Putting your lippie back on after lunch? You might be getting a bit more lunch than you paid for today. It is quite possible that the red dye in your lipstick is made from the abdomen of a crushed female cochineal beetle (Dactylopius coccus) in Peru.
Not that there is anything wrong with eating bugs. Not so long ago, insects were lauded as the future of food for a bulging, over populated, heating planet. And like many other surprising natural additives, they are natural, but if you are a vegan, be aware that you may inadvertently be consuming insects.
Technically a 'natural dye', cochineal can be found in many red things we consume, including lipstick (listed on the label as carmine, Natural Red No. 4, cochineal extract).
If you think eating insects is creepy, after you read this list, you'll probably be hoping for beetle abdomen as the alternatives aren't exactly attractive. Red food colourings are generally problematic with most of them, with the exception of E160(a) having some kind of side affect (ranging from dubious to potentially dangerous) - whether plant, petroleum or insect derived.
Do your research when you buy cosmetics. Your skin absorbs whatever you put on it and your lipstick ends up in your stomach along with everything else that passes your mouth. Red colouring is just one of the many icky and dangerous food additives, but here is a list of 13 that we found.
Information Source: MBM Food Additives Guide Image: Unsplash | The Honest Company | Azamat Zhanisov