Ask a woman what her favorite makeup item is and chances are that she’ll say that it’s her lipstick. Every woman has that one lipstick that’s her go-to choice. But despite being such a popular item and used by many of us on a regular basis, how many of us know what’s in a lipstick?
Read on to know about the lipstick ingredients that that are used to make your favorite lipsticks.
WHAT IS LIPSTICK MADE OF
Before we start the lipstick ingredients list, we would like to state that while many lipsticks use some common ingredients, each brand of lipstick has its own composition and the ingredients may vary drastically from one lipstick to another. This article is a quick guide on educating you on some of the most common or popular lipstick ingredients.
[Also Read: Best Lipsticks For Dry Lips]
Waxes
One of the main lipstick ingredients that can be found in most lipsticks are waxes. Waxes are used to bring the different ingredients together, acting as a base for the lipstick. Waxes are also used to soften the lips and add glossiness as well. While many companies use beeswax, there are companies involved in creating vegan cosmetics that make use of Carnauba or Candelila wax, which are waxes derived from plants.
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Pigments
[Also Read: Matt vs Cream Lipsticks]
An important aspect of a lipstick is its pigmentation. How pigmented a lipstick is will determine how well it sells. Consumers are always on the lookout for pigmented lipsticks that impart a vibrant color with just one or two swipes. Pigments are made from natural ingredients or chemical dyes. One ingredient that is sometimes used to achieve a bright red color is carmine extract. It is obtained from crushed scale insects which are steamed, dried and powdered to get a bold red color. For paler colors, colorless titanium dioxide is usually mixed with red to get pale pink shades.
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Oils and Fats
When considering what is lipstick made of, another important ingredient to be listed are oils and fats. Cocoa butter, castor oil, olive oil, mineral oil, and lanolin oil are all popular lipstick ingredients. The oils and fats are used to make the lipstick more moisturizing and to ensure that it goes on smoothly on application. They also provide a nice shine and gloss and so are present in abundance in glossy-finish lipsticks.
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[Also Read: Toxic Lipstick Ingredients]
Capsaicin
While not a common ingredient, Capsaicin is nevertheless one weird ingredient that deserves to be mentioned here. Capsaicin is a compound found in chilli peppers that has made its way into the lipstick ingredients for its ability to plump up the skin. Capsaicin is used in some lipsticks that claim to plump up the lips. As a skin irritant, Capsaicin helps plump up the lips to a small degree when applied, which is why women feel that mildly tingling sensation when they apply those specialized lipsticks that guarantee to make their lips more plump and juicy.
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Lead
One major point of concern was that many red lipsticks contained traces of lead. The lead is so minuscule that many companies do not consider it a necessity to list it as an ingredient. But this discovery of lead in lipsticks has raised the need for vegan lipsticks and has pushed the manufacturers to consider alternate, more natural and less harmful ingredients to make cosmetics.
[Also Read: Vegan Lipsticks for a Beautiful You]
