The lipstick formulation challenge – how they are prepared?

In the so-called decorative cosmetic landscape, lipsticks are considered one of the most important makeup products. Fun and easy to use, they can create noticeable changes in appearance and, why not, in the life of the person wearing them.

Moreover, the lips, placed harmoniously in evidence, almost in the center of the face, constitute an attractive and, paradoxically, non-verbal appeal, which is very much like to highlight with the use of makeup.

Countless lipstick and lip balm brands compete for "the special formula" and the introduction of new active ingredients, styles, and even cases, and all this vibrancy has meant that over 80% of women regularly use lipstick. In addition to a multiple choice of colors, the most diverse effects are added, from satin to opaque, through the glitter and metallic, vinyl, wet, glossy, thus satisfying the desires of every woman.

From the point of view of the cosmetic form, they can be defined as generally anhydrous mixtures of compatible oils and waxes, to which pigments, pearls, rheological modifiers, antioxidants, preservatives, active ingredients, perfume, or aroma are added.

Oils are mainly used to incorporate wax, disperse pigments and contribute to shining. Waxes are long-chain fatty acid esters and are very important for obtaining the desired viscoelastic properties, stick structure, and thermal stability.

A question of waxes

The main stabilizing components are therefore waxes. With a variable melting interval depending on the type of wax, they ensure that the stick remains solid until it comes into contact with the skin, which with its heat causes the appropriate melting.

They are an essential component of the formulation that makes them high-pigmentlipstick, a product that requires considerable experience and technical expertise for its formulation and development. Indeed, it must face a difficult balancing every day: it must maintain its shape even in summer or in hot climates, but it must be able to transfer color and shine to the lips without particular effort.

Regarding the formulation of lipsticks - considered a real challenge for cosmetologists - it can be said that the proportions between the ingredients are more important than the total quantities, for which the use of mathematical equations has also been proposed.