Comparative Analysis of the Materials Used in the Domestic-Made and the Foreign-Made Lipsticks

Abstract

In this study, the type and fine structure of materials used in domestic-made and foreign-made lipsticks were analyzed through the method of using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In the lipstick precipitates, pearlescent pigment, silica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide and organic pigment were commonly observed. The pearlescent pigment among components used in lipstick happens to have smoother surface, less sharp and rough edge in foreign-made lipstick than the domestic-made lipstick. The silica was commonly added to both lipsticks but found more in foreign-made lipstick precipitates than the domestic-made one. The organic pigments were observed with granular shape in the size of about 100 nm, and in foreign-made lipstick precipitates, the pigments formed a lump of about 3 μm size as small particles were bunched up. When both precipitates were treated in the same condition, the incompletely dissolved wax materials were observed in domestic-made lipstick. These structures were about 30 μm in diameter and sponge shape empty spaces were formed on the surface. In the high magnification scanning electron micrograph, these empty spaces were shown with polygon shape with the various sizes of 1~5 μm, as well with the traditional lipstick wax fine structure.