Mineral-Based Lavender Homemade Mascara - Dr. Axe
Ad

This Dr. Axe content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure factually accurate information.

With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to academic research institutions, reputable media sites and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies.

Our team includes licensed nutritionists and dietitians, certified health education specialists, as well as certified strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers and corrective exercise specialists. Our team aims to be not only thorough with its research, but also objective and unbiased.

The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.

Mineral-Based Lavender Homemade Mascara

By

(20)
Homemade mascara - Dr. Axe

Long, luscious eyelashes have long been sought-after, and products to help create that look have been developed for decades. Mascara is one of those products loved my many women due to its ability to darken, lengthen, curl, color and thicken the eyelashes, and it’s typically applied with a brush or rod. However, the real price of beauty can cost you both financially and health-wise, so wouldn’t it be great to make your own homemade mascara free of toxins to save both money and your skin?

You’re in luck, as my DIY Mineral-Based Lavender Homemade Mascara is easy to make and completely safe to apply.

But before we get started, let’s explore why there are so many mascara choices available to begin with. A study conducted in Korea asked women who shared their desires what they considered to be effective mascara products. It’s no surprise that their complaints were relative to the natural shape of their eyelashes. (1In other words, we always seem to want what we don’t have!

However, part of the problem is that most mascara products on the market today contain numerous chemicals, which means they are super toxic, and the idea of putting those numerous chemicals near the eyes is frightening. But there’s good news. You can create a mascara to help you achieve the results you want. I’m going to show you just how to make your own homemade mascara with this awesome DIY recipe.

Let’s get started!

Ad

Place the coconut oil and grated beeswax in a small saucepan on low heat and stir until they’re completely melted. The beeswax helps it have the right thickness as well as waterproof attributes. The coconut oil is nourishing and provides a smooth texture.

Then, add the castor oil and the aloe vera gel and stir. Castor oil is great for eyelash growth! And, of course, we love aloe vera since it’s a natural astringent and helps keep the mixture from getting too oily. It also helps smooth out the blend.

Next, let’s add the minerals. Mineral-based makeup is very popular due to the natural minerals it contains. Black mineral powder contains a combination of iron oxides, talc, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are micronized, or ground and milled, into tiny particles to create the powder. Add your choice to the oil mixture and blend well.

Then, add the bentonite clay and the lavender essential oil. Remove from heat and blend. The clay helps the mascara dry and harden while avoiding any smudging. The lavender oil provides a nice scent while helping the eyelashes grow.

Then pour into a small plastic bag or a very small cake decorator bag with a little tip, (small enough to fit into your mascara tube). Push the mixture down to one corner. If using a plastic bag, you need to cut an angled hole at the tip of one corner. The idea is to get the mixture into the tube. Slowly and gently, push the mixture into the tube until it’s all inside.

Once you have transferred the mascara, cap it tightly and you’re done! To apply, use as you would regular mascara. To remove, use a washcloth with warm water or olive or coconut oil as a natural eye makeup remover.

If it becomes chalky, just add a little more aloe vera gel. It’s best to make small amounts and clean your brush due to microbials that can contaminate the mascara tube. Studies show that microbial presence has been found in 36.4 percent of the mascara tubes cultured after three months of use. As such, it’s recommended that you have a maximum three-month use of a mascara tube that has been used on a daily basis. (2)

Like all mascara, it should be disposed of if it emits an odd smell. Make sure to keep the lid on tightly so it doesn’t dry out.

Mineral-Based Lavender Homemade Mascara

Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: Makes one tube

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
  • 1/2—1 teaspoon grated beeswax
  • ⅛ teaspoon castor oil
  • ¼ teaspoon black mineral powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon bentonite clay
  • 4–5 drops lavender essential oil
  • Clean mascara container

Directions:

  1. Place the coconut oil and grated beeswax in a small saucepan on low heat and stir until they are completely melted.
  2. Add the castor oil and the aloe vera gel and stir.
  3. Add the black mineral powder and continue to blend.
  4. Then, add the bentonite clay and the lavender essential oil.
  5. Remove from heat and blend.
  6. Using a small plastic bag or cake decorator with a small tip, place the mixture into the bag.
  7. Push the mixture into the corner with the hole, then place that corner into the mascara tube and carefully push the mixture into the tube.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.6 / 5. Vote count: 20

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Comments

Please keep comments under 200 characters.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

120 Comments

  1. K Richardson on

    I noticed that the black mineral powder suggested is not totally non-toxic. Can I use only iron oxides as a substitute?

