Scientists develop cranberry-infused lipstick to ward off viruses like Covid, the flu and Ebola

Your bold cherry red lipstick might not only turn heads across the bar, but it could also ward off pesky germs.

A Spanish research team has developed a blueberry-infused lipstick that can ward off viruses and even help protect wearers from the flu, covid, and even ebola.

It takes advantage of compounds in the fruit called polyphenols, which can deactivate viruses by altering the proteins in their membranes.

With experts fearing that covid will continue to circulate among the population for years, along with regular annual ailments like the flu, scientists hope lipstick could be a fashion-friendly replacement for an indoor mask.

Scientists in Valencia have developed a blueberry-infused lipstick that can help ward off viruses like the flu, Ebola, herpes, hepatitis A and polio.

Previous research on cranberry extract is sparse, but studies show that it has antimicrobial properties, prompting researchers to investigate it further.

In 2020, researchers from Madrid discovered that the cranberry had a antibacterial effect against pathogens that can cause gum infections.

Another study by Australian researchers in 2012 found cranberry juice protected against Staphylococcus aureus — a germ that about 30 percent of people carry in their noses that can cause infections.

Additional research by Canadian scientists found that cranberry juice inactivated two other viruses.

The healing properties of blueberries are due to the fruit’s polyphenols that interact with the virus membranes and alter their glycoproteins, completely deactivating them.

The berry has also been shown to be very powerful in combating E. coli and Candida albicans.

Researchers at the Universidad Católica San Vicente Mártir in Valencia mixed cranberry extract into a lipstick cream base of shea butter, vitamin E, provitamin B5, babassu oil and avocado oil to create a colored lipstick tint. intense red.

They tested their mixture by adding it to petri dishes containing different viruses, bacteria, and an infection-causing fungus called Candida albicans.

The researchers tested the lipstick mixture on two dummy viruses, one representing covid, flu, ebola and herpes and one representing hepatitis A, polio and norovirus.

Enveloped viruses have a membrane, while non-enveloped viruses do not.

Less than a minute after the lipstick came in contact with both variations of the virus, it blocked them, a much shorter time than any previously published study on antimicrobial lipstick, the researchers noted.

Within five hours of application, multi-resistant bacteria (mycobacteria) and fungi were significantly weakened.

The team of researchers hope that their work will help existing research to limit the spread of germs and disease, and will lead to the production of natural antimicrobial cosmetics.

The findings were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

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