I put it in my mouth every morning. you eat it You kiss it. But do you really know what’s inside that little tube?
In fact, the exact formula of most lipsticks is a closely guarded secret. However, the general structure of the lipstick is very simple. This falls into four main categories: waxes, oils, emollients and pigments.
Wax is the backbone of the structure. You can usually find beeswax, paraffin or carnauba wax here. Without these, the product is just a puddle. Stabilizes the stick and keeps it in its shaped shape.
Next, oils and fats. This is where the texture comes from. Lanolin, castor oil, olive oil and cocoa butter. Although some sources cite beef brain as a cheap source of fat, you rarely see beef brain on the front of the box. The goal here is balance. The mixture should be soft enough to glide on the lips, but firm enough to not melt in the bag on a hot day.
Emollients play an important role in moisturizing. If your lips feel less dry when you wear lipstick, vitamin E or aloe Vera can help.
What makes each lipstick unique to most consumers is its pigment.
Color is drama. Obtained from a mixture of plant, animal, mineral or synthetic raw materials. That bright red? It may come from the cochineal insect. The beetles are killed with steam, dried, ground into a powder and processed into a non-toxic crimson dye. This is very different from some of the older red dyes that actually cause cancer.
The lipstick is made in batches. Think of it like making crayons. Pigments and dry ingredients are finely ground and evenly distributed. Then mix them in the hot oil. Finally, add the heated wax and other ingredients and mix. Pour the hot liquid into the cold aluminum mold and let cool solid. It is often passed through a flame before being forced into a plastic or metal tube to achieve its characteristic smooth surface.
But what if you are allergic to lanolin? Or do you just want to avoid industrial processes? Making your own lipstick is easy if you get the basics right.
Before you start mixing, let’s address the elephant in the room. diet.
This is an inevitable part of using the product. we lick our lips. we eat sandwiches. we drink coffee. There is a persistent myth that women consume 4-6 pounds of lipstick a year. So 1.8-2.7 kg.
Are there any scientific studies that actually support this? No, it isn’t.
This is math. The average lipstick weighs less than half an ounce. To reach 4 kilos, you need to eat at least 118 tubes. That’s the amount of lipstick.
Strictly speaking, you are not slowly poisoning yourself by ingesting small amounts of wax or dye. The risk is negligible. The real interest lies in the formula. By understanding the composition of the ingredients, you can choose products that suit your skin type and values.
