Manufacturing Lipstick

History

Lip colour has been used for thousands of years but lipstick, as we know it today, began just before the First World War. Originally lipsticks were made using carmine dye (from cochineal – the blood of beetles). They were applied to moistened lips, but did not look very natural – today lipsticks are made in thousands of colours.

The manufacturing process requires a number of criteria including conforming to the Cosmetics Product (Safety) Regulations and health and safety for workers. The purchaser may require their lipstick to be long lasting, extra sheer, or extra shiny, so the product also has to perform as promised, and have a high melting point. The ingredients used in a basic lipstick are listed later in this section. The ingredients used must also conform to the cosmetic safety regulations and the manufacturer’s criteria. The finished lipstick needs to be able to be released easily from the case – this can lead to problems with the number of rejected lipsticks as waxes can melt easily.

There are three stages in the manufacture of lipsticks:

	Preparation of the blends: this includes the preparation of colour dispersion, the wax base and also the blending of oils.   Preparation of colour dispersion – pigments have to be carefully blended to prevent any colour change. Preparation of wax base – this is done in large batches, heating all the waxes, plus some of the oils. Once thoroughly mixed it is poured into trays to cool. Preparation of lipstick mass – the molten substances are mixed together, tested for colour and then stirred to remove any trapped air. The molten substance is then cooled under controlled conditions before being poured into trays for cooling. Moulding – the simplest moulds are the split mould variety. These can be made from brass-plate or aluminium. The lipstick mass is poured into the mould and allowed to fully cool, then extracted when cooled.
	Typical lipstick formulations – click here for lipstick compositions.
	Formulation acceptability – the lipstick is then evaluated, looking at its suitability for purpose, acceptability and storage.

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