What Is Lipstick Made of?

It's no secret that women and girls love lipstick, but have you ever wondered what it's made of? Most women do not think about the ingredients unless they end up having an allergic reaction. However, for many women and teenagers, a lipstick is an essential piece of their cosmetics.  Therefore, you should know what ingredients commonly make up a lipstick.

Oils Used in Lipsticks 

• Manufacturers use different types of oils when making lipsticks but commonly caster oil, mineral oil, and vegetable oil is used. In addition, most lipsticks will use some cocoa butter. Of course, the oil serves as a natural moisturizer for your lips and helps the color stay on longer. 

Waxes Used in Lipsticks

• Typically, you will find three types of waxes in lipsticks--beeswax, carnauba wax (plant wax), and candelilla wax. The canauba wax is more expensive so lipsticks containing more of this will be more expensive. The less expensive lipsticks will contain more beeswax since it is cheaper. 

Dyes and Pigmentations

• For most women the most important aspect of the lipstick is the color! Commonly dyes are mixed to make the desired color. Common dyes are D&C orange #17, D&C red #21, and D&C red #34, to name just a few. The pigments that are mixed with the dyes come from plants, which is more natural, or they can be produced using chemicals.

Preservatives, Fragrance, and Alcohol

• Alcohol is used more as a solvent for the waxes and oils used to produce lipstick. Preservatives so that the lipstick remains fresh for a long time. A tiny bit of fragrance is added to give it that lipstick smell that most women are familiar with. So the next time you pucker up for your favorite shade of lipstick, you will now know what it is made of.