If you can only take one piece of make up to a deserted island, what would it be? For the majority of women, the resounding answer would be “lipstick”. Lipstick is truly the most highly acclaimed piece of make up for women. Ever since we were little girls we would sit and watch our mothers, our aunts, our sisters, and our grandmothers apply it with such precision and became mystified by the burst of color that blossomed onto their lips.

Though we women do apply a lot of lipstick in our lifetime, some statistics have shown that women may ingest up to 5 pounds of lipstick in her life time. Ever wonder what ingredients are in those 5 pounds that we take in throughout our 50, 60, 80 or even 100 years on this planet?

WAX: Wax is used in lipstick for an obvious reason – to help it stay on our lips! Three types of waxes are most commonly used in lipsticks:

• Candelila wax
• Carnuba wax
• Beeswax

Carnuba wax tends to be in the more expensive lipsticks as it is more difficult to obtain. Any truly natural lipsticks that you see on the market, however, will most likely contain beeswax.

OIL: Oil is a necessary component in lipstick as it keeps your lips hydrated and prevents them from drying and cracking. The types of oils that are usually used include:

• Vegetable oil
• Lanolin
• Castor oil
• Mineral oil
• Cocoa butter
• Olive oil
• Jojoba oil
• Vitamin E
• Shea butter
• Chamomile oil
• Sunflower oil

The last six types of oils are most commonly found in organic or “natural” blend lipsticks.

DYES AND PIGMENTS: A number of different dyes are used in lipstick to help obtain those shades that we have all come to love. A lot of these dyes include:

• D&C Red No. 21
• D&C Orange No. 17
• Bromo acid

Though most of these dyes are obtained from plants, a good part of the dye is also a mixture of different chemicals (several of which go unlisted on lipstick products). Natural and organic lipsticks use organic pigments, such as:

• Beets
• Turmeric
• Berry blends

These dyes are, of course, safer than the others listed above and can be consumed on a regular basis with no harmful side effects.

PRESERVATIVES: In order to extend the shelf life of a lipstick, different preservatives and chemicals are added to lipsticks so that they do not dry out or become rancid in a short period of time.

ALCOHOL: The alcohol used in lipsticks is generally quite safe. It is used as a solvent for both the wax and the oils.

FRAGRANCE: What beauty product doesn’t have some sort of “fragrance” added? Though the fragrance is limited in lipsticks, a small amount is still used to give lipstick a more pleasant scent and to conceal the smell of chemicals and other ingredients used.