This blog post has been sponsored by iHerb.
With the days growing shorter, I’ve been finding more ways to occupy my time indoors and getting crafty with DIY projects. One of the things I tried most recently is a homemade lip balm. It uses a relatively short list of natural oils, butters, and waxes (you know, the usual), only with a rather unique natural colorant – beet root powder!
Not only do beets give DIY beauty products a gorgeous tint, they also function as skincare by feeding our skin with nutrients. Beets are antioxidant-rich and packed with over nutrients, including Vitamin B folate, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and Vitamin C. They’re also rich in flavonoids, amino acids, iodine, iron, manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper, mineral boron, and phosphorus. These nutrients get delivered to the skin when you incorporate beet root powder into face masks, and even makeup. In fact, its deep red pigment – which works well in lip balms and blushes – is also an excellent source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betalains provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support, and protect the skin from premature aging and wrinkles (1)!
Where to Find Beet Root Powder
Make your own at home.
Beet root powder is something you can make at home using beets from the grocery store. Here are the steps: First boil or bake a few beets, then peel them, cut them into thin strips, and dehydrate them using an oven or a dehydrator. If you use an oven, you’ll want to keep it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, with the door propped open to avoid moisture buildup. After 8-10 hours, they should be fully dehydrated. To turn them into a powder, put them in a food processor or coffee grinder until you have a fine powder.
Purchase it at a health store or online.
If you don’t own a dehydrator and/or don’t feel like drying them yourself, you can purchase beet root powder instead (that’s what I’ve found to be the easiest!). You should be able to find some at your health food or vitamin store, or you can purchase it online. Try to find an organic kind if possible, like California Gold Nutrition’s Organic Beet Powder. Theirs is USDA Organic (certified by A Bee Organic), non-GMO, and made in the USA. They’ve also been iTested, which assures me that I can trust what’s on the label, and that the product is clear of contaminants like heavy metals and harmful microbes, which I don’t want to put on my skin or in my body! In fact, I’ve been using CGN’s superfood powders in almost all of my DIY skincare and smoothies recipes.
DIY Beet Root Lip Balm & Cheek Glow
Tools:
- dehydrator and coffee grinder (optional, only needed for making your own beet powder)
- fine mesh piece of fabric (I’ve found muslin works best, but you can also use cheesecloth)
- small mixing bowl
- fork, spoon, or whisk
- small pot or saucepan
- glass measuring cup
- tin, tube, or jar (recycle used lip balm/makeup containers if you have some laying around!)
Ingredients:
(This recipe makes enough to fill a 1 oz tube.)
- 3 tablespoon oil (avocado, jojoba, castor, almond, coconut, or any combination; if using a tube, use a stickier oil like castor oil)
- 1 tablespoon beeswax pastilles (or candelilla wax for a vegan alternative)
- 1 tablespoon butter (you can also use shea butter, cocoa butter, etc. I used Sky Organics 100% Organic Unrefined Mango Butter.)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin
- 2 tablespoons organic beet powder
- (optional) ~10 drops of peppermint oil
- (optional) dash of mica
Steps:
Mix beet root powder and vegetable glycerin in a small bowl until the powder is fully saturated and paste-like.
Pour the mixture through your fabric, then twist and squeeze the fabric to strain out any gritty particles. If you’re using muslin cloth, you should only have to do one pass through the fabric since it’s so finely threaded. However, if you still see tiny beetroot particles, run the mixture through the cloth again. Continue this until you have around 1 tablespoon worth of smooth, particle-free liquid pigment.
Next, fill a small saucepan with about 1 cup of water and place a glass measuring cup inside. Turn your range on to low heat and place your wax, butter, and oils inside the measuring cup.
For the oils, I used California Gold Nutrition Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil, Heritage Store Organic Castor Oil, Now Foods Solutions Sweet Almond Oil in equal parts (1 tablespoon each). However, you can use whichever combination you prefer!
Once melted, take off heat and add your filtered beet root powder and glycerin mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. For a little extra shimmer and a minty feel on the lips, add a dash of mica and ~10 drops of the peppermint oil and stir a second time until everything is thoroughly mixed.
Pour mixture into a tiny glass jar or push tube and allow to cool.
Once cool, use on your lips for natural hydration, antioxidant protection, and a sheer pink tint! If you have fair skin, you can also use this as a cream blush. Just dab a little on your cheeks and blend it in the oils – it will leave you skin looking fresh and glowy!
Clean Up: This whole process shouldn’t be too messy, however if you find that you stained your fingers pink or clothes, don’t worry – it’s pretty easy to remove since the color (dye) of beetroot powder is water soluble. Just use a little lukewarm water and some soap to avoid any possible stain.
If you’re missing some of the ingredients I used in this recipe, you can find all the essentials at iHerb, one of my go-to online shops for natural, organic ingredients. They carry over 30,000 products – including superfoods, oils, butters, waxes, and more – from high-quality brands like California Gold Nutrition that undergo strict tests for quality. And with one of the highest turnover rates in the industry, they also offer some of the freshest products – at great prices too. In fact, their prices are typically 30 – 50% less than what you’d find at health food stores and natural pharmacies! They also ship to over 150 countries and their customer service team provides support in 10 languages.
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*Offer valid for new customers in select countries. Product exclusions apply and cannot be combined with other offers. October new customer discount offer ends 10/31/18.
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Have you ever made your own blush or lip balm? What are some of your favorite ingredients to add?
