lip-safe colors though: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Safe-Colors-C679.aspx
Hi
I will be doing this with kids so I have a question. I have read about if it is too hot. But is there any concern if where you live is quite a bit colder?
No, this scrub will work well in both hot and cool climates. Just mix well and store in a cool, dry place in between uses.
Hi! I made this and substituted the rosehip with almond oil. A pool of oil keeps surfacing to the top. House is 72 degrees f. I keep wiping it away with paper towel but now the sugar separates rather than staying clumped together. advise?
The oil usually pools on top if the scrubs are a bit warm, but 72F isn’t that hot. You may try mixing the scrub together and then popping it in the fridge. Let me know if the oil is still pooling even in the fridge.
Well, unfortunately, I absorbed all the oil using paper towels which is why it’s so loose now. There’s nothing left to pool.
If it’s a drier texture that’s OK, it will scrub the lips nicely. If you prefer a more liquidy texture, you can pour the scrubs back into a bowl and add some more oil. You can start with about .1 oz. or so.
What can I sub for the cocoa butter? Since I don’t use it in any of my other products, I don’t want to purchase for such a small amount. Can I use a combination of mango or shea butter with beeswax instead? Or even better, can I just use 2 oz. of the coconut oil?
You can use all coconut oil to replace the cocoa butter if you like. It will make the scrub softer. If you prefer a firmer scrub, the mango butter is a good substitute.
Mango butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mango-Butter-P3221.aspx
How does Shea Butter fare in this recipe instead?
You can use Shea Butter to replace the cocoa butter if you like. It will make the scrub softer. If you prefer a firmer scrub, the mango butter is a good substitute.
Mango butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mango-Butter-P3221.aspx
I’ve been having issues with sugar and sometimes mica or glitter “sinking” to the bottom when making lip balms or lip scrubs (the push tube kind). Is there any way to prevent this?
Adjusting the pouring temperatures can help. When the lip balm is hotter it has a thinner consistency that causes color and glitter to sink. Once you add your powders, keep stirring until the balm is around 135-140F. At that temperature it will start to cool and thicken, which will suspend the color evenly.
I made this recipe for gifts for my friends. I found white mould in it after a month and a half. I don’t know what happened. Please help me figure out what I did wrong.
Thank you
I’m not quite sure why that happened. Where did you store the scrub? Did it come in contact with water?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey
I stored in the basement in small jars from Michaels. I did not use water. The jars I used were for beads. Thank you for your quick response.
Would you mind sending me a picture of those scrubs? You can message it to me on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is there a way that you could make an edible version of this? Maybe something you could lick off?
All of the ingredients in this recipe are lip safe, so if you do accidentally swallow any that will be just fine. However, we don’t process our products in a food-safe warehouse, so we don’t have a recipe for an edible scrub. You may see if someone at teachsoap.com/forum has a recipe they like.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Okay thank you!
How can I find out which micas won’t transfer color to skin?
Thanks!
All micas will transfer to the skin if you use enough of them. What are you making? I can give you a general usage rate to prevent color transfer.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks Kelsey!
We were making lip scrub and I was worried about the different colors we were using but I tested them as we made them and they seem to be fine.
Oh perfect. A few pinches of mica will color the scrub without transferring to the skin.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
instead of flavor oils would you be able to use for example pepermint extract since its for use on the lips? or any type pure exctract (not imitation) in place of flavor oils
Because extracts aren’t meant for cosmetics, we don’t recommend them in this recipe. They may morph or fade. You can use certain essential oils though, like peppermint 2nd distill. Find a full list of our lip-safe essential oils here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
thank you so much ! i have some of those on hand !
I made this today and used what we call granulated sugar in Australia. Two things, it appears that the granules may be too large and I should have used caster sugar, still granulated but smaller? Also the sugar is not blending into the liquids very well and on cooling there is a pooling of liquid which doesn’t seem to have incorporated as in your picture. Any suggestions to remedy this? I haven’t potted it up yet as I’m not sure it is ‘proper’. Also I am making some matching lip balm (same colour same fragrance) as you can’t have one without the other and am using the Rosy Red Lip Gloss recipe but subbing out the Cera Bellina for beeswax to make it a little firmer.
Is it fairly hot in your house? If so, the oil may pool on top. That’s OK, you can just mix it up a bit with your finger before use. It’s also OK if the sugar granules are larger, that just means it will be a bit more scrubby. If you find the exfoliation is too intense, you can use a sugar will smaller grains.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey
Thank you – it has hardened quite nicely overnight so I’ll heat it to pouring temp and pour it into the containers. Here at the moment it is Autumn and the day temps are about 18 degrees Celsius (64 F in your language). The sun was shining yesterday so the heater wasn’t even on – so no, not hot in my house!
Glad to hear that hardened nicely. It should be a more solid form when it’s fully cooled. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I made this today and it turned out great. For the lip scrub I only used about 3.5 ounces of sugar and that was perfect. Then I poured the ingredients, prior to adding sugar to see if I could make a matching lip balm. The Balm set up nicely. When it comes in contact with fingers it gets very oily. As you apply to lips it is oily but once you take your finger away you can’t even tell you are wearing a Balm. Very lightweight on the lips. Nice! I may add some cera bellina wax to that Balm formula and see what that does since I live in vegas and it’s hot here but for now I’m going to use and give as gifts as is!!!!
That sounds like a perfect gift set, I think your friends and family will love it. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can Rosehip seed oil be replaced with some other carrier oil?
