Cosmetic Process: Lipstick Synthesis

HOLY SPIRIT UNIVERSITY OF KASLIK
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Fall 2015
GCH 350: Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Cosmetic process: Lipstick synthesis
Presented to : Dr. Eng. Desir Eid
Prepared by : Rita El Khoury
Maya Harb
Jean Noel Semaan
Tamara Al Hassan

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Fall 2015
L’Oreal is a famous cosmetics company and has a wide range of
products as lipstick, kajal, foundation, concealer, mascara and many
more. We are going to present the synthesis process of “LIPSTICK”.
Cosmetics can be traced back to ancient civilizations. In particular, the
use of lip color was prevalent among the Sumerians, Egyptians,
Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks. Later, Elizabeth I and the
ladies of her court colored their lips with red mercuric sulfide. For years,
lipstick was used to color both the lips and the cheeks, depending on the
fashion of the times.
Lipstick is made of dyes and pigments in a fragranced oil-wax base.
Retail prices for lipsticks are relatively low, with quality products priced
at less than $4.00. More expensive products are available, with prices
ranging up to nearly $50.00 for exclusive products.
The tube has two parts, a cover and a base. The base is made up of
two components, the twisting or sliding of which will push the lipstick
up for application. Since the manufacture of the tube involves
completely different technologies, we will focus here on the
manufacture of lipstick only.

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Fall 2015
RAW MATERIAL USED FOR MAKING LIPSTICK
The primary ingredients found in lipstick are wax, oil, alcohol,
and pigment. The wax used usually involves some combination of
three types—beeswax, candelilla wax (derived from the leaves of
the small Candelilla shrub), or the more expensive carnauba
(derived from the leaves of the palm Copernicia Prunifera, a plant
native to and grown only in Brazil, see Fig1).
Wax enables the mixture to be formed into the easily
recognized shape of the cosmetic. Oils such as mineral, caster,
lanolin, or vegetable are added to the wax. Fragrance and pigment
are also added, as are preservatives and antioxidants, which
prevent lipstick from becoming rancid. And while every lipstick
contains these components, a wide variety of other ingredients can
also be included to make the substance smoother or glossy or to
moisten the lips.
Just as there is no standard size and container shape to the
lipstick, there are no standard types of, or proportions for,
ingredients used. Beyond the base ingredients (wax, oil, and
antioxidants) supplemental material amounts vary greatly. The
ingredients themselves range from complex organic compounds to
entirely natural ingredients.

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Fall 2015
Fig1: Copernicia Prunifera
Fig2: Different lipstick products lines.

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Fall 2015
PROCESS LAYOUT OF LIPSTICK
Fig3: Lipstick batch process.
To make lipstick, the various raw ingredients are first melted
separately, and then the oils and solvents are ground together with
the desired color pigments.
In general, wax and oil make up about 60 percent of the lipstick
(by weight), with alcohol and pigment accounting for another 25
percent (by weight). Fragrance is always added to lipstick, but
counts for one percent or less of the mixture.

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Fall 2015
The manufacturing methods described here will just focus on
lipstick and lip balms.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Fig4: Lipstick batch process.
The manufacturing process is easier to understand if it is
viewed as three separate steps: melting and mixing the lipstick’s
components; pouring the mixture into the tube; and finally
packaging the product for sale.
Since the lipstick mass can be mixed and stored for later use,
mixing does not have to happen at the same time as pouring. Once
the lipstick is in the tube, packaging for retail sale is highly
variable, depending on how the product is to be marketed.

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Fall 2015
I. Melting and mixing
Fig5: Mixers used in the lipstick process.
First, the raw ingredients for the lipstick are melted and mixed
separately because of the different types of ingredients used. One
mixture contains the solvents, a second contains the oils, and a third
contains the fats and waxy materials. These are heated in
separate stainless steel or ceramic containers.
The solvent solution and liquid oils are then mixed with the color
pigments.

