The carmine in eyeshadow and lipstick comes from these insects

Cosmetic ingredients derived from insects

Eye shadows, blushers, lipsticks, and tinted lipsticks may contain an ingredient called "carmine." Carmine is a natural colorant. Although it is natural , it is not made from plants. It is a colorant made from an insect called the cochineal scale.

In food, it is used as an additive under the name "cochineal dye."

What are scale insects, the raw material for carmine?

Scale insects are native to Central and South America, and are currently mainly collected on prickly pear cactus farms in Peru and the Canary Islands.

Some people may wonder, "Why a cactus farm, even though they are insects?" In fact, scale insects are insects that spend their entire lives attached to the leaves of cacti, barely moving.

The largest exporter of carmine is Peru. Of the 3,000 tons consumed worldwide, 90% comes from Peru . Considering that it takes 70,000 scale insects to produce about 450g of carmine, that's a staggering number of insects.

How carmine is made from scale insects

Carmine, extracted from scale insects, has a long history as a dye and has been used for over several hundred years. It is highly valued for its excellent color development and the ability to produce vibrant reds and pinks.

However, as you can see in the photo below, carmine is gray in color, and when attached to the cactus it is covered in a protective white powder.

What on earth? So, can we make a red dye from this carmine?

First, the harvested cacti are stored in a warehouse. After that, the work begins with removing the scale insects from the cacti. They live inside the cactus, so they have to be pulled out.

The insects collected are then selected. Only female scale insects are used to make carmine, so only the females are selected. Then they are dried in the sun.

When they are thoroughly dried and then crushed, the bright red color that had accumulated inside the scale insects' bodies is revealed, a brighter red than you would imagine given their appearance when they were attached to the cactus.

Once crushed, it is mixed with acidic ethanol, mixed with solutions of other ingredients to produce specific colors, or mixed with water or other mobile materials to produce a variety of red pigments.

Why is carmine used in cosmetics?

As mentioned above, when carmine is crushed it turns a very vibrant red color, which is used in eye shadows, lipsticks, blushes, and more.

Recently, synthetic colorants have become more and more popular. Therefore, it is highly valued as a "natural colorant" that can be used to mix the red, purple, and pink colors that consumers want without using synthetic colorants. Because it is derived from natural sources, it is a great choice for " natural " or "natural" makeup brands.

Synthetic colorants: types of colorants in cosmetics and what you need to know

Carmine is derived from animals

Carmine, which is derived from insects, is of animal origin and therefore not vegan. If you are looking for a vegan option, avoid makeup products that contain carmine.

However, vegan cosmetics that do not use carmine may contain synthetic colorants. Do you prioritize good color development or do you prioritize natural or synthetic origin? It's best to choose according to your own values.

Are there any other natural colorants besides carmine?

Few other naturally derived colorants can achieve the pink and red hues that carmine does.

For example, iron oxide is a natural colorant that can be used to create a variety of colors, including warm colors, oranges, reds, browns, and blacks, but it seems difficult to reproduce the vibrant red and pink tones that can be created with carmine using only iron oxide.

So they add ingredients like mica to create red, pink, and purple hues, and while it's not as pigmented as carmine, it seems to be the best combination for natural beauty brands right now.

There are also other natural colorants, called fruit pigments.

These dyes are made from dark fruits and vegetables such as beets and purple sweet potatoes, and some can create deep red and purple colors that are perfect for makeup.

However, because they can only be used in water-based formulations, they cannot be used in makeup products that contain oils, such as lipsticks. In addition, fruit pigments cannot maintain their vibrant color for a long time because they oxidize and turn brown after being mixed into cosmetics.

So, carmine is a rare ingredient that, although natural, can create the vivid pink and red shades that are desired in cosmetics and maintain those colors stably.

Also used in food

Carmine is not only used in cosmetics, but also in many foods such as strawberry yogurt, jam, juice, alcohol, sweets, ham and sausages.

The label for food is "cochineal dye." Not only commercially available foods , but Starbucks' popular strawberry Frappuccino was also colored with carmine, which became a hot topic.

Allergy to carmine

Carmine is used in many different products. Is there a risk of allergic reactions ?

Although not common, it has been shown to have the potential to cause serious allergic reactions.

Most allergy symptoms are mild, such as mild itching and bloodshot eyes, but it is known that some allergies can develop into severe symptoms, such as severe swelling of the eyelids and throat, or anaphylactic shock.

A 2018 report stated that 22 cases were reported among Japanese women. All but three of these cases involved anaphylactic shock, and 13 cases involved symptoms caused by the use of cosmetics.

People who are prone to hives should be especially careful, as one study found that 22 out of 110 subjects had a possible skin allergy.

It can be difficult to find cosmetics that suit your skin and your values.
However, if you have some knowledge about ingredients, you may increase your chances of finding something good.

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