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Since ancient times, humans have combined strange ingredients to create personal care products. Today, the ingredients are only slightly less bizarre. Here are nine weird items you may not have known about.
1. Sodium Chloride (Table Salt)
Good old table salt is a common ingredient in shampoo, facial cleanser, body wash, bubble bath, and anything else that foams. These products are made using specific combinations of surface-active agents (surfactants), which usually require salt to reach a usable viscosity. The next time you shudder with delight while working your hair into a lather, take a second to peek at the back of that shampoo bottle and see if your friend, table salt, is in the mix.
2. Oleoresin Capsicum (Pepper Spray)
If you’re a police officer, vigilante, or really serious about self-defense, you know Oleoresin Capsicum is the primary component of pepper spray. Specifically, it’s the pepper part. Why, pray tell, would there be pepper spray in your lipstick? Well, there probably wouldn’t be (barring the possibility of a horrible, horrible joke), but there might be some capsicum in any product that causes a warming sensation when applied topically (don’t think lube—external use only!) and in many over-the-counter pain and itch creams.
3. Diatomaceous Earth (A Component in Dynamite)
Also known as diatomite, this is one of the two components of dynamite (along with nitroglycerin). DE is a silica-based powder made of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a kind of spherical, hard-shelled algae. Because the particles are hollow, they are very porous; it is even utilized in cat litter and water filtration processes. In cosmetics, diatomaceous earth finds a home in natural toothpastes, deodorant, absorbent powders, cuticle cream, and in mild-exfoliation products due to its gentle abrasiveness.
4. Albumen (Egg Whites)
Egg whites are sticky and gooey, but they constrict very efficiently when dried, and are used in skin-firming products for just this reason. Processed for purity and spray-dried for industrial use, albumen doesn’t exactly resemble your breakfast. But the next time you take half an hour to use that peppermint hydrating peel-off mask, think about the eggs you left in that pan this morning.
5. Plastics
In addition to the obvious packaging role, plastic serves as a film-former in hair gel, hairspray, barrier products, and liquid bandages. Used as polyvinyl alcohol and various other forms, plastics are easily incorporated into many skin and hair care products. Plastic keeps your coif in that perfect Flock of Seagulls swoop, makes your waterproof mascara waterproof, and suspends those little beads in your eye gel. Speaking of beads, tiny polyethylene spheres are frequently used in exfoliating scrubs. The products are generally marketed as “extra gentle,” since they are perfectly round and do not damage the skin’s surface when used in moderation.
6. Simethicone (Gas Relief Drops)
To all mommies who have lain awake with a fussy baby, this ingredient is better known as gas relief drops (Mylicon is a popular brand.) For cosmetic and industrial purposes, the generic name ‘antifoam’ is usually applied. For the same reasons we ingest it, simethicone is used in cosmetics during the manufacturing process to reduce the surface tension of air or gas bubbles, causing them to collect and rise upward. In a baby, this is called ‘burping’ and the process is identical in cosmetic manufacturing, although it lacks the distinctive noise and cuteness.
7. Urea (Formerly Extracted From Urine)
As a cosmetic ingredient, urea is a functional skin-softener and humectant, which means it helps to collect and hold moisture in the skin. And thank goodness it isn’t extracted from horse urine anymore, because a form of urea (diazolidinyl urea, specifically) is widely used in all manner of cosmetics, household cleansers and hair products as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and preservative. (These days, urea is made using the Wöhler synthesis.)
8. Propylene Glycol (Not Antifreeze)
Commonly mistaken for its lethal and less human-contact friendly cousin, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), propylene glycol gets a bad rap. Used to moisturize the skin and hair, as a primary ingredient in “self-warming” products (this time, think lube), and to extract herbal ingredients for greater stability and efficacy than water, propylene glycol is a multi-tasker in the cosmetic quiver of tricks. While it is not toxic or harmful, propylene glycol just so happens to share a few of its unsavory relative’s anti-freezing effects; it is commonly used on the wings of aircraft to prevent the accumulation of ice crystals and excess moisture, which can cause drag and erratic flap control.
9. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Or, As My Granny Called It, Shortnin’)
This is the exact thing that you buy in the giant metal can, and that comes in a 20-pound brick for the food service industry. Topically, hydrogenated vegetable oil is an amazing skin-softener, emollient, and barrier ingredient. You can find it in most heavy body and foot creams, lip balms, and in some suntan products. Although the trans fat content is a legitimate reason to avoid eating it, it actually improves the cosmetic performance of the ingredient—many substitutions for petrolatum contain a hefty proportion of hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Although some of these ingredients seem out of place, the truth is that they’re pretty tame compared to the bugs and such in our ancestors’ makeup. (More on that next time.) So, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve noticed in one of your products?