You can use argan or meadowfoam instead. They have a similar lightweight and silky feeling to the rosehip oil. You can also use avocado or sweet almond oil. They are a bit heavier, but will still be nice and moisturizing on the skin.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Meadowfoam oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Meadowfoam-Oil-P4978.aspx
Argan oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Argan-Oil-P5574.aspx
Sweet almond oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sweet-Almond-Oil-P3205.aspx
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
Hi there..
We just received our order of Rosehip oil so whipped up a batch of these good little scrubs.
Our finished product because SUPER hard…we used a 72 degree coconut oil as you suggested but the product was solid as a rock.
Help!!
thanks
Jeannie
This scrub will be a bit more firm – this recipe was designed to be pretty scrubby. I found it helps to dig my finger in to loosen the sugar and make it easier to get out. If you like a softer scrub, you can add a bit more rosehip oil, or a bit less sugar. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is a preservative required? considering people will dip their hands in it if I do sell it. Is there a lip safe preservative? Thanks
Because this recipe doesn’t contain water and will likely not get any water splashed in, it doesn’t need a preservative. You can add one if you like to be extra careful. We don’t have a lip-safe preservative but you may do a quick online search to see if you can find one. 🙂
Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Wait, no vitamin E in it? what keeps it from oxidizing then?
Thanks!!
The oils themselves have fairly long shelf lives (a year or more), so the scrub will last about that long! You can add vitamin E if you like to help protect against oil rancidity/oxidization and extend the shelf life a bit more. You can use it at 1% in this recipe. 🙂
Learn more about product shelf lives here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/shelf-life-bath-products-ingredients-rancidity-vs-mold/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I know this is titally unrelated by I have a batch of soap batter on my counter (first soap ever) and I didn’t premelt my cocoa and shea butter before hand thinking the lye would melt it (thats what the recipe said to do) but my lye was too cold I guess and its lumpy – how can I fix this?? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I didn’t find a soap 911, (you guys are pretty darn close though 😉 ) So I have a new question – my soap recipe contains cocoa butter, shea, olive and castor oil – as I mentioned above, I goofed and did’t melt my butters – I ended up smashing as much as I could with the stick blender and stick blending it as smooth as it was going to get. It was a little grainy but uniform. It was getting pretty thick so I plopped in my loaf mold. Will this batch some how fix itself (crossed fingers) or if not, what can I expect from the final product? Thanks SO much!!! 🙂
If you blended it really good, it should be ok. What can happen though, is that it can separate if it wasn’t mixed good. I think it will be fine. If it does separate, just cook it immediately (look up Hot Process Hero post here). Next time make sure you melt it all together first before adding lye. HTH 🙂
If the soap was stick blended enough, it should stay emulsified! You may have a few chunks of unsaponified butter. Those only affect the appearance (they create little dots), but the soap itself should be fine. If you notice the soap is leaking oil, any pockets of oil, or it’s not staying together, you can use the Hot Process Hero method to emulsify it: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/hot-process-hero-2/
For your next batch, we recommend having your lye and oils around 100-130F. That will keep everything melted and make emulsification a lot easier. 🙂
Learn more about temperature here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/back-to-basics-how-temperature-affects-cold-process-soap/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello!!
I’m brand new to soap-making and my olive oil and aloe base soaps along with pumpkin powder (for yellow soap) and spirulina powder (for green soap) and my soap mold is coming TODAY!! I have searched and searched for an answer to a very simple question. Can I put the freshly poured soap mixture into the refrigerator to cool? It’s not that important, just curious. Also, I’ll be adding patchouli and cedarwood into one bar and lemongrass into one. How many drops of essential oil would be best for each bar? I am SO glad I happened to come across your website. I can’t wait to peruse all you have to offer. I’m already a huge fan.
Geneva
Thanks so much Geneva, glad you’re enjoying the website! Melt and pour soap can form glycerin dew in the fridge, so we recommend letting it cool at room temperature. Read more about glycerin dew and how to prevent it here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/augh-whats-that-all-over-my-soap-2/
As for how much essential oil to add, you can use our Fragrance Calculator! It gives you a light, medium, and strong recommendation. 🙂
Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
This post has more on how to blend essential oils: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-blend-essential-oils-safely/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What is the shelf life of the finished lip scrubs? Thank you
This lip scrub has a shelf life of about a year or so. It stores best in a cool, dry place. 🙂
Learn more about determining the shelf life of products here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/shelf-life-bath-products-ingredients-rancidity-vs-mold/
And more about storing products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Do you have to use the combo fragrance and flavor oil? Does this mean that a normal fragrance oil should not be used?
You will need to use lip safe colors and flavor oils for this recipe. They are approved for use on the lips, unlike fragrance oils. As long as they’re lip safe, you can use any color or flavor oil you like in this recipe. 🙂
Find lip safe colors here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lip-Safe-Colors-C679.aspx
And flavor oils here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This looks fab! Could you also leave out the sugar to make a “matching ” lip balm?
The mixture will be very soft but you could do it.
Z is correct – on its own, the balm may be a bit soft. We skipped the wax so it’s easier to scoop the lip scrub out of the jar and apply. If you’d like a lip balm combo (which is such a great idea!) I would recommend making a small test batch and giving it a try. If you want it more firm, you can start with about .3 oz. of a wax like beeswax or candelilla and add more from there if you want it firmer. 🙂
You can use The Spoon Trick to test the balm while it’s still melted: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/spoon-trick/
Learn more in this post: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/how-to-create-lip-product-recipes/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Beeswax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Premium-White-Beeswax-P4211.aspx
Candelilla wax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Candelilla-Wax-P4207.aspx
Thank you. I will let you know how it turns out!