Process Analysis of Lipstick Manufacturing, Essay Example

The manufacturing process for producing lipstick is quite simple compared to the complex and demanding process that is necessary to brand adn sell lipstick to the public. The modern process of creating lipstick has it roots in the prehistoric past , “as early as 3500 BCE, when Queen Shub-ad of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur used a mixture of white lead and crushed red rocks to color her lips.” (“Lipstick”). Today’s cosmetics industry enjoys a varied and robust lipstick sub-industry that operates with minimal manufacturing overhead and minimal regulatory supervision.

Contemporary sales and use of lipstick is prevalent in modern America, so prevalent that  according to a recent report  in the  Manila Bulletin, “Studies suggest the average woman inadvertently consumes about 4 pounds of lipstick over the course of her life, licking her lips, eating fruit, sipping tea.” (“Kiss of Danger: US” NA).  The widespread demand for lipstick ensures that the manufacturing process will be as streamlined and productive as possible. The process of manufacturing lipstick begins with a fairly simple array of raw-materials.

The basic materials that are needed  to manufacture lipstick include “a mixture of waxes, such as beeswax or carnauba wax,” which is needed to create a firm base fro the lipstick. To make sure that the lipstick can be spread without clumping, ” Silicone, mineral or vegetable oils, or petroleum jelly” are added. Lanolin moisturizers are added to give the lipstick a fresh feeling on the lips and “preservatives and antioxidants [are added] to stop it [from] going rancid”  (“Lipstick”).   After this base is manufactured, pigment is added to give each lipstick a distinctive color. The process of manufacture is almost entirely based on machine-work. During the manufacturing process, each of the ingredients listed above is combined together and heated. Afterwards, the combined materials are poured into molds and allowed to cool before being   “flash-fired to give a rounded, smooth appearance.” (“Lipstick”).  The simplicity of the ingredients plus the highly-automate manufacturing process  contributes to the fact that lipstick remains the most profitable single element of the cosmetics industry. It is due to the relative sameness of all lipsticks that the concept stage of lipstick manufacturing is so important. In lipstick manufacturing, concept is based, not on ingredients or mixtures, but on market analysis and advertising. The manufacturing process for all lipsticks remains the same until the final stage of packaging and marketing.

When observing the manufacturing process up close, the first thing that becomes evident is that there are three main stages to the process of manufacturing lipstick. The first part of the process involves “melting and mixing;” the second step is “pouring and molding;” and the final step is cooling and packaging.  (Lucking). The stages in manufacturing are meant to leave as much room as possible for shifting specific lipstick types and colors to consumer demand. Similarly, the packaging stage is varied across a spectrum of brands and types, all geared toward marketing niches. That said, generalizations remain even in the packaging and marketing stages of manufacturing. The physical process of manufacturing the lipstick itself is the same despite the brand or type.

In the first stage, “melting and mixing,” the various ingredients are heated separately according to type. The ingredients, such as solvents, oils, and wax are placed in ‘separate stainless steel or ceramic containers” and heated.  After this stage, the solvents are mixed with the coloring pigments. The subsequent mixture is then passed  “through a roller mill, grinding the pigment to avoid a “grainy” feel to the lipstick” (Lucking).  After this step, the mixture is further combined through stirring, sometimes for a few hours.

The mixing process continues as the previously described solution is now combined with the hot wax. Various consistencies and textures are possible at this stage. It is also at this stage that the lipstick mixture is strained. It can then be molded right away, or it can be cooled and left to store for  use in the future. In cases where the fluid is meant to be immediately molded, heat is maintained on the mixture, and steps are taken, usually with vacuum  tubes, to remove all air form the mixture before it is poured into molds.  It is only after the lipstick has been thoroughly mixed and air removed, that it can be poured into molding tubes.

The “pouring and molding” stage comes next. In this stage, the hot lipstick fluid is poured into molds which are made of “the bottom portion of the metal or plastic tube and a shaping portion that fits snugly with the tube.” It is for this reason that “Lipstick is poured “up-side down” so that the bottom of the tube is at the top of the mold;”  after this process, excess fluid is scraped away and the lipstick is ready to move on to the final stage of manufacture: cooling and packaging. It is in these final stages of manufacture that the most diverse methods of manufacturing begin to enter into the process. Despite the fact that varied methods for cooling and packaging exist, these stages can still be more or less succinctly described. (Lucking).

In regard to the cooling of molded lipsticks, there are two separate processes that are used. In either case, the cooling stage also marks a simultaneous progress into the marketing stage as the packaging elements of the manufacturing process are introduced.  The first type of approach to cooling applies to automated molds and the second applies to manual molds: “automated molds are kept cold; manually produced molds are transferred to a refrigeration unit.” The next stage is to run the lipstick through “a flaming cabinet […]  to seal pinholes and improve the finish” (Lucking).  At this stage, it is possible that the lipstick will be inspected and found to be in need of reworking and retouching.

Because lipstick that is found to be in need of reworking must be “reworked by hand with a spatula” (Lucking) this stage marks a point at which the automated process is supplanted by manual labor. It is interesting to note how the automated process of the manufacture of lipstick allows for what could be called “front-end” similarity, while simultaneously allowing for “back-end” customization and hand-finishing. The labeling and packaging stages of the manufacturing process are, of course, largely automated. The sparse amount of hand-labor that is needed in the manufacturing process contributes to the cost-effectiveness of the industry and allows for more capital to be invested in packaging, marketing, and advertising.

Because the final stage of the manufacturing process involves packaging and labeling, it can be stated that the manufacturing process of lipstick comprises a circle where the final stage of packaging and labeling meets the initial stage of concept. The labeling and packaging of lipstick is the  point at which the original concept is tied to the finished product.  There is one other aspect of the manufacturing process that plays an important role and that is quality-control. Lipstick manufacturers enjoy a remarkable degree of freedom in there choice of ingredients and processes: “with the exception of colors and certain prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use essentially any raw material in a product and market it without prior FDA approval” (Foulke) which means that quality-control in lipstick manufacturing is largely a  matter of self-determination. Most lipstick manufacturers are adamant about presenting a product that has a sleek, professional and high-quality appearance. Therefore, the automated processes of manufacturing are augmented by quality-control methods that utilize manual labor. The combined efforts of manual and automated labor are necessary to produce lipstick that will enjoy mass sales in the American market.

Works Cited

Foulke, Judith E. “Cosmetic Ingredients; Understanding the Puffery.” FDA Consumer May 1992: 11+. Questia. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.

“Kiss of Danger: US FDA Tests Lipsticks, Finds Lead in All.” Manila Bulletin 27 May 2010: NA. Questia. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.

“Lipstick.” World Watch May-June Questia. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.

Lucking, Peter, S. “Lipstick” How Products are Made; www.enotes.com; retrieved 10-16-11; http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/lipstick