Ideas for Lip Gloss Science Fair Projects
Lip gloss may seem like a frivolous beauty item, but extensive scientific research is spent perfecting the formula inside every tube. Makeup companies hire chemists who specialize in cosmetics in order to deliver a cutting edge product to consumers. Testing different lip glosses results in a science fair product that is big on both beauty and brains.
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In the Long Run
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Long-lasting lip glosses claim to stay put for several hours without smearing or wearing off of your lips. Develop a hypothesis that can assess the staying power of these supposed long-wear glosses. Look at the ingredients and claims of each lip gloss, then develop your hypothesis based on that information ("Gloss A will last the longest because the absence of avocado oil, found in gloss B and C, will make the gloss stickier"). To test your hypothesis, apply the gloss before you leave for school, then pay attention to how the gloss wears during the day. Take detailed notes as the gloss wears off, and observe each stage of the gloss' breakdown. Snap photos with a digital camera or cell phone every hour for visual evidence of your glosses' ability to stay on the lips. Test one gloss per day, then analyze the evidence at the end of the testing period.
Plumping the Truth
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Some lip glosses claim to make lips appear fuller, depending on additives like cinnamon and peppermint oil. Test a hypothesis that asserts one particular lip gloss will make your mouth look fuller given the combination of chemicals and additives found in that product. Over the space of a week, try one new plumping lip gloss a day taking a photo of your lips after the gloss has had a chance to sit on your lips for approximately 10 minutes. Trying one gloss a day will give your lips a chance to return to their normal volume and control the purity of your experiment. Include a photo of your lips wearing regular lip gloss that does not claim to plump lips. After you have collected your photos, ask friends and family to vote as to which lip gloss makes your mouth look the fullest. Collect the data and see if your participants' responses match with the claims made by each cosmetic manufacturer.
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Make Your Own Makeup
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Lip glosses use ingredients like petroleum jelly, beeswax and vegetable oil to create its trademark slippery smoothness and shine. Choose several recipes for homemade lip gloss that require different ingredients and proportions, then develop a hypothesis as to which recipe will deliver the best lip gloss based on the combination of ingredients proposed. You can test the lip glosses for yourself, or ask friends to test your creations. Draw up a rubric that defines the qualities of a successful lip gloss (shine, color, taste, staying power etc.) and rate each preparation on a scale of one to five. At the end of the experiment, see if the most successful lip gloss recipe matches your original hypothesis.
Extra Credit
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If you test different lip gloss recipes, have cards available at your science fair display with the recipe information so fair-goers can conduct their own experiments at home. Include any photographic data collected during the course of your experiment, posting the photos on a tri-fold poster board at your display. If you want to give out samples of lip gloss at your display, dab a cotton swab in each gloss to minimize the spread of bacteria from shared applicators. Purchase or create lip gloss solely for this purpose to avoid contamination from previous users.
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References
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