A girl’s life is incomplete without makeup. Infact, a lot of men today also apply makeup to look their best, especially on special occasions. But do you know what makeup is made up of?
There are a plethora of makeup products available in the market, and their names are difficult to keep track of. All of them are made up of multiple chemicals, natural ingredients, and other such products. Today, we will discuss some of the most common and vital ingredients which the makeup is made up of.
Table of Contents
General Ingredients Found in Every Makeup Item
To bring the perfect texture, look, smell, and luster, each cosmetic product contains a number of ingredients. Some of the most common ingredients which almost every makeup product contains are-
- Water– Water is used as a base in almost all products. It is also useful in dissolving, mixing, and blending all the other ingredients of the product and is thus the main solvent in any makeup product.
- Emulsifiers– These are the elements that wish to fixate the ingredients, stabilize the formula and prevent the ingredients from separating. Some of the commonly used emulsifiers in makeup products are Laureth-4, potassium cetyl sulfate, and polysorbates.
- Thickeners– To enhance the consistency, viscosity, and volume of cosmetic products, thickeners are added to them. Some of the most prevalent thickeners used in cosmetics include gum, gelatin, xanthan, silica, and cetyl alcohol.
- Emollients– To ensure that the makeup product does not end up trapping all of the moisture from the skin, emollients are used. They have a softening effect on the area where the product is being applied, and thus they create a protective film on the skin. This traps moisture within the skin, reducing water loss. Some popular emollients include oils, silicons, waxes, etc.
- Pigments– The color of the makeup products, especially the lipsticks, blush, eyeshadows, etc., and derived from pigments. These are the powder-based chemicals that offer them color. Common pigment chemicals include mica flakes, manganese, iron oxide, and beet powder.
- Preservatives– At last, all products have in them preservatives, which help them have a longer shelf life. They come with antimicrobial properties, which help the products stay intact and useful for a longer time. Some common preservatives used in makeup products include organic acids, aldehydes, isothiazolinones, glycol ethers, etc.
Apart from these basic items, the makeup products are made of multiple other active and natural ingredients, about which we will talk in the next section.
Active Ingredients
The composition of cosmetics and beauty products is not simple. These products are made up of multiple chemicals and other ingredients. Let us now have a look at the active ingredients present in cosmetics.
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Retinol
Retinol is a Vitamin-A derivative, which helps increase cell turnover in the skin. It is a common ingredient that helps hide and cure, to some extent, acne and fine lines. When used for the first time, Retinol can dry and irritate the skin. It can also increase the risk of sunburn.
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Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
The AHAs are used in cosmetic products as they are useful in gently exfoliating the skin. Lactic acid and glycolic acid are some common AHAs. Their effect on the skin is measured through their pH level, concentration, and other ingredients present in the product.
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Tocopherol
Most beauty and skincare products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and bath and body products, contain Tocopherol. It is a fat-soluble compound also known as Vitamin E in layman’s language. Tocopherol comes with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and helps moisturize the skin.
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Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics
Biotics work to affect the microbiome of the skin (the microorganisms present on the skin). While the prebiotics feeds the good bacteria on the skin, the probiotics stop harmful bacteria on the skin from multiplying. The postbiotics, however, are the bacterial remains that are left after their membrane breaks down. All these together act as humectants and antioxidants which benefit the skin.
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Titanium Dioxide
It is a multi-functional ingredient used in a lot of cosmetic and makeup products. Titanium Dioxide makes cosmetic products opaque, giving them a “whitish” hue. It is a coloring agent that acts as a filler, preservative, and sunscreen too.
Natural Ingredients
Cosmetic brands which also focus on the well-being and skincare of their customers add up some natural ingredients into their makeup products. These ingredients are mostly found in ayurvedic or plant-based cosmetics. Some of the natural ingredients that makeup is made of include-
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Aloe Vera
Extracts from the succulent plant of aloe vera are famous and essential natural cosmetic ingredients. They have anti-aging, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. They have a lot of good effects on the skin, such as reducing blemishes and brightening the skin. Many products claim to be filled with the goodness of aloe vera, but not all use its natural extracts.