    Reply
  2. K Richardson on

    Can one substitute activated charcoal for the black mineral powder? I noticed that the black mineral powder is not completely non-toxic. I do not want to use it.

    Reply
  3. Christina Calhoun on

    I was in search of a new natural alternative to store bought ” toxic mascaras”, I should have known Dr.Axe had it!! Thank you for your blog post,your faith, and goodwill for humanity!!😊💞

    Reply
  4. Daya on

    Hello!! Thank you for sharing. Im wondering if I can use charcoal activated instead of black mineral??? How much time is the life shelf of the mascara??? Any preservative to incorporate?? Thanks

    Reply
  5. Lou Lou on

    Hey guys this recipe doesn’t work! I did get a good consistency, but it never dries. I decided to skip the lavender oil as it is close to the eyes.

    Reply
  6. Shannon on

    Realized there were lots of comments I was missing before I posted. So charcoal is being used by some already. Also I’ve noticed that castor oil has a setting effect when I’m using for the hair growth issue so may help natural mascara to set as well.

    Reply
  7. Shannon on

    I’m wondering if activated charcoal could be used in place of black mineral powder? I love the castor oil for hair growth. I have used on my face & found that my eyebrows & eyelashes recovered from hair loss due to aging. Whenever I realize my lashes or brows are thinning again I use castor oil.

    Reply
  8. Jeanette on

    How do you keep it from smudging? The emulsifying wax (millard non gmo)that Karo suggested really helped to actually keep some on the lashes but it was still somewhat smudgy. I wasn’t sure if adding more bentonite would make a little thicker or ruin it. Any advice? Perhaps it’s all due to face lotions or natural oils.

    Reply
    • Candy on

      Lead poisening depends upon whether the lead is bonded or not upon ingestion. When trace lead (approx 25 ppm) is found within clay, it has already bonded with the clay and therefore will not bond to parts within your body, causing lead disturbances. Lead by itself is very different from lead that has already bonded to other elements or molecules. Ingesting lead that isn’t bonded is dangerous for the same reason ingesting already-bonded lead isn’t: the bond is really hard to break. The nature of bentonite clay means any lead is already bonded, which is why the FDA agrees it’s unlikely that any lead in bentonite clay would remain in the body if ingested — the existing molecular bond remains in place, and any lead is flushed from your system along with other toxins that bond to neighboring clay molecules.

      Reply
    • Carolyn Ellertson on

      I questioned it to begin with.. By the time you get through, it’s not a whole lot different than commercial products? I wouldn’t want some of it around my eyes.

      Reply
  9. Loreta on

    Hi..just thought ld try this recipe.
    Squished it in a plastic and it mixed pretty good.
    Just a little concerned about the lavender oil now.
    Let you know what l think after l try it
    Or get someone else to try it lol..

    Reply
  10. Maria on

    Dear Doctor Axe , I think I have registered with you because I have the essential oil book which I love , I have read it through out and my question is that you do not said how many drops you put in the blend , is it the same amount for each oil!! And the add the vegetable oil
    Can you please let me know
    Thank you
    MARIA

    Reply
  11. Sherry on

    I use a drop or two of lavender in my mascara. I don’t sale the oils but I use young living. I have a couple DoTerra and I bought Dr. Axe’s Frakincence and I really like it. I also have YL Frank. I get the dicount prices at young living. You don’t have to buy from a rep. I called the company and told them I just wanted to purchase at discount prices. I didn’t want money or rewards. Their customer service is great. They set my account up for me. They have replaced two items that arrived damaged. I’ve used their oils for way over a year now. Say what you want, I also do a lot of reading but I trust YL quality and how they process their oils.
    Im sure its a good business adventure for Dr. Axe and not a negative reflection on YL.
    I also liked the oil I bought from DoTerra.
    I think four drops of Lavender would be too strong if you are using YL but that is just my opinion. As with any mascara, you shouldn’t be going that close to the eye anyway. Mid eyelash and out.
    It’s all personal preference.

