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
March 18, 2016
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. (1) In 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!
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
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:
- Place the coconut oil and grated beeswax in a small saucepan on low heat and stir until they are completely melted.
- Add the castor oil and the aloe vera gel and stir.
- Add the black mineral powder and continue to blend.
- Then, add the bentonite clay and the lavender essential oil.
- Remove from heat and blend.
- Using a small plastic bag or cake decorator with a small tip, place the mixture into the bag.
- 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.
Comments
Please keep comments under 200 characters.
Leave a Reply
120 Comments
Popular Beauty Posts
I noticed that the black mineral powder suggested is not totally non-toxic. Can I use only iron oxides as a substitute?
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.
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!!😊💞
You are mixing water and oil base products without emulsifiers or preservatives?
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
Hello! Can I use caolin clay instead ??
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.
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.
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.
Instead of castor oil, can we use grapeseed？Also, is the mineral powder necessary, or can we use it clear/brown?
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.
I’ve been reading that bentonite clay is not safe. A risk for lead poisoning.
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.
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.
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..
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
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.
So where can I just buy this mascara?
http://kriscarr.com/blog/all-natural-mascara-reviews/
I use dōTierra essential oils
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?
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.
I don’t sell these products nor have I used all but Pure Haven carries EO too.
You could look into http://www.floracopeia.com/
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
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.
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.
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?
Julie, I agree with you. Is there a healthy mascara on the market?
Is there a healthy eye make up on the market? Would rather buy a good one than try to make it. Sorry
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
Pure Haven produces pure makeup products that are safe and work.
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.
This is the sentence that contained the ‘Talc’ comment: Black mineral powder contains a combination of iron oxides, talc, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,
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.
Any pure essential oil must be stored in dark bottles in cool dry place. Again, never put any essential oils near eyes.
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
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.
I had the same result. Threw it away along with the recipe.
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….
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.
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 ?
Yes, I used EWG to checked the ingredients in bentonite clay, it does contain cancer.
Could witch hazel be substituted for aloe? I am allergic to aloe.
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!
YES the answers are already there! Nothing like reading the same things over and over
Julie PLEASE READ ABOVE COMMENTS there are two people who have used it, one positive one negative
HI EVERYONE! Coming from Canada…..Has anyone made and used this yet???
Hiya Gilly from Canada, scroll up, there is one person who said it didn’t work and one said it did. Good luck
Wowowowow and wow. Will do this soon.
Now I need recipes for all of the rest.
This is so doable..
Yes this is great but where can we buy new empty mascara brushes and tubes?
Amazon!!!
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 :)
I agree Cindy! I use clinical grade essential oils.
I used to use clay. Got sick. Sent it in to lab. Has high arsenic and uranium in some batches. Maybe u should use something else in place of clay
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!
Lavender is a known hormone interupter, I wouldn’t use on your face or near it, especially teens.
Where did you read THAT???
Please Sharon please share where you got that info regarding lavender.
According to Dr. Robert Tisserand and many others, Lavender is not a hormone disrupter or mimicker. I think you got some faulty information.
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.
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…
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?
Read the comments up above….on talc.?
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.
Yvonne..try a mineral makeup eyeshadow lavendar colored.?
hi Yvonne, maybe try a purple mica powder, make sure you get one that is safe for eyes. and go you! a great colour :)
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.
Yes charcoal works!
NO, it doesn’t. i made it the other day with coconut shell activated charcoal.
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.
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
Hi how much lavender oil did you put in your mascara please?
Pam, I do this too, and I added 4 drops of Young Living lavender oil to my mascara tube.
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.
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.
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.
I would hesitate to use any essential oils so close to my eyes – even lavender
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!??
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.
you may be allergic to the fillers in most lavender. use only the best quality and you shouldn’t have that problem.
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.
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.
i don’t see talc in the recipe am i crazy? did he change it? ps i also am curious about the charcoal option… :)
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. “!!!
Anna…me too on the talc point…and yes charcoal works.
Charcoal works!
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 :-)
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?
Amazon has mascara tubes. Also, thank you for answering the question I had about the activated charcoal.
Is there a corn free talc on the market? I’m extremely allergic to corn.
I would substitute Arrowroot powder.
Am i missing that there is talc in this recipe????
I’m also curious if activated charcoal can replace the mineral powder.
Yes!
No, it did NOT work for me. Mad e it the other day and was greatly disappointed.
The charcoal did not mix well and did not color the formula black, so sad to report.
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…
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!
Sara…have yu made this formula or are you guessing?
Dr. Axe is a naturopath, chiropractor, and clinical nutritionist. I think that qualifies him.
Sara, do you have recipes for make up that you can share?? I am very interested in making my own.
Me too!
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
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!
Karo the message I wrote was for you. Thank you again.
will organic charcoal work in place of black mineral powder?
Yes!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t talc a known carcinogen?
I checked on that. Talc is no longer made with the same formula. It’s no longer carcinogenic.
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.
Am i missing something? Is there talk in the recipe???
Oops! TALC not TALK! Ha! Dang that auto correct!
Talc a carcinogen, what about baby talc?
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?
Where can you find black mineral powder ?
Click on the item in the article. It gives you a lot more information and shows where to buy it at the end.
No where to click for mineral base
Ali…yu can buy black mineral makeup (eye shadow) or go to art store and buy charcoal sticks and shave or crush as much of the stick as you need!??
Hi why buy eye-shadow for the colour when the whole idea is not to use chemicals
Amazon