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Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is a versatile cosmetic ingredient derived from the nut of the jojoba plant. It helps keep the skin hydrated with its high concentration of vitamin E. It also has antifungal and antimicrobial properties, which make it the perfect natural medicine for the skin.
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Squalane
Squalane is a natural cosmetic ingredient that is derived from olives. It is a multi-functional natural ingredient often used for cosmetic products. Squalane helps in enhancing the strength and shine of the hair and soothes acne-prone or oily skin. It is also a natural alternative to synthetic emollients and is often used in natural or plant-based cosmetics.
Different Makeup Items and What They Are Made Of
If you are a girl fond of makeup, you might have complete knowledge about the makeup products which you use regularly. But do you know what makeup is made up of? We will now discuss the most prevalent cosmetic and makeup items and what they are made up of.
Lipstick
Lipstick is a female’s best friend. While going outside, a girl only needs to apply a little lipstick, and the shade of her lips pops out, brightening their face and their mood. Lipsticks are not new; they were used by ancient ladies thousands of years ago.
While lipsticks have been curated by people of different centuries in varying ways, the most common recipe for making lipsticks includes the three basic ingredients- wax, oil, and pigment. Nowadays, people have started making lipsticks at home in the form of DIY, as the ingredients used are easily available.
The wax used in the making of lipsticks generally includes beeswax, carnauba wax, ceresin, petroleum-generated microcrystalline wax, etc. Also, elements such as lanolin, jojoba and castor oil, petrolatum, and other mineral oils are used to soften the wax and moisture to it for better texture and smoothness.
Mascara
The dark black pigmented mascara is perfect for a no-makeup makeup look. It increases the volume of the eyelashes, making your eyes bolder and bigger. The ancient civilizations created mascaras with different recipes, such as grinding dust from precious stones or using “Kohl,” today, makeup creators use standardized solutions to make mascaras.
Earlier, they were made of harmful coal or tar, which was banned by various governments around the world. At present, mascaras are made out of water, waxes, thickeners, other pigmenting ingredients, natural emulsifiers, etc., which give them a jet-black color. For black-colored mascara, carbon is used, while for brown-colored mascara, iron oxides are used.
Powders, Blush and Foundation
Essential facial makeup products, such as face powders, foundations, or blush, are made with a blend of multiple minerals, oils, pigments, fragrances, and other organic products.
Eyebrow Pencils
The dark pigmenting pencils which are used to make your eyebrows look fuller and in shape are made up of stearic acid, wax, and oils. All these elements are combined with the basic shades of pigments such as red, white, yellow, grey, and black to generate multiple colors and shades of eyebrow pencils.
Eyeliner
An eyeliner is formed with ingredients such as waxes, clays, and natural gums, which help deposit a fixed layer over your eyes. After that, pigments of different colors are added to them, the most common ones being black, brown, blue, white, silver, green, etc.
Highlighter
A highlighter is a makeup product that is used to highlight the curves and features of the face to make it look bold and more attractive. The highlighter ink is mostly formed out of fluorescein. It is an organic compound and a dye that is used after making a solution in water. The tip of the highlighter is made with polyester beads or polyethylene.
Nailpolish
Another famous makeup essential, although not applied on the face, is nail polish. They are made up of a film-forming polymer, which is dissolved in an organic solvent, which is volatile. The polymer used is mostly nitrocellulose or CAB (which is better than cellulose used in expensive nail paints.)
Final Words
The quality of the ingredients used in making makeup depends highly on its brand and price. Also the location where it is manufactured also decides the ingredients, as the company will prefer using ingredients that are easily available to them.
However, the products mentioned above comprise the ingredients that the makeup is made up of, more or less. We hope this satiated your curiosity, and now you know what your favorite makeup product is actually made up of!
