Lipstic and its composition

 LIPSTICK:

Lipstick are basically dispersions of colouring matter in a base containing a suitable blend of oils, fats and waxes suitably perfumed, flavoured and moulded in the form of stick and enclosed in a case. Some lipsticks are also lip balm, to add colour and hydration.

•CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LIPSTICKS:

The chemical composition of lipstick varies greatly. The general composition of lipsticks are;

*A mixture of non volatile oils,e.g. caster, vegetable, mineral or wool fat, lanolin oil.

*Mixture of waxes, e.g. bee wnax or carnauba.

* Colours

*Antioxidants

*Preservatives

Usually perfumes are also added in very small quantity to combat the unpleasant fatty odour of the oil. 

The oil makes the wax-based product soft and to be easily applied.

 In order to reduce the 'stickness', usually, esters of fatty acids (like 2-propyl myristate) is also added. 

Lipsticks are made from hydrophobic materials.

 The dyes are water_insoluble. 

Water soluble dyes such as green or blue food dyes can be used to provide lipstick colouration but they are, first combined with metal oxides such as aluminium hydroxide,Al(OH)3, to form an insoluble precipitate 

It is then suspended in the oil base of the lipstick.

 

Colour is a key ingredient of lipsticks.

 Silicones and oily material are also added to reflect light and provide shine.