The Easiest Way To Fix A Broken Tube Of Lipstick
When you open a favorite tube of lipstick and the stick breaks apart, the experience can leave you feeling disappointed, frustrated, and simply sad over the loss of the lip product. Looking at a severed tube of lipstick or trying to contain melted makeup can be disheartening, to say the least. Before you toss that broken lipstick, though, you may want to know there are some simple hacks for fixing sticks of lip products.
According to WebMD, lipsticks on the modern market usually contain just a trio of ingredients — oil, wax, and pigment to give the product color. The oil and wax components of lipstick are critical when it comes to repairing a broken or melted tube. In fact, the pigment is fairly separate from the wax and oil in composition. When lipstick melts due to heat exposure, for instance, the pigment is likely to seep away from the wax and oil — be aware of this if you encounter a broken or melted tube of lipstick. However, there are hacks for releasing pigment stains, in addition to fixing damaged tubes of lipsticks. Here's what you should know about how to easily fix broken lipstick and how you can also repurpose the product.
Use heat to soften the lipstick
Accidentally leaving your favorite tube of lipstick in a hot car or out in the sun can result in a sticky mess with a high risk of staining everything around it. Luckily, there's a way to reboot your lipstick using heat. This might sound ironic, given that heat is the very thing that has melted your tube of lipstick, but it's also the superhero you need to save the day. Since lipstick is primarily wax and oil, melting the combination using heat can help you mold it back into its original shape.
Fixing your broken lipstick depends on whether the tube has melted or a solid piece of the product has snapped off. If you have a solid piece you want to adhere back into place, start by locating a controlled source of heat, such as a lighter, match, or candle. Hold it a few inches away from the broken portion of lipstick for up to 10 seconds, which is approximately the amount of time it should take for the piece to become moldable. Once the piece is gooey but not fully liquid, place it back on top of the remaining lipstick in the tube. Allow it to cool down to completely meld together. For fully melted lipstick, let it cool until it hardens, and then use the same heat trick to re-mold it.
Recycle broken lipstick to create something new
In the event that you can't re-attach the broken portion of lipstick, there's another hack that you can use to avoid wasting the fragmented lip product. BeBeautiful advises doing your best to collect as much of the melted, broken, or damaged lipstick as possible. Place it into a container, such as a small bowl, empty lipstick tube, or round lip balm container. Then, take the collected product and heat it for a few seconds at a time, using a microwave or other source of heat. Wait until the broken pieces have all melted together to form a liquid. If it seems like the broken lipstick isn't going to fit back into its original tube, place the melted concoction into a small container. This method allows you to recycle the lipstick in a new form, similar to a lip balm. You can even add additional ingredients to the melted lipstick, such as fragrance, castor oil, and petroleum jelly, to turn it into a tinted lip balm or blush. Get creative with it!
After you have a melted combination that you're happy with, place the container into the refrigerator for approximately three hours to allow the product to solidify. You can also let the product sit at room temperature, but know that it will take longer to congeal.
Heat serves a double purpose
Fixing broken lipstick — especially when it's melted — can be a messy task. Since you can't anticipate when your lipstick will break, the clothing and other items around you are prone to stains. Fortunately, heat can not only help fix broken lipstick, but it can also help remove stains caused by lipstick pigment, per WebMD. Of the ingredients in a tube of lipstick, the pigment is the most likely to stain. If you fail to act quickly, it could result in a permanent stain. Thankfully, when it comes to lipstick stains on clothing, the pigment can be removed by sprinkling baking soda or cornstarch on the area. Allow it to sit for a bit, and then flip the stained side of clothing upside down with a towel beneath it. Use an iron over the area to remove the lipstick coloring from the fibers of the fabric. The heat releases the pigment and relieves the stain, but be aware that the stain will transfer to the towel beneath — it's best to use an old towel or rag.
The next time you open your favorite tube of lipstick to find a mess, just take a deep breath — now you know the hacks for keeping everything under control.