Cooling Under-Eye Highlighter

Cooling Under-Eye Highlighter: a moisturizing balm to soothe and refresh the face.

Some say there is nothing new under the sun, but every once in a while I see a beauty product come out that makes me go “WOW. What a great idea!” When this happens, my thoughts almost immediately go to deconstruction. How did they come up with this? What did they put in it? How can I make it too? Such was the case when I first laid eyes on Tula’s Brightening Eye Balm Stick. It wasn’t long before the draft recipe for my own Cooling Under-Eye Highlighter was scribbled into a notebook.

Tula’s recipe incorporates water-based ingredients like hylauronic acid and aloe juice. These feel great on tired, dry skin, but they also call for a rather complex formulation in order to remain stabilized. I opted to go with a more simplified recipe for my own under-eye highlighter. In essence, this product is a simple balm, using the same ratios that I would when creating any salve, lip balm, or solid body lotion.

What makes it special, however, is the choice of main ingredients for cooling and soothing the skin, and the inclusion of specific additives geared toward catching light and hiding dark circles. Aloe, mint, coffee bean butter and cranberry seed oil offer an intensely hydrating, yet non-greasy base for our formula. Mineral colorants, biron mtu and mica powder are added to help turn the simple balm into an under-eye highlighter by offering a subtle shine and sheer coverage.

This recipe can easily be customized by adding to the palette of mineral colorants or by leaving them out all together. Add a copper or golden mica to give the balm a bronzing effect. Or, you could add a green tint to help cover redness. If you opt to leave the mineral colorants out of this formula, you will have a fantastic moisturizing balm rather than an under-eye highlighter.

About the Ingredients

Aloe Vera Butter

The cooling, soothing feeling of aloe vera makes a wonderful addition to our under-eye highlighter recipe. Our aloe vera butter combines an oil soluble aloe extract with richly moisturizing coconut oil to create a totally unique and incredibly beneficial skin care ingredient.

Coffee Bean Butter

The robust aroma of roasted coffee bursts from this highly moisturizing vegetable butter, along with nourishing phytosterols. Coffee bean butter provides excellent conditioning benefits and is quickly penetrating. It is also prized for encouraging adhesion and moisture retention in cosmetics.

Cranberry Seed Oil

This non-greasy fruit seed oil offers a bounty of nutritive omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. Cranberry seed oil is highly nourishing, and moisturizing, It adds a conditioning boost to our under-eye highlighter formula.

White Beeswax

This natural wax is versatile in texture and color, available in white or yellow varieties. If you prefer to use a plant-based wax, try our Candelilla Wax instead. Candelilla is a bit harder than Beeswax so you will need to reduce it’s portion by about 10-20%.

Biron MTU Powder

Often used in cosmetics to provide opacity and whiteness, our biron mtu powder gives this under-eye highlighter the ability to add lightness and sheer coverage to the skin. Biron mtu can be used alone, or in harmony with other mineral-based colorants. Try blending it with our pearlescent micas, oxides, or ultramarines to create custom mineral makeup.

Mica Powder

Our mica powder is a plain, un-colored mineral used to add pearlescent shine to soaps and cosmetics. When used in balms and body powders, mica powder leaves a soft, subtle shine on the skin.

Andean Mint Essential Oil

Andean Mint Essential Oil is an extra potent heirloom herb responsibly harvested from the mountains of Peru. The fresh, cool aroma and tingling chill of Andean Mint makes this under-eye highlighter recipe extra refreshing!

Cooling Under-Eye Highlighter

Makes about twelve 0.15-ounce tubes

Ingredients

• 15 grams (1/2 ounce) Aloe Vera Butter
• 15 grams (1/2 ounce) Coffee Bean Butter
• 15 ml (1/2 ounce) Cranberry Seed Oil
• 15 grams (1/2 ounce) White Beeswax
• 5 ml scoop (1 teaspoon) Biron MTU Powder
• 5 ml scoop (1 teaspoon) Mica Powder
• 1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) Andean Mint Essential Oil

Directions

1. Combine aloe butter, coffee bean butter, and beeswax in double boiler and heat until fully melted.
2. Remove mixture from heat, allow to sit until slightly cooled (about 2-3 minutes).
3. Combine cranberry seed oil with biron mtu and mica powders to form slurry.
4. Add slurry to melted butters and stir well to ensure everything is well blended.
5. Add essential oil to mixture, then carefully pour into tube containers.
6. Allow tubes to fully cool and harden before adding caps.

Usage & Packaging

• Our Cooling Under-Eye Highlighter looks great in our new Natural Oval Lip Balm Tubes. For a plastic-free option, check out our 0.3 Ounce Brown Paperboard Tubes.
• To use, warm the balm gently by pressing it against the skin. Once warmed and slightly softened, rub the balm very gently on the under-eye area of the face.

Shelf Life & Stability: Please note that the formulations featured here on The Natural Beauty Workshop have not been challenge tested for stability or shelf life, and may not be suitable for commercial use as-is. For more information on shelf life, stability, and working with preservatives, check out the following article from our Information Library.

Looking for more mineral makeup inspiration? Check out our guide to Making Mineral Cosmetics and our recipes for Loose Powder Mineral Eye Shadow and Mineral Makeup Cream Highlighter.