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Fall 2015
After the pigment mass is prepared, it is mixed with the hot wax.
The mixture is agitated to free it of any air bubbles.
Next, the mixture is poured into tubing molds, cooled, and separated
from the molds. After final touch-up and visual inspection, the lipstick is
ready for packaging.
Mixture passes through a roller mill, grinding the pigment to avoid a
"grainy" feel to the lipstick. This process introduces air into the oil and
pigment mixture, so mechanical working of the mixture is required. The
mixture is stirred for several hours; at this point some producers use
vacuum equipment to withdraw the air.
After the pigment mass is grounded and mixed, it is added to the
hot wax mass until a uniform and consistent color is obtained (however
some producers introduce the mixture in another grinding machine just
to homogenize the color of the blend).
The fluid lipstick can then be strained and molded, or it may be poured
into pans and stored for future molding.
If the fluid lipstick is to be used immediately, the melt is
maintained at a specific temperature, with agitation, so that trapped air
escapes. If the lipstick mass is stored, before it is used it must be
reheated, checked for color consistency, and adjusted to specifications,
then maintained at the melt temperature (with agitation) until it can be
poured.

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Fall 2015
As expected, lipsticks are always prepared in batches because of
the different color pigments that can be used. The size of the batch, and
the number of lipstick’s tube produced at one time, depend on the
popularity of the particular shade being produced. This will eventually
determine the manufacturing technique (automated or manual) that will
be used.
A variety of machine setups are used, depending on the equipment
that the manufacturer has, but high volume batches are generally run
through a “mixer-melter” that agitates the lipstick mass and maintains it
in its liquid phase. However for smaller quantities, batches run
manually, and the mass is maintained at the desired mix temperature in a
mixer with the operator’s proper control.
Lipstick may be produced in highly automated processes, rating
around 2,400 tubes an hour, but in essentially manual operations, around
150 tubes per hour. Thus the process’s steps basically differ only in the
volume produced.

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Fall 2015
II.Pouring
Fig6: Vacuum lipstick pouring machine
Once the lipstick mass is mixed and free of air, it is ready to be
poured into the tube.
The melted mass is dispensed into a mold, which consists of the
bottom portion of the metal or plastic tube and a shaping portion that fits
snugly with the tube. Lipstick is poured "up-side down" so that the
bottom of the tube is at the top of the mold. Any excess is scraped from
the mold.

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Fall 2015
The lipstick is cooled (automated molds are kept cold; manually
produced molds are transferred to a refrigeration unit) and separated
from the mold, and the bottom of the tube is sealed. The lipstick then
passes through a flaming cabinet (or is flamed by hand) to seal pinholes
and improve the finish. The lipstick is visually inspected for air holes,
mold separation lines, or blemishes, and is reworked if necessary.
For obvious reasons, rework of the lipstick must be limited,
demonstrating the importance of the early steps in removing air from the
lipstick mass. Lipstick is reworked by hand with a spatula.
This can be done in-line, or the tube can be removed from the
manufacturing process.
III. Labeling and packaging
Fig7: Different lipstick labels.
After the lipstick is retracted and the tube is capped, the lipstick is
ready for labeling and packaging. Labels identify each product line and

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Fall 2015
are applied as part of the automated operation. While there is a great
deal of emphasis on quality and appearance of the finished lipstick
product, less emphasis is placed on the appearance of lip balm:
Lip balms are always produced in an automated process (except for
experimental or test batches). The heated liquid is poured into the tube in
the retracted position; the tube is then capped by machine—a far less
laborious process.
The final step in the manufacturing process is the packaging of the
lipstick tube. There are a variety of packaging options available, ranging
from bulk packs to individual packs, or including packaging as a
component in a makeup kit or special promotional offering.
Lip balms are packaged in bulk; generally with minimum
protection to prevent shipping damage. Packaging for lipsticks varies,
depending on what will happen at the point of sale in the retail outlet.
Packaging may or may not be highly automated, and the package used
depends on the end use of the product rather than on the manufacturing
process.
Fig8: Different lip balms.