    Reply
  12. Ann Mehrman on

    I once had a cake style mascara that I liked. To use , you moistened the cake with a drop of water and used a small brush to get the right consistency and apply. Could these recipes be dried on a cake form?

    Reply
  13. Celia Bonhagen on

    i ordered EdenGardens Essential oils. While four of the five I ordered are fine, there was a “glitch” with one. I emailed and called he company with no response. I would appreciate suggestions for alternative pure essential oils besides Young Living.

    Reply
    • Christina Calhoun on

      Plant therapy are high quality essential oils like doterra and young living without the hefty price tag bc its not an mlm. I own all 3 brands and plant therapy is the highest quality I’ve found, the other 2 do still have very strong eo’s

      Reply
  14. LoriGirl on

    Ok ladies, please no attacks, but there is no such thing as therapeutic grade essential oils… Again, before you start verbally abusing me, go do just 5 minutes research- the essential oil companies that claim this, are simply using it for marketing purposes.. No such thing. I cringe, every time I hear a Young Living distributor making this claim!! It’s false & misleading.
    Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying- of course there are better grades than others!! Nor am I saying Young Living EO’s are not wonderful! Just that it’s wrong to overprice for misrepresenting.

    Reply
    • Liz on

      Lori, hear! hear! Kudos to you for bringing this up. It’s exactly what caused me to research EOs more thoroughly and chose to NOT go with the MLM brands. Apparently Dr. Axe feels the same way, because he apparently got some “new” information that caused him to create his own….because he USED to recommend YL if you emailed him. That alone made me not have as good of faith in his EO recommendations. Glad he made the switch.

      Reply
  15. Diane on

    I am anxious to try this mascara recipe, but I thought essential oils were to be kept away from the eyes. Is there a particular reason why it is safe here?

    Reply
    • Pam Austin on

      Go to Amway or Neways all their products are green and healthy and all are not tested on animals. Not sure if they do make-up but they do bath stuff

      Reply
  16. Mary Alice on

    This is one of the funniest discussions I’ve ever read! Pretty sure Dr. Axe doesn’t wear this stuff. And it’s production sounds challenging at best. I think he simply reads this discussion for laughs, and, he NEVER weighs in on the quality and authenticity of the recipe or its ingredients.

    Reply
  17. Ann on

    This is the sentence that contained the ‘Talc’ comment: Black mineral powder contains a combination of iron oxides, talc, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,

    Reply
  18. Jubilee on

    The study conducted on Lavender with results stating that Lavender is an endocrine disrupter was inconclusive based on the fact that the samples were found to be contaminated with BPA- a known endocrine disrupter. It was found that the samples had been stored in plastic thus leaching into the lavender essential oil.

    Reply
    • Pam Austin on

      Any pure essential oil must be stored in dark bottles in cool dry place. Again, never put any essential oils near eyes.

      Reply
  19. Elizabeth on

    With so many comments asking whether anyone had tried making it and having all the ingredients on hand (with the exception of the mineral powder) I made this substituting charcoal for the mineral powder. Firstly, this was very challenging to make trying to avoid the clumps as the beeswax quickly hardened. Secondly, this did not go on and stay on as expected even after going over my lashes a few times. The usage of the coconut oil tended to make this smear easily underneath my eyes. Though I didn’t include the lavender essential oil (I forgot) I did add the same amount to another formula and didn’t like that the vapors irritated my eyes.

    Having said this, I did make a mascara that I found easy to make and easy to apply with fewer ingredients. This is a recipe I tried (and subsequently changed) so initial credit goes to Katie at
    Wellnessmama.com. Rather than buying an empty mascara tube and having the mess and challenge of trying to fill it, I simply added all the ingredients to a 0.5 oz. container. Stir well with a toothpick and apply sweeping the lashes up with side of a tiny brush. Obviously this is not water-proof but it stays on well and is easily removed.

    1/4 tsp. activated charcoal (1 capsule)
    1/4 tsp. bentonite clay
    1/8 tsp. honey
    1/4 tsp. aloe vera gel

    Reply
  20. Dee on

    I tried this recipe. It was clumpy and would not stick to my lashes. And it was a black, smeary mess to clean it off utensils, pan and sink.

