I wonder if you have heard of the cold knowledge of adding fish scales to cosmetics:

is this statement true or false? It should be said that it is not entirely a rumor, but it is also somewhat misleading. To be exact, some cosmetics do use an extract from fish scales, but what is added is not the fish scales themselves. This ingredient is a classic pearlescent material.

the soft and shiny pearl luster is quite popular, and people have been trying to imitate this texture for hundreds of years. In the 17th century, it was discovered that an ingredient extracted from fish scales could produce a luster similar to pearls. it was first used to make artificial pearls, and then in the 1920s, the pearlescent agent began to enter the field of cosmetics. Lipstick, nail polish and other products are added to create a sense of gloss.

(an advertisement for nail polish using fish scales in the 1960s)

the true identity of this pearlescent agent in fish scales is some flake-like purine crystals (mainly guanine). Stacked flat transparent crystals can make light reflect and refract many times, which is the key to creating pearl light.

(purine crystal)

fish scale pearlescent material is a by-product of fishery, but it is not so easy to produce it. Less than 1% of the natural pearlescent material can be extracted from fish scales, and the cost is not low. In fact, there are many other pearlescent materials can be used, such as mica pearlescent agent is very common. Those shampoos and body washes with pearlescent luster are usually added to ethylene glycol stearate. However, according to the standards I have found, guanine can still be used in cosmetics

(pearlfish is watching you)

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