Common Ingredients used to prepare Cosmetics

Most common advertisements that you see in the market belong to the cosmetic industry. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry and seems to be evolving all the time. One of the common questions that, occasionally, crops in our mind is what are the components that fall in the category of cosmetics. How these cosmetics are made and what the common ingredients are that go into making them are quite intriguing.

Be it the skin cream, or the shampoo or the face washor the hair oil; each cosmetic is differently made, and their moulds and ingredients are different. Some of the brands go for costly ingredients while some go for more commonly available ones. And hence, the difference in the pricing. Ingredients depend upon the kind of flavours that are being sold. Let us look at some of the common ingredients that are used in the preparation of these cosmetics.

Water : Water is a universal component. Every cosmetic that we use consists of a base in which water is an essential ingredient. Be it creams, lotions, makeup items, deodorants – the base comes in water. Water – specifically distilled – is very important since the consistency of the cosmetic item is maintained through the water. It acts in a normal chemical format – a solvent that dissolves all the kind of ingredients that are added into it.

Emulsifiers : One of the most essential ingredients is Emulsifiers. There might be ingredients that may not mix evenly or just don’t bind with each other. This is because of an issue with the composition of the ingredients. However, with the use of emulsifiers, such ingredients get together to form a base. Components like oil and water may necessarily not mix with each other due to separate chemical composition. Emulsifiers basically enable infusing them together to give the correct consistency and the right impact.

Preservatives : Ever wondered why they last for so long? That is because of the preservatives that are added to the components. Just like food, cosmetics, too, need a longer shelf-life. Preservatives help with maintaining the same consistency for a longer period without drying up or cracking. There are chances of synthetic or natural and they perform differently based upon the formulation of the product. Some products are not supposed to have long shelf-life; some may have. From using at 0.01% to using 1%, preservatives are used in different combinations to give the required result.So consumers, buying “preservative-free” cosmetic should know that they need to be used quickly.

There are chances that preservatives include parabens. So cosmetics without parabens clains for “paraben free”. You may look for the same or check the ingredient list on the product pack.

Thickeners : Just as the word means – they thicken the cosmetic. Not all cosmetic items are thick in nature. However, lipsticks, contours and face creams essentially need to be thick and you cannot have a running water kind of consistency. Lipid thickeners remain solid at room temperature, while natural thickeners are taken from natural components – more that you see of in lip-glosses. Synthetic thickeners are the most common ones that are used in lotion and cream products.

Colouring pigments : You know how you feel all dazed and happy when you see cosmetics. That is because of the colouring agents that are used in these. These colouring agents are used to add shine or glitter to the cosmetic that you are using. In a way, you owe it to the colouring agents that make you look so glamorous.

Bookmark our blog or subscribe to this blog to keep yourself updated on such interesting knowledge of cosmetics ingredients and cosmetics industry.