    Reply
      • Karman on

        I tried this recipe and all it got me was a smeary mess that wouldn’t mix right. It wouldn’t stay blended together once in the mascara container. I kept trying to redo it thinking I just wasn’t letting it mix enough beforehand or maybe it wasn’t melted enough or something….the aloe vera gel would almost separate. Did anyone else get that?? It looks like an awesome recipe but I’m afraid I’m just not doing it right….

  21. Trudy on

    Tina,

    As a on/off again bentonite clay user, can you please give ‘shortcut’ info
    where to look on the internet? Then i can eliminate the bad…
    Trudy

    Thank you

    Also, Miracle II Gel might be a good substitute for aloe.

    Reply
  22. Tina on

    BEWARE. I used to be a bentonite clay user until I got cancer so I had a hair analysis and had high uranium and high arsenic. So I sent two samples of different brands into Hazen labs in Golden Colorado. They came back extremely high in both uranium and arsenic. I researched and 85% of all clay coming in to US comes from same place. They do not check bentonite clay as they say they do. ? So wouldn’t that be bad chemicals for mascara ?

    Reply
  23. Julie on

    It would be Great if someone who has actually tried this formula, would post comments on how it worked out.
    Also – EVERYBODY PLS READ former comments — you ask same Q’s over and over about charcoal and talc!

    Reply
    • Pam Austin on

      Hiya Gilly from Canada, scroll up, there is one person who said it didn’t work and one said it did. Good luck

      Reply
  24. Cinda on

    I am so pumped to try this. Why don’t yee nah sayers do some research before posting comments!! Dr Axe has a reputation for helping not hurting!! Thanks so much Dr Axe and company :)

    Reply
  25. Beth on

    I don’t see why one wouldn’t be able to use activated charcoal in place of the mineral power, other natural mascara recipes call for just that. I think I’m going to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Lynette Gillenwater on

      According to Dr. Robert Tisserand and many others, Lavender is not a hormone disrupter or mimicker. I think you got some faulty information.

      Reply
    • Pam Austin on

      Hormone interrupter, what a load of tosh, sorry, they used it in Bible times its been used for thousands of years and now its a hormone interrupter. Sorry but it isn’t.

      Reply
      • KittyKat on

        Like drinking out of plastic bottles doesn’t mess with hormones…

        A reputable quality produced lavender which contains 100% therapeutic grade lavender not a store bought brand which is typically lab synthesized and contains fillers and little or now of original plant benefit…

  26. Stella on

    The black mineral powder has TALC. Talc is known to cause cancer? Why would you suggest to use this type of product?
    Also is their something else that can be used?

    Reply
  27. Yvonne on

    I’m going to try this but I like purple mascara and I’m going to see what I can get at the store for that. Maybe a natural lavender powder? I’ll share my results.

    Reply
  28. LeeAnne on

    I have added certified pure therapeutic grade lavender essential oil to the brand of mascara I use. I wanted to see if it does help with eyelash growth over time, and it DOES. No eye issues or irritations, but a synthetic or cheaper essential oil will have different results. I figured if the bottle says aromatic, topical, or dietary use, its safe to use so its a far safer product if it does happen to get in your eye than the commercial mascara and its ingredients. I also would like to know if activated charcoal (coconut shell) will work in place of black mineral powder which I don’t have. Please post your results and any adjustments you had to make.

    Reply
    • Pam Austin on

      Hi never never put pure 100% lavender oil on or near your eyes, I get my oils from Young Living nothing purer than those but we are told not to ever get near eyes.

      Reply
      • KittyKat on

        I also use Young Living Essential oils and I have been told by my upline to add couple drops of lavender and rosemary to my mascara for lash growth.

        Wouldn’t recommend doing with any brand other than Young Living which is therapeutic grade with a very strict seed to seal product

    • Tasha on

      There is NO such thing as “certified therapeutic grade” essential oils! It’s a sales phrase used by crappy oil sellers, but because consumers were scammed into thinking it was the best type, some more “reputable” companies also started using the phrase to keep up sales. If the label doesn’t say certified organic, with the stamp from the USDA (or other country agencies), then don’t buy it! And even if the label does have all of that, do some research online, as I’ve run across some oils that said certified organic, and had the stamp, but after some research found out they were not. Plain and simple, if it’s not organic, don’t buy it, god only knows what’s in it or how it was extracted, or if it is even an plant/flower oil at all! Don’t buy into the hype, do some research.

