Manufacturers convince us to use their shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and skincare products by constantly telling us they will improve the health and condition of our skin and hair. The make-up market, on the other hand, is driven by fashion and by the desire of people to make themselves more attractive by highlighting their good features and disguising the blemishes. Make-up will be used without encouragement from the manufacturers who will simply focus their energies on convincing you that their red lipstick is better than another brand because it is hypoallergenic, non-smudging, contains 65% moisturisers, is long-lasting or easy to clean off. A visit to a make-up factory is usually enough to put most people off from wearing make-up for as long as the memory persists of the large foul-smelling vats of greasy, molten gunge, or of the giant slabs of the pungent, brightly coloured, congealed, waxy lard. This chapter looks at what exactly this stuff is made of and looks at the ingredients in a range of commonly used make-ups such as mascara, eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss and foundations.

© Gina & Steve Antczak, 2001

This page was last updated, January 2001

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