According to historians, people in ancient Egypt were the first to use makeup, applying a paste made from minerals and other substances in their environment. Formulations have evolved over the centuries, but now researchers have come full circle, looking again to natural ingredients.
Recent studies have reported that lipstick formulas that incorporate natural dyes such as red dragon fruit can result in products with vibrant color and antimicrobial activity.
First and foremost, cranberry extract has been shown to inactivate viruses, bacteria and fungi. Therefore, researchers wanted to use cranberry extract to create a deep red lip tint with antimicrobial properties.
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The research team added cranberry extract to a lipstick cream base, which contained shea butter, vitamin E, provitamin B5, babassu oil and avocado oil.
In experiments, red-colored creme was added to cultures containing various viruses, bacteria, and a fungal species. Both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses were completely inactivated within one minute of exposure to cream containing cranberry. And multidrug-resistant bacteria, mycobacteria and fungus were largely inactivated within five hours of applying the cream.
The researchers suggest that their novel lipstick formula may offer protection against a variety of disease-causing microorganisms.
Source: Eurekalert