      Reply
      • Tania on

        Actually, down here in Australasia, certified therapeutic grade is a standard for essential oils, in relation to the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Act), and it is a testing procedure to make sure that the essential oils contain the correct ratio and percentages of constituents to make them a therapeutic quality essential oil. otherwise just add them to your soap or burner.

      • V on

        It has to say 100% USDA Certified Organic…or it is not.
        If it just says USDA Certified Organic there is a bunch of other stuff in there.

    • Zaneta on

      Not enough there to hurt you…and if yu have ever used commercial mascara yu hav put chemicals on your eyes that are far worse than lavendar!??

      Reply
    • jane on

      I agree. I am allergic to lavendar if I get it too close to my eyes. They burn and get VERY VERY dry. So if I make it I will leave out the lavendar.

      Reply
      • kathy on

        you may be allergic to the fillers in most lavender. use only the best quality and you shouldn’t have that problem.

    • Pam Austin on

      Me too. I get pure organic oils from Young Living and we are told never to put any oils near our eyes. Incredibly stupid. Also 4/5 drops is a lot and all these oils are incredibly expensive if bought from reputable people, they have to be organic and pure nothing added.

      Reply
      • Nancy on

        Pam, I also use Young Living oils and my sponsor suggested adding Lavender oil to my current mascara. I thought that sounded crazy, so I researched it. I found that Lavender is very commonly used in mascara, with no side effects, unless you are allergic to lavender of course. I tried it and it made my current mascara work so much better, it flows better and stays on longer. It is also making my eyelashes grow. In one corner, my lower lashes had gotten thin and short as I aged. They are now growing back to normal.

    • Debbie Kane (Girl Of Peace) on

      Anna, I also wondered what everyone was talking about, lol! Then I re-read the entire article and under the part where he talks about adding the minerals (underneath the caster oil part)… he says: “Black mineral powder contains a combination of iron oxides, TALC, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are micronized, or ground and milled, into tiny particles to create the powder. “!!!

      Reply
  29. LC on

    Have always been interested in a DIY Mascara however, Wouldn’t all the “Oil” products make the Mascara run so easily? Curious to know if anyone’s tried & succeeded, feel free to reply :-)

    Reply
  30. carmen on

    Thanks Sara for your comment. I was wondering the same if Dr. Axe made this? My other question is where do you get a mascara tube to fill?

    Reply
  31. Sara on

    No offense, but what does a male chiropractor know about making makeup? I’ve been making my own beauty products for years and this recipe will not work. Trying to mix coconut oil and liquids like aloe with beeswax as an emulsifier will not work and I’ll yield a clumpy formula that will not adhere to lashes at all. As you are using a stock image, I wonder if you’ve even made this recipe…

    Reply
    • anna on

      these are some good points, and kudos to you for making homemade makeup for years! i do believe he probably runs these things by his lovely wife who surely used and makes natural products for herself- they are a good team i’m sure!

      Reply
    • Karo K on

      I made this recipe and it does work wonderfully BUT… I mixed 1/2 tsp of beeswax with a little less than 1/4 tsp emulsifying wax (millard non gmo) and it feels similar to a store bought mascara and it doesn’t clump or smudge

      Reply
      • Jeanette on

        Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for posting this! It was very helpful and definitely has made things easier when making mascara. I went with the original recipe and it was super frustrating. I always ended up with mascara all around my eyes except on the lashes.

        Do you have any suggestions for the foundation…I made it and ended up with cinnamon speckles on my face. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to dissolve or not but either way it didn’t when I made it.

        Thank you again!

      • LC on

        I was thinking the same exact thing. J&J was recently sued for a hefty amount for using high traces of Talc in their Shower to Shower Powder Products. I avoid Talc like the Plague.

      • Roberta mckibbin on

        Not sure if it is carcinogenic but the talc was thought to get into places it should not have been and was suspected of causing cervical cancer…..so I guess it is carcinogenic. I also wonder about it drifting down into your lungs. More than 30 years ago in the US baby “talc” was actually corn flour and lots of modern day “talc” is also now cornflour, though I have still seen some baby powders which contain talc. Maybe you could use cornflour. instead of the talc…would that work?

More Beauty

Ad