Hydrate and soften lips with whipped lip butter.
Whipped Lip Butter Base Ingredients
Whipped lip butters are mostly made with butters and solid oils but you can add smaller amounts of liquid oils to add additional properties to your whipped lip butter. If you add too much liquid oil, it will lower the melt point of your whipped lip butter and it will melt too easily.
Butters - Butters add protective barriers to the skin and help to add emolliency to whipped lip butter. Butters can include shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter or any other natural cosmetic based butter or butter blend.
- Cocoa Butter - Cocoa butter is thought to reduce skin dryness and improve elasticity.
- Shea Butter - Shea butter is high in vitamin and mineral content, which is thought to benefit dry skin.
- Mango Butter - Mango butter is thought to exhibit excellent moisturizing properties.
- Tucuma Butter - Tucuma butter is considered to have high levels of Lauric, Myristic and Oleoic fatty acids, which are all thought to moisturize the skin.
- Kokum Butter - Kokum butter is considered to be up to 80% of stearic-oleic-stearic (SOS) triglycerides, which are thought to prevent dry skin. One of the most stable and hardest vegetable butters known.
- Shorea (Sal) Butter - Contains high levels of uniform triglycerides, which are thought to help with oxidation and stability in formulations.
Solid Oils - Solid oils are nice in whipped lip butter and help them remain stiff and whipped. Some examples:
Liquid Oils - You will want to choose oils that have a long shelf life. Different oils offer different results in whipped lip butter based on their properties. Some examples:
Lighter base -
Medium oils -
Heavier oils -
Glossy oils for a smooth glossy finish -
- Castor Oil - Castor oil is a wonderful ingredient in whipped lip butter as it creates a smooth and glossy finish. Your lips will shine with castor oil in your base.
Additives for Whipped Lip Butter
Additives that are oil-soluble and lip-safe can be added to whipped lip butter. Never add anything water-based, as it will separate out from the lip butter. Some additives include:
Flavor Oils -
Flavor oils are used in flavoring whipped lip butter. Some are sweetened and some are not. The typical usage rate is about 1-2% of the total lip butter recipe, but double check IFRA guidelines to make sure you comply. Sweetened flavor oils should be tested at 1% and then adjusted up from there, as they can taste bitter if too much is used.
Fragrance Oils - Fragrance oils can be used in whipped lip butter as long as they are lip safe. IFRA Maximum Skin Exposure Levels for your fragrance oil for use on lips should be 1% or more. The typical usage rate is about 1% of the total whipped lip butter recipe.
Essential Oils - Essential oils can be used in whipped lip butter as well. The usage rate is 1%. Make sure the essential oil that you use is lip safe, non-phototoxic and IFRA approved up to 1% or more in lip products.
Sweetener for Lip Balm - If you are using a fragrance oil or essential oil and want to add a sweetener, you can use
Saccharin, a liquid sweetener. This liquid sweetener is cosmetic grade and safe for lip-based products. If you use too much of this product, it will make your whipped lip butter bitter. The typical usage rate is about 1% of the total whipped lip butter recipe.
Vitamin E - Vitamin E T-50 is an excellent antioxidant for products containing oils. The usage rate for Vitamin E is 1%.
Colorants - You can add color to your whipped lip butter by using an oil-based colorant such as Oil Locking Mica.
*Make sure that any additives you use in your whipped lip butter are lip safe.How to Formulate a Whipped Lip Butter Recipe
You can formulate your own whipped lip butter recipe by using the percentages below.
Start with your base:
- Butter - 75%
- Liquid or Solid Oil - 25%
Additives to incorporate:
- Flavor Oil - 2% of base total
- Vitamin E - 1% of base total
Below are some sample whipped lip butter formulas. It is important to remember that harder butters create a more solid whipped butter with a higher melt point and liquid oils can reduce that melt point. Keep the use of liquid oils low and be sure to pair them with harder butters such as kokum butter, sal butter and cocoa butter.
Basic Whipped Lip Butter*
Refined Shea Butter - 90 g
Coconut Oil - 30 g
Flavor Oil - 2 mL
Vitamin E - 1 mL
Glossy Whipped Lip Butter *
Mango Butter - 90 g
Castor Oil - 20 g
Aloe Butter Blend - 10 g
Flavor Oil - 2 mL
Vitamin E - 1 mL
Cocoa Butter Whipped Lip Butter
Cocoa Butter - 90 g
Avocado Oil - 20 g
Sunflower Oil - 10 g
Flavor Oil - 2 mL
Vitamin E - 1 mL
*These recipes do not require you to melt butters prior to mixing.
Some Considerations When Making Whipped Lip Butter
Equipment Required- A heat-safe container
- Scale to weigh ingredients
- Spatula or spoon
- Plastic Droppers
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Hair net and gloves
Packaging for Whipped Lip ButterWhipped lip butter is typically packaged in jars so that the user can scoop out as needed and apply to lips. It is important to note that since air is whipped into the lip butter, product weight is about ½ of what the container is specified for. For example, 1 oz. of whipped lip butter will fit into a 2 oz. plastic jar depending on how much you whip it.
- Plastic Jars - There are a variety of plastic jars that can be filled with whipped lip butter ranging from straight-side tall jars to lower profile jars. Whipped lip butters are generally packaged in smaller 0.5 – 2 oz. size jars.
- Silver Tins - Silver tins can also be used to package whipped lip butter. Shallow tins and lip slide tins are both popular for lip products.
Examples of the Process
When you are using shea butter, mango butter and most of the fancier butter blends, you don’t need to melt prior to mixing. They are soft enough to whip. Sometimes higher melt point butters/oils will require that you melt prior to mixing. These include cocoa butter, kokum butter, sal butter, palm kernel oil and babassu oil. Even softer oils stored at chilly room temperatures will need to be softened before whipping.
Basic Process: No MeltUse this process when your recipe consists of shea butter, mango butter and other soft butters or blends.
Step 1 - Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Step 2 - Whip using a stand mixer or hand mixer for about 10 minutes or until all ingredients have combined and doubled in volume from whipping.
Step 3 - Spoon into containers.
Step 4 - Label your product and include the following information:
- Product name
- Net weight size
- Directions for use
- Ingredients in descending order of predominance
- Company name
- Contact information
Basic Process: MeltUse this process when your recipe contains hard or brittle butters.
Step 1 - Melt hard and brittle butters.
Step 2 - Add other softer butters or oils. Mix well. If mixture starts to thicken, you can start whipping. If mixture is still clear and hot, put into the fridge for a short time to drop the temperature to where the mixture is starting to solidify.
Step 3 - Remove from fridge and add all of the additives.
Step 4 - Whip using a stand mixer or hand mixer for about 10 minutes or until all ingredients have combined and doubled in volume from whipping.
Step 5 - Spoon into containers.
Step 6 - Label your product and include the following information:
- Product name
- Net weight size
- Directions for use
- Ingredients in descending order of predominance
- Company name
- Contact information
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