Beauty Hacker Of The Week: Svetlana Grebenkova - What Do Makeup Pigments Hide In Themselves?

Creative director of PROmakeup Laboratory Svetlana Grebenkova told why it is important to buy pigments only from trusted brands.

Svetlana Grebenkova

Creative director of PROmakeup Laboratory, star makeup artist

Today, pigments have become very popular in professional makeup - concentrated dry paints for eyes, lips and cheeks. They are bright, pigmented and persistent - for this they are so loved by makeup artists. Many now work mainly only for them - they "draw" smokey from eight colors at once, use pigments instead of blush, bronzers and highlighters.

The brands that offer dry pigments have also increased significantly - from large cosmetic brands to small stores on Instagram. Not so long ago, one well-known Russian makeup artist said that not all such brands have documents confirming the safety of pigments. It turned out that many cheap pigments are not cosmetic, but technical. For example, cars are dyed with technical pigments, and they are not suitable for leather.

Recently, I have often begun to raise this issue. What is cosmetic pigment? Is it really different from the technical one? Why can't we buy a pigment for 200 rubles and apply it to the eyes? I went to a factory in Korea to the largest pigment manufacturer.

In the laboratory where I was invited, people walked in white spacesuits and plastic masks. I was very surprised and asked: "Is this a chemical laboratory for the creation of nuclear weapons?" To which they answered: "No, we are just making a cosmetic pigment." Then I asked to tell me what a cosmetic pigment is and how it actually differs from a technical one.

The basis for the creation of any pigment is the principle of the appearance of a pearl - when a grain of sand enters the pearl shell and becomes overgrown with layers of calcium carbonate. Light penetrates through each layer and is reflected back, so the more layers, the more beautiful the shade turns out. And the larger the pearl and the longer it has lain, the more expensive it will cost. It's the same with pigments. A particle of a mineral is placed in the water - and they also begin to build up layers for shine.

There are two important rules to follow to create a cosmetic pigment. First, the mineral must be tested for heavy metals. Scientifically proven fact: heavy metals can accumulate in the body and lead to cancer. The second rule is that cosmetic pigment must be grown in purified (distilled) water, without impurities and microbiology.

This is expensive, especially in China, where water itself is very expensive. If you create a technical pigment, everything is much easier, but it really cannot be applied to the face.

I asked at a factory in Korea why they wear these space suits. They said that their pigment production goes through three stages of control. At the first, the initial data are checked: minerals - for the content of heavy metals, water - for microbiology. The second stage occurs during the creation of the pigment: the laboratory must be sterile so that nothing gets into the water. And third, when the pigment is ready, it is sent for toxicological studies. At each of the three stages of quality, the manufacturing company must obtain a document.

Many make-up artists do not think about it and tend to buy pigments "cheaper". But no one even imagines what the difference is in the cost of a cosmetic pigment and any other. Today I am sure that such funds need to be bought only from trusted large companies that can provide all the security documents. In other cases, there is a risk of serious harm to health.

Beauty hacker of the week: Svetlana Grebenkova on the biggest beauty delusions

Interview and text: Olga Kulygina