Hourglass Launched Carmine-Free Vegan Lipstick

The beauty industry has many ugly secrets - one of them is the common use of carmine. 

Carmine in an animal-derived red colorant widely used in production of cosmetics. Carmine is often used in hair products like shampoos and dyes and make-up products, such as eyeshades and lipsticks. 

It is made from a female insect called cochineal. Over 70,000 insects are killed and crushed for just one pound of carmine(!).

Beauty brands use it as a dye in their products. On the ingredients list, the dye is often referred to as Natural Red 4. 

Last week, beauty brand Hourglass introduced an entirely vegan insect-free red lipstick formulated with an innovative dye called Red 0 - a patent-pending cruelty-free replacement for carmine.

Hourglass’ new Confession Refillable Lipstick Red 0 symbolises ‘Hourglass’ ongoing commitment to animal welfare’.

The company developed a carmine alternative in partnership with consumer goods giant Unilever. R&D teams worked for three years, taking 175 colour experiments, 26 pigment combinations, and 19 formulations to create a saturated, red hue with animal-free pigments and with the “right vibrancy and depth — that doesn’t sacrifice performance”.

The brand wrote on Instagram: “It can take up to 1,000 crushed female insects to create the red hue in a typical tube of lipstick.​

“Red 0 symbolises our ongoing commitment to animal welfare: zero animal byproducts, zero insects harmed. “

The brand wrote on Instagram: “It can take up to 1,000 crushed female insects to create the red hue in a typical tube of lipstick.​

“Red 0 symbolizes our ongoing commitment to animal welfare: zero animal byproducts, zero insects harmed. “

Hourglass vegan ingredient Red 0 offers a saturated, true red hue with animal-friendly pigments that do not compromise performance. The product delivers a creamy, saturated, long-wearing colour with a satin finish that won’t smudge or feather.

The lipstick is cruelty-free and does not contain any harmful chemicals such as ad alcohol, parabens, phthalates, nanoparticles, mineral oil, sulfate and talc.
Confession Refillable Lipstick Red 0 is available in an exclusive red applicator adorned with a beetle. Red 0 symbolises Hourglass’ ongoing commitment to animal welfare: zero animal byproducts, zero insects harmed.