What Puts the Ick in Lipstick?

Chemists have answered some of the world’s most pressing questions. They have made great advances in HIV research, discovered and developeded new antibiotics, and found ways to cure some of life’s scariest diseases. Chi-Ting Huang, a volunteer with Ph.D. in biochemistry at Boston’s Museum of Science, answers questions from visiting middle school students about a different aspect of life: what goes into various types of makeup? We have all heard the horror stories about fish scales, horse parts, or whale vomit in the various things we apply to our face daily, but we wonder: do these tales have a scientific basis? According to an article by Natasha Fischer published in the New York Times on March 27, 2008, there is, I am disturbed to report, truth in some of these stories. “Some perfumes use ambergris, which is a byproduct of digestion from whales,” she said. “It is whale puke basically,” says Huang. Perfume makers use it to fix the scent formulas. This gruesome fact may make us recoil from cologne and perfume, but we can take comfort in knowing that lipstick is not made of animal fat! Dr. Huang explained that fats are not generally found in the most common cosmetic. “It’s definitely possible because animal fats are oils,” she said. “But animal fats tend to oxidize and turn rancid fairly quickly, so I wouldn’t use it in a cosmetic.” Wearers of lipstick can breathe a sigh of relief and thank chemistry for the process of oxidation!

Posted by Eva Rediker