Let's make lipstick

Each ingredient that makes up the lipstick has a job to do. Waxes, the base for its solid structure, are mixed with oils that help the lipstick last longer – did you know that oils are actually the ingredient that differentiates lipstick from crayons?

Then it is made of preservatives and antioxidants that work to inhibit oxidation and prolong its shelf life and emollients provide that moisturizing effect when applied to the lips.

It’s not what you think. In this case, the term organic refers to the chemical structure of pigments and not any positive meaning related to healthy food or products. Organic pigment are based on carbon chains and carbon rings, so it means that they contain carbon atoms. They are made up of dyes and lakes. These carbon-based particles are smaller than those of inorganic pigments. This makes them more unstable and they can move around on the skin. Inorganic pigments are not carbon-based and are made up of mineral compounds such as iron oxides or titanium dioxide. The difference in the particle size is also the reason why most organic pigments are considered transparent and most inorganic pigments are considered opaque.

We can’t deny that red lipstick will always be the color, even with the millions of available shades. It might surprise you that back in the 19th century, the red color used in lipstick was made from carmine dye. This natural red dye is extracted from a cochineal insect that produces carminic acid, the bright red color used in lipstick. Of course, to get the color out of the bug, you have to kill the insect, the pregnant female precisely. To produce 500g of dye, the number of cochineals you need is 70,000. This natural dye has recently reappeared as a natural alternative to other carcinogenic synthetic red dyes and is considered FDA-approved for safe use. In lipsticks that use this natural dye, it is labeled in the ingredients as “cochineal extract” or “natural red 4”.