Scientists are developing lipstick that can protect against viruses such as Covid-19 and Ebola.

A Spanish research team has developed a cranberry-infused lipstick that can protect against viruses and even helps protect those who wear it from the flu, Covid-19 and even Ebola.

This lipstick uses compounds from the fruit called polyphenols, which can inactivate viruses by altering proteins in their membranes.

In light of experts’ fears that “Covid-19” will circulate among the population for years on end, along with regular annual illnesses like the flu, scientists are hoping lipstick will be a suitable alternative to a face mask.

While previous research on cranberry extract is scarce, studies have shown it to have antimicrobial properties, prompting scientists to continue studying it.

And in 2020, researchers in Madrid found that cranberries have antibacterial effects against pathogens that can cause gum infections.

Another study by Australian researchers in 2012 found that cranberry juice protected against Staphylococcus aureus, a germ that nearly 30% of people carry in their noses and can cause infections.

Another study by Canadian scientists showed that cranberry juice stopped the activity of two other viruses.

The medicinal properties of cranberries are due to the polyphenols present in this fruit, which interact with the envelopes of viruses and change their glycoproteins, which leads to their complete inactivation.

Berries have also been shown to be very effective against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans.

Researchers at the Catholic University of Saint Vincent Martyr in Valencia blended cranberry extract with shea butter, vitamin E, pro-vitamin B5 (an alcoholic analogue of pantothenic acid), babassu oil and avocado oil in a lipstick base cream to create a deep lipstick color.

They experimented with their mixture, adding it to Petri dishes containing various viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause infections called Candida albicans.

The researchers tested the lipstick mixture on two types of imaginary viruses, one representing “Covid-19”, influenza, Ebola and herpes, and the other representing hepatitis A, polio and norovirus.

The researchers noted that in less than a minute of lipstick contact, both types of viruses were averted, much shorter than any other previously published antimicrobial lipstick study.

Within five hours of application, multi-resistant bacteria – mycobacteria – and fungi were significantly attenuated.

The team hopes that their work will help existing research to reduce the spread of germs and disease, as well as promote the production of natural antimicrobial cosmetics.

The results are published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Source: Daily Mail