Tall chanteuse Taylor Swift owes the colour of her choice of lipstick to extracts from Coccus cacti and her pout to capsaicin obtained from Capsicum fruit.
Needless to say, the cosmetics industry is not keen to tell what these are obtained from. Coccus cacti is a bug and
Capsicum peppers are the source of hot chili fruit.
The Homopteran bugs, or scale insects
C. cacti, as their name implies are found on the Mexican cactus
Nopelea cochinellifera. A close relative of prickly pear Opuntia, it is cultivated in ‘nopalries.’ Cottony white fluffy patches appear on the joints: the female insects. These are brushed off, crushed and then steamed to release the scarlet dye cochineal.
Concern over chemical-derived colourings has resulted in renewed interest in this ‘natural’ source, known since the time of the Aztecs. It has also been used by the food industry, not always with vegan approval, as Starbucks discovered a couple of years back.
Capsaicin, the pungent principle of the
Capsicum frutescens pods, a crystalline substance, is concentrated in the thin tissues in the interior of the pod. Used in lipstick, it acts as an irritant to produce the desired ‘trout pout.’ It also adds the zing to ginger ale and ginger beer. The Nigerian ginger biscuits known as ‘coolie-coolie’ also utilize capsaicin, as do proprietary anti-dog and bear preparations. Gardeners use natural products containing it to discourage squirrels, raccoon and in the southwest U.S., armadillos. It is also the base of many ‘natural’ insect sprays.
These are far from all horticulture contributes to the health, wealth and happiness of cosmeticians. Castor oil contributes to the glossiness of lipsticks and helps them glide smoothly over the lips. It is extracted by hot pressing the seeds, or ‘beans’ of
Ricinus communis. Cold-pressed oil is highly poisonous. Even more so is another substance, much favoured by Bulgarian assassins during the Soviet era and more recently by disenchanted Americans seeking to eliminate their president. Castor oil is also an efficient lubricant. First World War aeroplane pilots, forced to breathe the fumes from the lubricated engines reportedly never suffered from constipation, the oil also being a well-known laxative.
Then there are the waxes. That exuded by Carnauba Palm,
Copermicia cerifera, from Brazil has the highest known melting point of any wax at 87ºC. So if Taylor Swift leaves her lipstick out in the sun it is less likely to melt. Apart from cosmetics such as lipsticks, mascara, eye shadow, carnauba wax is valued for such diverse uses as car waxes, shoe, floor and furniture polishes, and for waxing surfboards.
Another natural alternative includes Candelilla wax from the leaves and stems of the Mexican shrubs
Euphorbia cerifera and E. antisysphilitica. This also has a high melting point – up to 72ºC. It is obtained by boiling the foliage in dilute sulphuric acid the further processing it. Much is used by the food industry, particularly has a binder for chewing gums.
Ms Swift’s choice of lipstick, however, has apparently not done much for her love life. In fact, if we are to judge by the theme of many of her self-composed songs, it has been a downright failure.