Comments (41)
Comment
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great article! can’t wait to read about the crazy stuff people used to put on their faces.
posted by morgan on 6-18-2008 at 12:47 am
WOW…I mean I knew some of this…but #7 is quit disturbing!
posted by Artemis!! on 6-18-2008 at 12:48 am
Thanks for this article! I’m allergic to propylene glycol. As a result, I have to scan the ingredients for it in every product I buy. I’ve seen it in everything, from soap, to mouthwash/toothpaste, to topical and internal prescription medicines, to cake mix!
posted by jj on 6-18-2008 at 6:10 am
Love the article! Dont forget the bat poop in your mascara! Crazy the crap we slap on our faces!
posted by Meadow on 6-18-2008 at 7:42 am
if the egg white is that yucky, think about the yolk. My lips are screaming for nothing more than some frsh bat poop. Great article!
posted by superfly on 6-18-2008 at 7:59 am
There is also an ingredient in Anti-Dandruff shampoo that is useful in stopping alien invasions.
posted by Witty Nickname on 6-18-2008 at 8:02 am
@ jj: Yes, propylene glycol is everywhere. How did you figure out that you were allergic to it?
@ Witty Nickname: I knew that if you commented me, I had made it big. Thanks! :)
reCAPTCHA: Rockaway Celia. Sounds like a fun gal!
posted by adrienne on 6-18-2008 at 9:03 am
Wow! Who knew, right????????
posted by Lisa on 6-18-2008 at 9:23 am
nothinhg turns me on more than a fresh application of fish scales to to my wifes lips via her lipstick.
posted by Brian on 6-18-2008 at 9:33 am
How exactly are some of the most common ingredients in the world “weird?” What less wierd ingredients did everyone expect cosmetics to be made from?
posted by Florida on 6-18-2008 at 10:56 am
Diatomaceous Earth is also used in gardening to kill slugs and grubs–it appraently lascerates the little buggers, but is totally safe for plants and (larger) animals.
posted by frumpiefox on 6-18-2008 at 11:22 am
All this is very intersting. Good article, alot of good information.
Thanks
posted by Kristy on 6-18-2008 at 12:24 pm
Very interesting,…your Granny would be proud..can’t wait for the rest of the story.
posted by JT on 6-18-2008 at 12:31 pm
thanks for sharing with us the icky things that we are contaminating our faces/bodies with fun fun fun! Hope you have a great week
posted by Valerie on 6-18-2008 at 12:50 pm
because of THIS article, i have decided to start wearing makeup. i want bat poop on MY eyelashes, and i want fish scales on MY lips….
posted by simplifire on 6-18-2008 at 1:40 pm
because of THIS article, i have decided to start wearing makeup. i want to have bat poop on MY face too….i want fish scales on MY lips too! …..as if that weren’t enough of a reward, i’ll get to carry around one of those bulky purse things.
posted by simplifire on 6-18-2008 at 2:10 pm
Some lotion/hand cream also contain animal placenta extracts.
mmmm
posted by dee on 6-18-2008 at 2:37 pm
Urea is a very common ingredient in quite a few prescription topical creams, etc, used for many skin conditions.
posted by cmk on 6-18-2008 at 2:51 pm
Adrienne: dermatologist did a patch test after I got a rash, and topical treatments weren’t helping. Turned out that I’d been using several products that I was allergic to, including the medicine the doc had given me to treat the rash O_o
posted by jj on 6-18-2008 at 3:59 pm
this is a great article. this place really is where smart people get their fix….
posted by tlh on 6-18-2008 at 8:16 pm
I don’t know if this is true anymore, but a friend who managed a McDonalds for a while told me they sold the leftover fat and oil stuff to lancolm to make their super moist makeup for older skin.
posted by ak on 6-18-2008 at 8:44 pm
@ ak: I think it’s safe to assume (at least I hope) that that isn’t true. Cosmetic products have to pass extensive quality assurance tests before the company unleashes them on the world… so used Mickey D’s oil probably won’t make the cut. Props to your friend, though, for creativity ;)
posted by adrienne on 6-18-2008 at 9:38 pm
You are a wealth of knowledge! Thank you so much for all the great information.
posted by valerie on 6-18-2008 at 9:58 pm
wow … i didnt know
posted by sigtaumeb on 6-19-2008 at 2:25 am
As if I wasn’t scared enough to wear makeup for fear of looking like a “lady of the night” now i have to awesome fear of what goes on it!!! lol love the article!! You make me proud!!!
posted by Eda on 6-20-2008 at 7:36 pm
It would be difficult to find a skin care products with standardized plant extracts that does not include propylene glycol. It is definitely required to dissolve most ingredients. When I make my own skin care products I try to use smaller amounts, just for it’s solvent proprieties, I also substitute it with ethanol, which may be drying for some, but could be less irritable.
posted by diyer on 6-26-2008 at 3:15 pm
I’m not claiming 100% truth on this one, but it seems like I read it somewhere authoritative at the time: Seems most lipsticks contain some amount of cow brains as well. Ick!
