Researchers have come up with a novel lipstick formula consisting of cranberry extract that can inactivate disease-causing viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Wearing a lipstick not just completes your look and brightens your smile, but it also provides hydration and keep lips from chapping. How about a lipstick that can also protect against disease-causing viruses, bacteria and fungi? It may be available in the market soon.
Researchers have developed a lipstick with antimicrobial properties by adding cranberry extract to the formulation. The new deep red, cranberry-tinted lipstick can quickly inactivate viruses, bacteria and a fungus, the researchers reported in American Chemical Society (ACS) Applied Materials & Interfaces.
It is advised to avoid sharing lipsticks with others as it can spread infections. This problem may not arise with this new antimicrobial lipstick.
Beauty products with natural ingredients gaining popularity
As preference for natural products increases among consumers, researchers and cosmetic manufacturers are also turning to natural ingredients in creating lipstick formulations. Earlier natural colorants, such as red dragon fruit, have been incorporated in lipstick formulas and such products have been shown to possess antimicrobial activity as well. Previous studies have also reported that cranberry extract can inactivate viruses, bacteria and fungi.
In the new study, researchers ngel Serrano-Aroca and colleagues added cranberry extract into a lipstick cream base that had shea butter, vitamin E, provitamin B5, babassu oil and avocado oil. To test the antimicrobial properties of the cranberry-tinted lipstick, the reddened cream was added to cultures containing different viruses, bacteria and one fungal species.
Now we have lipsticks with antimicrobial properties
The cranberry-containing deep red cream completely inactivated both enveloped and non-enveloped virus types within a minute of coming in contact with it. However, it took about five hours for the cream to substantially inactivate the multidrug-resistant bacteria, mycobacteria and fungus.
Based on their findings, the research team suggested that their novel lipstick formula could be used to protect against a variety of disease-causing microorganisms.
Health benefits of cranberries
There are many proven health benefits of consuming cranberries or cranberry juice. For example, cranberry juice is known to be very effective in the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs). This benefit is mainly credited to proanthocyanidins in cranberries. These compounds have natural antibacterial properties that may offer protection against bacteria E coli, which is responsible for most cases of urinary tract infections.
Growing evidence also suggests that regular consumption of cranberry juice or its extract can benefit heart health and help improve cholesterol balance and control blood pressure, which are key risk factors for heart disease.
Studies have also linked consumption of cranberries products to reduced risk of gastric ulcers and stomach cancer caused by H pylori bacterium.
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