Lipstick Ingredients: What is Lipstick Made of

Every girl is sure have a distant memory of sitting in front of her mom's dressing table, trying to imitate her mother's application of make up. One of the cosmetic products that attracts every little girl, no matter what her age, is the lipstick. And the same holds true for most women. A lipstick is considered as the most essential cosmetic, something that women just cant do without. Most women use it on a daily basis, but have you ever wondered about what lipstick is made of? Although they ingest it regularly, few know what the lipstick ingredients actually are. Lipstick ingredients may vary depending upon the brand, make and also the color of the lipstick. All lipsticks contain some common ingredients, while some may also contain natural or organic ingredients.

Lipstick was the first cosmetic to ever be used. The use of lipstick for make up, dates back to the times of the ancient Egyptians, who used henna or crushed insects like carmine or cochineal beetles, and ants to obtain shades of red lipstick. Solid lipstick was first invented by Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, an Arab cosmetologist, and it was further popularized by Queen Elizabeth who made a fashion statement, by her blood red lips.

Common Lipstick Ingredients
Although the proportion and the amount in which they are present may vary, all lipsticks consist of the following common ingredients.

• Wax: The wax used in lipsticks is a combination of three types of wax, namely - beeswax, candelilla wax and carnauba wax. Carnauba wax is a type of plant wax, which is obtained from the leaves of Brazilian wax palm trees, and is more expensive compared to the other two. Therefore, lipsticks that contain more amount of carnauba wax tend to be expensive. Wax, as an ingredient, enables the easy shaping of the mixture of the ingredients, into the shape of the product.
• Oil: Different types of oils like castor oil, vegetable oil, lanolin and mineral oil are used as lipstick ingredients. Cocoa butter is also used along with these oils. Oil and wax are important lipstick ingredients and make up about 60% of the total weight of the lipstick.
• Pigments and Dyes: These are used in the lipstick to impart the desired color or shade to the lipstick. The dyes used in a lipstick include bromo acid, D&C Red No. 21, D&C Orange No. 17 and D&C Red No. 34. The pigments used are either obtained from plants, or are a mixture of various chemicals.
• Fragrance: This is found in the lipstick in small amounts and is used to impart a pleasant scent to the lipstick, that suppresses the smell of the other ingredients used.
• Alcohol: This is used as a solvent, for the wax and oils used as lipstick ingredients.
• Preservatives and Antioxidants: These are added to the lipstick to keep it fresh and to prevent it from becoming stale or rancid.

Apart from the common lipstick ingredients mentioned above, lipsticks may also consist of some natural ingredients like vitamin E, jojoba oil, shea butter, sunflower or chamomile oils, organic pigments like turmeric or beet, etc. These natural ingredients are edible and make the lipstick safe for daily use.

Harmful Lipstick Ingredients
Lipsticks may also consist of some of the following harmful ingredients.

• Lead: Lead is a commonly used lipstick ingredient, but can be very harmful if ingested. It can cause health hazards like infertility, anemia and cancer, as well as learning disabilities, mental retardation and behavioral problems. The FDA has laid strict regulations regarding the use of lead as a lipstick ingredient.
• Coal Tar Derived FD&C Coloring: Pigments used to make red lipstick, especially Red #40, are derived from coal tar. Coal Tar is a toxic mixture, which if ingested, can cause nausea, attention deficit, headaches, skin irritation, etc.
• Carmine: This is a natural food coloring agent which is obtained by the boiling of pigmented beetles, and is known to cause skin irritations and allergies.
• Lake Colors: These are highly toxic, artificial coloring agents that are obtained from carcinogenic sources, and can cause cancer, skin irritation and allergies.
• Fragrance: The fragrance used as a lipstick ingredient can also be harmful, and can cause dry, chapped lips and dermatitis.

Now since you have the answer to - what is lipstick made of, be careful to choose lipsticks containing more natural ingredients, and avoid those that list any of the harmful lipstick ingredients mentioned above.