About Lipstick Ingredients

For thousands of years, people have used cosmetics. The ingredients have changed throughout the years, but the concept has remained the same: to enhance beauty. Lipstick is one of the first cosmetics ever used. To give you an idea of how widely used it is, an estimated 92 million American women use lipstick on a daily basis.

History

Lipstick was first documented with the ancient Egyptians around 60 B.C., when Cleopatra and her contemporaries donned lipstick made from crushed insects, including carmine beetles for the deep red color and ants for the lipstick base. The first solid lipstick was invented by an Arabic cosmetologist named Abu al-Quasim al-Zahrawi. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century, lipstick made from plant stains and beeswax was popularized throughout England.

Types

Moisturizing lipsticks contain ingredients like vitamin E, glycerin, and aloe to help keep lips soft. Sheer lipsticks contain a higher concentration of oil, making them good for dry lips also, but they need to be reapplied often and appear darker in the tube than on the lips. Cream lipsticks have a higher wax concentration, while mattes tend to dry the lips. Long-wearing and transfer-resistant lipsticks stain the lips for six to eight hours, but need a moisturizing topcoat reapplied often.

Identification

As the levels of quality vary so greatly in today's market, so do the ingredients in lipsticks. However, in most cases, a very basic summary of ingredients includes wax, oil, alcohol and dye. The variety of these things depends on the price and brand of the lipstick. Waxes may include beeswax, candelilla or camauba. While the wax and oil make up most of the lipstick, other additives help change the feel and appearance of the product.

Effects

Different formulations of lipstick can produce different effects on the lips. For example, some manufacturers of long-wearing lipstick use a clay base to help the lipstick last through eating and drinking. Shimmery or pearly lipsticks may contain a form of castor oil, while matte lipsticks often contain shea butter or lanolin to help keep lips moist. Plumping lipsticks usually contain a product called Maxilip, which is a messenger peptide. This stimulates the collagen in lips, producing the plumping effect.

Considerations

Price and quality are necessary considerations for every consumer, but it's important to consider other factors too. For example, certain ingredients contained in lipsticks can cause allergic reactions for some people. There are hypo-allergenic lipsticks that work for some people, but many need to use alternatives or nothing at all. Certain types of lipstick, especially long-wearing and matte, tend to dry the lips. Using a lip balm or gloss in combination can help to avoid this.

Resources

• What to Consider When Buying Lipstick
• Find Out if Your Cosmetics Are Safe
• History of Makeup in Roman Times