I bet you have definitely noticed that many people, especially women, often wear lipstick in their daily lives to glam up. If you look into history textbooks, they seem to have always existed. Do you ever wonder when and where did it emerge exactly?
In ancient China, lipstick was originally used for religious ceremonies, but as time went on, it increasingly became used for its cosmetic purposes. Lipstick during that era in China was seen as more similar to lip balm that was used by both genders. They were made by hand with materials of minerals and plant juices. As the ancient lipsticks were mostly red, the red pigment comes from Vermillion, essentially mercuric sulfide to achieve a highly striking red color. This was mixed with animal fat and mineral wax.
In the Victorian era, lipstick went out of fashion and was once again considered vulgar. However, this just pushed the practice underground, and women would often secretly meet to trade recipes and make lipstick together in “underground lip rouge societies”. Lipstick in the Victorian era was an objective that was acquired or created through secretive means. Recipes, as well as alternative means of reddening the lips were traded in secretive confidence between women looking to gain an advantage in a society that was notoriously socially stifling. The
negative and prohibitive history of lipstick in the Victorian era steadily lost its bite as the turn of the century approached. By the late 1800s, lip rouge was said to have been sold publicly in store fronts, but its use largely remained something to be done in privacy.
Even in the modern day, different shades of lipstick were preferred in different decades due to the peoples’ trends. In the 1950s, dark red lips were in fashion, influenced by famous actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. There was a move toward natural and light lip colors in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, due to the punk movement in the late 1970s, the colors got dramatic again. Nowadays, all shades of lipstick are used and liked by all people, not only females but also males use them in their daily lives. The average woman in the US will spend around $1,780 on lipstick in her lifetime.
Lipsticks in modern society from certified companies are usually safe. Lipsticks are manufactured by mixing heated oil and melted wax, blending them together, then adding and dispersing pigment into the mixture for color. Waxes used include beeswax, carnauba, candelilla, and ozokerite (ceresin). Oils used include mineral oil, castor oil, and lanolin. Pigment provides color, while functional additives such as fragrances, emollients, and preservatives are added to provide structure, impact appearance, and to provide easy & uniform application. Lipsticks typically consist of between 50 and 70 percent oil, 20 and 30 percent wax, and between 5 and 15 percent pigment. All raw materials used to make lipstick are strictly regulated by health authorities, including the EU and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The main processes for manufacturing lipstick are heating, melting, mixing, cooling, and filling.
Lipsticks are found in a variety of markets, like makeup stores, drugstores, or even grocery stores. They are one of the most popular and common items in the makeup industry and have existed for a long period of time.
