Rumour has it that the secret in the shimmer of, not just our favourite lipstick but makeup as well, comes from none other than fish scales.
Smells a little fishy, but is it true? Pucker up and let’s dive into the world of cosmetics where glitz meets... gills?
Verdict:
TRUE
Guanine crystals. This ingredient gives a shimmery pearlescent glow to cosmetic products such as lipstick, eye shadow, foundation, lotion and nail polish.
But here is where cosmetics dive into the deep end - these guanine crystals are extracted from crushed fish scales, primarily sourced from herring.
Sometimes, they are even painted onto fake pearls to cast an iridescent pearl look.
So wait, are we applying fish scales on our faces?
While this has most likely always been the case, most cosmetics now contain a synthetic version of pearl essence.
However, if you’re feeling a little icky using products with pearlescence, don’t throw your makeup bag out just yet. Check the ingredients list for guanine first instead.
References:
https://www.huffpost.com/
https://www.amoils.com/pages/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
