6 Ingredients in Everyday Cosmetics (that you don’t want to know about)

From time immemorial, mankind (mostly womankind) has not refrained from applying anything on their face to enhance their skin deep beauty and appeal. But have you ever stopped to think what’s in that perfume or that moisturizer or that shaving cream? Aren't you just a little bit curious? Besides, how bad can it be?  

#6

Lanolin aka grease from animal fur 

Lanolin: it sounds soft and comforting, like the kind of fluffy material you'd use to protect a grazed knee. But lanolin is, in reality, the kind of substance you'd normally like to keep several miles away from your mouth if possible. 

Why? Think back to the last time you went a few days without washing your hair, and try to remember the grease that built up. That sticky substance is sebum, which is made from the delightful recipe of wax and the remains of dead fat-producing cells. 

Now, imagine a sheep in all its woolen finery going through a similar experience, except rather than having a few bath-free days, we're probably heading towards a bath-free year, and its oil-soaked coat hasn't been cut in that entire time.  

This is lanolin, the greasy stuff secreted by wool-bearing mammals to help shed water from their coats, squeezed from their harvested wool and bucketed for many uses, including shoe polish, barnacle repellents and rust-proof coatings. Oh, and also you smear it on your face. In fact, if you've ever used lipstick, lanolin is the stuff that makes it greasy and sticky. Is it bad for you? We're not saying that. We're just saying it's gross. 

You Might Have it in Your...

Shaving cream, lotions, skin creams, shampoo, make-up removers, a bucket-load of lipsticks. 

#5

Squalene aka shark liver oil 

If you're a girl and, like most of our readers, have been alive for more than two years, there's a good chance you've had shark liver juice on multiple parts of your body. There are some important benefits of squalene that hold a huge appeal to the cosmetics industry: It's easily absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy residue; it combines well with other oils; and it is recognized as improving the appearance of skin. For this reason, it is the ideal ingredient for use in all sorts of products from lip balm to sunscreen. The most common use appears to be in facial moisturizer. 

(Writer ponders) It kind of puts Jaws in a new light, when you realize the sunbathers on the beach were smearing the guts of the shark's buddies all over their skin. 

You Might Have it in Your...

Moisturizers, sunscreen, eye make-up, lipstick and bath oils

#4

Ambergris aka whale vomit

Let's say you're a whale. And like every other whale in the ocean, you fancy eating some squid every now and again. So you do, even though you know full well that the tasty squid has a sharp beak that's going to cut your insides up. But it's OK, because your belly produces something called ambergris, a waxy oil that protects your insides from sharp beaks and whatnot.

Now let's imagine that your ambergris has been building up for a while now, and it's time to get rid of it. Now here's the fun part: Somewhere a human is going to pick up your oily stomach excrement and shout for joy, because guess what? That thing is worth as much as $20 per gram. People throughout history have used it as food flavoring, an aphrodisiac and incense, but these days you have it lurking in your bottles of perfume. 

You Might Have it in Your...

You know it by now, Fancy perfume. 

#3

Diatomaceous Earth aka dead algae 

Diatomaceous earth (which we shall hereby call it DE because it's a lot easier to type) is the fossilized remains of single-celled algae called diatoms. And what's so disgusting about that? Well, these are the same little blighters responsible for making your fish tank slimy. Over time, nature forced them together so tightly they formed a sedimentary rock known as diatomite. The dead algae rock is recognized primarily for its abrasive nature. 

Chances are if you've ever used an exfoliating body scrub, you've actually spent time rubbing dead fish tank algae all over yourself. Whilst DE is known to be damaging to some creatures, the grains are too small to do any cutting-based damage to humans, and are still rough enough to remove those pesky, dead skin cells that build up over time. 

You Might Have it in Your...

Acne treatments, facial cleanser, exfoliators

#2

Guanine aka Fish Scales

Guanine shows up on product labels as CI 75170, or to give the more beautiful label bestowed on it, natural pearl essence. Hey, that doesn't sound so bad. It comes from pearls, right?

Wrong. Natural pearl essence actually is a by-product of one of the smelliest industries we know. Put all thoughts of oysters out of your mind because natural pearl essence is actually made by processing the scraped-off scales of dead fish and suspending them in alcohol.

While having nothing to do with pearls, this derivative of guanine does have a similar iridescence to oyster jewels, so it is frequently used in the cosmetics industry to add a certain luster to their products.

So, if you've ever used a colored polish to brighten up the bitten stumps called nails found at the end of your fingers, the chances are you've spent time brushing dead fish scales over your hands, because natural pearl essence is a favored ingredient in a ton of nail polishes. 

You Might Have it in Your...

Shampoo, nail polish and other personal products

#1

Cholesterol

Yes, we are talking about that naturally occurring waxy substance responsible for clogging up your arteries. Which is why we're constantly told it's bad for us. No points to you for guessing, you or someone you love has smeared this on your face at some point.

You see, cholesterol is found in another important place: your skin. It is one of the components in the uppermost layer of your skin where it helps to retain moisture while protecting the lower layers from exposure to the elements. Thanks to its skin conditioning and emollient properties, cholesterol is an ideal ingredient for helping the skin retain moisture, which in turn helps to smooth out any wrinkles that have had the audacity to appear.

You Might Have it in Your...

Face creams, moisturizer.

So much for looking your best. It’s not just the beauty industry that is laughing at us, but so is divinity. We often under estimate what we already have. Nature has given us enough. Drink lots of water, sweat it out, eat food the way it is meant to be (without chemicals and pesticides) and balance your diet. These are oft-neglected, sure-shot ways of turning heads at parties or wherever you hang out.