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Using Raman Spectroscopy to Discriminate Lipsticks
Lipstick stains are sometimes encountered as physical evidence at crime scenes or from the clothing of a suspect. Conventional methods of analysis of lipsticks include visual comparisons, thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These techniques are either subjective, destructive or a combination of both.
Constituents of lipstick include a mixture of castor oil, beeswax, carnauba wax and lanolin (typically making up 95% of the lipstick). The remainder consists of soluble and insoluble dyes, pigments and perfumes[1].
Here we present a brief study applying Raman spectroscopy to the discrimination of lipsticks.