Poor Moo Cows :(
posted by Stacy on 11-13-2008 at 12:37 am
Don’t they use fishscales in lipstack? And pig vomit in perfumes? I wonder how they collect that? Nevermind, I don’t wanna know.
posted by Sara on 11-13-2008 at 12:33 pm
I meant lipstick.
posted by Sara on 11-13-2008 at 12:35 pm
The.McDonalds.thing.is.true.I.met.someone.last.night.who.once.met.someone.who.used.to.pick.up.used.mcdonalds.fat.for.a.makeup.company(she.wouldn’t.name.the.makeup.company).Gross
posted by Jessica on 11-25-2008 at 3:46 pm
When I was small (late 50’s early 60’s) I would eat my mom’s lipstick if I got ahold of it. To deter me of this, my older brothers told me that lipstick had “beetle juice” in it. I found out a few years ago that it was true…there’s a red dye used in many products including drinks called cochineal and it’s extracted from a bug.
Ugh!
posted by Kim on 12-3-2008 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for the article; it is scary how trusting we can be as consumers! Cosmetic companies pay top dollar for the uppermost layer of “stuff” from rendering plants. Rendering plants are where dead and diseased animals, rancid meat, and oils from restaurants are “recycled” if you will…eww! So, unless your bottle specifies that it contains no animal products, it likely does. And paying high dollar does not automatically prevent that. True story–a woman I know has an extreme sensitivity to certain cosmetics which she found out when she worked in a fast food restaurant in high school. While working there, she broke out in horrible rashes and had sores when using a particular brand of cosmetics. Turned out that particular company was a major consumer of rendering plant materials. Since she was exposed to it so much, her body developed a hypersensitivity to it.
posted by flourish on 12-29-2008 at 12:17 am
Ever heard of Bag Balm? It’s commonly used by ranchers, farmers, etc. for chapped cow udders, and it contains urea. But it works amazingly well on chapped hands and lips too, obviously. I swear by the stuff… and I’m not dead yet!
posted by Cassie on 1-2-2009 at 5:29 pm
1. Don’t buy *any* exfoliation product that used the little tiny plastic beads. They wash right down the drain, they’re a bugger to filter out, and they’re a notable contributor to oceanic pollution and extremely harmful to sea life. Actually, minimizing plastic use overall is a good idea. Personally, I’ve started using biodegradable/compostable (made from corn) trash bags, doggie waste bags, straws, etc. from ecoproducts.com, on the premise that every little bit helps. It’s amazing how much plastic crap you accumulate (and throw away) when you really start looking at it.
2. Pig vomit in perfume? Sounds apocryphal. Perhaps you’re thinking of ambergris, which is a, uhhh, digestive product of whales. Civet ranks (hur hur) equally high on the List Of Grody Things Used in Perfume. Anyway, sounds like a question for Cecil Adams.
posted by collier on 1-22-2009 at 4:11 am
The truth is that the American make up industry is not regulated at all…does not have to pass FDA standards or anything…they could put lead in everything, and it would still make it to the shelf for sale.
posted by K on 2-12-2009 at 5:22 pm
Does anyone know what is in Cetaphil? Ceta is derived (I think) from the word cetacian which is the family name for whales. Does Cetaphil come from whale products?
posted by hopefulever on 2-19-2009 at 10:40 am
@Cassie- Bag Balm is the only thing that works. Period.
posted by twodollars on 3-3-2009 at 7:41 am
I prefer Udderly Smooth to Bag Balm, but they’re both good, and both include a lot of lanolin, another weird ingredient found in a lot of skincare products. Lanolin is a byproduct of the wool industry. From wikipedia, it’s “a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals” and it works great. Reputedly discovered when somebody noticed that the ladies in the carding shop, in addition to having an unusually high rate of anthrax infection (aka “woolsorter’s disease”), had very nice hands from handling all that dirty wool.
Another weird chemical to list would be the various forms of EDTA. It’s a chelating agent, medically used to treat lead poisoning (and potentially very dangerous to administer), but in soaps it’s useful by stripping out the calcium and other crap that you get in heavy water, making the soap work better. (And it isn’t absorbed by the body, so it’s totally safe, even if you eat the soap. When EDTA is used medically, it has to be injected or it doesn’t even get in.)
posted by Calli Arcale on 5-8-2009 at 4:01 pm
Umm…Floss you are wrong for once. Under #8, you claim Propylene Glycol is not toxic or harmful. PG is labeled as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA; however, it was did not go thru rigorous testing because it is so old. However, approximately 5% of the population (including myself) has a serious allergy to this substance and has even caused death in a few instances. And it is hidden in so many products that it is difficult to avoid. So no it is not harmless by a long shot. Ms. Crezo you need to do your homework better.
posted by Lulu on 6-12-2009 at 8:37 pm
My father, a farmer, used to grow red chili peppers for cosmetic companies. The red color of your lipstick? Yes, likely red hot!
posted by Becks on 7-9-2009 at 7:20 pm
I bought a little tube of this face cream because it had a five start rating. My animals even turn their nose up at it and walk away without getting petted. It has everything wrong for your face so I use it on my hands. First ingredient Mineral Oil, Beeswax, Lanolin, Fragrance (unless natural) is bad for skin, and 2 parabens. All these are bad for your face and my animals don’t like it on my hands and they lick their butts. Go figure.
posted by Mary Kelly on 7-21-2009 at 7:29 am