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Fall 2015
Byproducts
There is little or no waste in the production of lipstick. Product is
reused whenever possible, and since the ingredients are expensive they
are seldom thrown out, unless no other alternative presents itself. In the
normal manufacturing process there are no byproducts, and waste
portions of lipstick will be thrown out with the disposal of cleaning
materials.
Feasibility
Quality control procedures are strict, since the product must meet
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Lipstick is the only
cosmetic that may be ingested, that’s why strict controls on ingredients,
as well as the manufacturing processes, are imposed. Lipstick is mixed
and processed in a controlled and safe environment so it will be free of
contamination. Incoming material is tested to ensure that it meets
required specifications. Samples of every batch produced are saved and
stored at room temperature for the life of the product (and often beyond
that) to maintain a control on the batch.

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Fall 2015
Color control of lipstick is critical: one can always check the
range of colors available from any lipstick manufacturer to be aware of
this. The dispersion of the pigment is checked stringently when a new
batch is manufactured, and the color must be carefully controlled when
the lipstick mass is reheated. The color of the lipstick mass can change
over time, and each time a batch is reheated, the color may be
altered. Colorimetric equipments are used to provide a useful numerical
way to control the shades of the lipstick. These equipments give a
numerical reading of the shade, when mixed, so it can identically match
previous batches. Matching of reheated batches is done visually, so
when the lipstick mass is not immediately used careful time and
environment controls are imposed on it.
There are two special tests for lipstick: the Heat Test and
the Rupture Test.
- In the Heat Test, the lipstick is placed in the extended position in
a holder and left in a constant temperature oven of over 130
degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) for 24 hours. There should
be no drooping or distortion of the lipstick.
- In the Rupture Test, the lipstick is placed in two holders, in the
extended position. Weight is added to the holder on the lipstick
portion at 30-second intervals until the lipstick ruptures. The
pressure required to rupture the lipstick is then checked against the
manufacturer's standards. Since there are no industry standards for
these tests, each manufacturer sets its own parameters.

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Fall 2015
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LIPSTICK
Home Scale Lipstick Production:
We tried to recreate this process at home by using:
 Colored crayons instead of pigments.
 Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) instead of wax.
 Baby oil instead of industrial oil.
Fig9: Components used in lipstick home scale production.

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Fall 2015
Procedure:
Using a beaker we mixed one tea spoon of baby oil, one tea
spoon of petroleum jelly, one red crayon and a half of a purple
crayon; just to get the desired color.
We pre-heated a pan containing water which was brought to
boil; we introduced the beaker in the hot water in order to melt the
mixture. Using a glass stirrer we mixed the blend just to get a
consistent color.
When all the components were well mixed and melted; the
mixture was poured in an empty lipstick container which was
cooled in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
Fig10: The melted mixture. Fig11: Pouring the blend in the mold.

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Fall 2015
A significant thing to mention about our “mini-process” is that
all the components used are totally safe:
Baby oil and Vaseline are well known for their dermatological
uses; also the crayons used are non-toxic and tested by pediatric
authorities.
The results were as expected: we got our own lipstick
Fig12: Red Lipstick product.

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Fall 2015
Conclusion
Lipstick is the least expensive and most popular cosmetic in the
world today. In 1986 lipstick sales in the United States was more
than $720,000,000. There are no accurate figures for current sales
of lip balm, since the market is expanding. Manufacturers continue
to introduce new types and shades of lipstick, and there is a
tremendous variety of product available at moderate cost. As long
as cosmetics remain in fashion (and there is no indication that they
will not) the market for lipstick will continue to be strong.
markets in other countries as well as diversifying currently
identified markets.
Fig13: Diagram listing different lipstick components

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Fall 2015
References
 Brumber, Elaine. Save Your Money, Save Your Face. Facts on File
Publications, 1986.
 Donsky, Howard. Beauty Is Skin Deep. Rodale Press, 1985.
 Schoen, Linda Allen, Ed. The AMA Book of Skin and Hair Care. J.B.
Lippincott Company, 1976.
 Lucking, P. (n.d.). Lipstick. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Lipstick.html
For more information you can watch the lipstick process video
presented in bellow’s URL link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgA0OZLtvFU

Cosmetic Process: Lipstick Synthesis

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