What's really in your lipstick? Bugs N Stuff?
August 19, 2014
From vampy plum to pale pink, most women own at least a handful of lipsticks.
But few will have considered the ingredients that give them the perfect pout.
Now, one chemistry teacher has revealed the strange components that go into lipstick, including insects, wax and even chilli.
Chemistry teacher Andy Brunning has revealed the strange chemicals that go into lipstick, including insects and chilli, which plumps up the lips. He says that while brands tweak their recipes, all lipsticks are made of oil, wax and pigments or dyes (as shown above)
Red lipstick (pictured) often includes insects and most long-lasting hues feature a chemical compound called eosin, which subtly changes colour when it is applied to the lips. The dye reacts with the amine groups found in proteins in the skin, which makes it long-lasting
A single lipstick contains several hundred different chemical compounds to give it the desired colour, glossiness, and indelibility.
And while ingredients will differ between brands, there are a number of essential ingredients, according to Bournemouth-based teacher and blogger Andy Brunning.
The pigment used in red lipstick is often made from crushed cochineal bugs, which live on cacti.
The colour is known as Carmine red – or carminic acid – and is prepared by boiling the insect bodies in ammonia or sodium carbonate solution.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT POUT
Cochineal beetles provide the pigmentation for red lipsticks.
Eosin is used in vampy deep hues and makes lipsticks long-lasting.
Titanium dioxide is added to red pigment to produce sugary pink shades.
Capsicum - a compound found in chillies - acts a minor skin irritant so it plumps up the lips.
Carnauba wax is included in lipsticks that are less likely to melt if they are left in a hot car.
Castor oil enables lipstick to glide onto the lips and affects its glossiness.
The mixture is then filtered before hydrated potassium aluminium sulphate is added.
Deep red lipsticks and formulas that claim to be long-lasting, often include a chemical compound called eosin.
The dye subtly changes colour when it is applied to the lips and produces a lipstick that has a slightly blue tinge.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2728711/Whats-really-lipstick-From-chillies-insects-bizarre-ingredients-perfect-pout.html#ixzz3Aq5ZRAcA
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