What Exactly Goes Into Your Cosmetics?

Cosmetics is a billion-dollar business all over the world. Such is the description of an industry that goes back thousands of years and one where consumers collectively spend billions of dollars per annum. Make-up, after all, dates back thousands of years. We have to go back to ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations for some very early examples of make-up - in ancient Greece, make-up with lead content was used to lighten women's complexion, while Egyptians applied kohl on their eyelids to darken them. Nowadays more and more consumers are using make-up. It is not only women, but also men who are being targeted by cosmetics manufacturers in an attempt to widen their market.

A cosmetic, if we are to take their most basic definition, would be any element, agent or substance applied to an external part of the body for beautification. People use cosmetics to alter their appearances and to change the odors our body produces. The big question is, what's the deal with cosmetics and their active ingredients? Cosmetics would mostly consist of the following basic ingredients, which include water, fragrance, preservatives, ph stabilizers, thickener and color.

Preservatives are added to the ingredients of cosmetics to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, which could ruin the make-up and harm the user. The next active ingredient would be emulsifiers, which is basically water mixed with a few drops of oil, or vice versa. Emulsifiers would be mixed to prevent both oil and water from separating. The amalgamation of oil and water would create a smooth, homogeneous surface for the make-up. And once the texture of the make-up is evened out, polymers would subsequently change the cosmetics' consistency. As for the thickeners, they can either be natural (polysaccharides) or synthetic (polyethylene glycol) in terms of composition. Should the consistency thicken up a bit, they can be thinned down with the help of solvents such as alcohol or water.

There are also numerous assorted chemicals that are responsible for cosmetics having the color or hue that they do or giving off a more fragrant aroma. The acidity of the make-up is known as its ph level, and can be changed with additives. At the end of the day, these are all ingredients found in most forms of make-up to guarantee their safety for buyers and users. If you have reactions or know that you are allergic to some substances, be cautious before trying out that new tube of lipstick.

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