Chemistry Essay Example on Foundation Makeup

The use of makeup is one of the most common activities that modern women do to enhance their beauty and body odor. The use of cosmetics to enhance beauty was a common activity even before civilization. Most communities in the modern day have different forms of modifications made to the body of a woman to improve their beauty. In a world where people of different races interact daily without prejudice or discrimination, foundation is one of the most commonly used makeup components. Foundation is a makeup tool that helps enhance different skin colors and hide flaws that are in the skin of a person. This activity is common in various parts of the world helps people change their natural skin tones and enhance their beauty. The use of makeup can be dangerous if the content of the makeup is not regulated to meet the correct standards. In America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the production and marketing of makeup products to ensure that they cause no harm to the users. Knowledge of the chemical composition of these foundation makeup products can help one avoid the using dangerous products.

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Foundation makeup can be formulated in different forms to suit different users. Foundation makeup is either oil based, power based, alcohol based, mineral based, or silicone based. Despite these differences, most foundation products have similar components. In powder form, the major components include titanium dioxide, magnesium silicate, and mica. Titanium dioxide TiO2 provides a light effect on the skin. TiO2 not only brightens the skin but also acts as a sunscreen. Titanium dioxide can cause cancer if inhaled over an extended period (Science discovery, n.p). Uses of foundation makeup should avoid inhaling the powder to avoid the health complications it can cause. Magnesium silicate helps in enhancing the brightness of the Titanium dioxide. Magnesium silicate can only be used in small quantities to avoid the serious health complications it can cause. Continuous inhaling of powder form foundation can cause acute respiratory diseases among the users. Mica, a combination of silicates, helps enhance a glittering effect on the skin and brightens the skin tone. Mica should be used in subtle quantities to maintain the health of the users.

In tis aqueous state, foundation makeup has different chemicals that enable the enhancement of various skin tones. Powder form foundations can be turned into aqueous form by adding different reagents. Some of these reagents used to facilitate the liquefaction of the foundation makeup include Lecithin, Sulfosuccinate, and Ethoxylated Sorbitan Ester. Lecithin is a natural product that helps in stabilizing the foundation makeup. It is extracted from the egg yolk and helps in stabilizing the products. Sulfosuccinate is one of the liquid chemicals that helps in creating even skin tones in the products. This product causes irritation of the skin and eyes if used in large quantities. Users of foundation makeup should check the amounts of Sulfosuccinate in their products to avoid irritation on various body parts (Bradley 54). Ethoxylated Sorbitan Ester helps dissolve all the products in the foundation makeup. It is useful in promoting uniformity of the product. Bentonite is another product that helps the foundation stay longer on the skin surface. It is adhesive products that assist the makeup last longer on the skin of the users.

After the Aqueous phase, various products are added to the makeup products to help in the uniformity of the product and enable them to dry easily. In this stage, glycerin helps in enabling consistency in the drying of the makeup. Alternatively, one can use other PEGs in promoting uniformity of these products depending on their solubility (Toedt,45). These products prepare the foundation makeup for the final phase, which is the oil phase. This phase is the most important phase where different products help in enabling different pigments to suit different skin tones. Oleic acid is one of these products and is used in various concentration to enhance different pigments. Despite the fact that this product is extracted from natural sources, it can cause cancer if used in large quantities over a long period. Carnauba helps in thickening the products and making them easy to use. Ozokerite may be used in some products to harden them and make them easy to use. Tocopherol is another product added in the oil phase of the manufacture of these products (Butler,76). Its primary use is to prevent oxidation of the chemicals and maintain the quality of the foundation even in different conditions.

Foundation is one of the most used beauty products that helps make a woman beautiful. It improves the confidence of a woman as she can have the skin tone of her choice. It helps cover up laws on the skin that could affect the confidence of a woman. Despite the advantages of using these products in enhancing beauty, users face a big risk of acquiring different diseases if the quality of these products is compromised. It is important for users to know the chemical components of these products and their side effects on their bodies. This knowledge can be useful in helping the people establish the safety of various beauty products before buying them.

Works Cited

Bradley, D. A., and D. C. Creagh. Physical Techniques in the Study of Art, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: Vol. 1. San Diego: Elsevier Science [Imprint, 2006. Print.

Butler, H., and W. A. Poucher. Poucher's perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000. Print.

"Science discovery...: Chemicals in our Make up - Part 1: Foundation." N.p., Web. <http://www.sciencesosexy.com/2011/10/chemicals-in-our-make-up-part-1.html>.

Toedt, J., D. Koza, and K. V. Cleef-Toedt. Chemical composition of everyday products. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005. 45. Print.