TikTokers are using eyeshadow to create unique lip gloss colors, but a cosmetic chemist says the hack could be dangerous

• A cosmetic hack circulating on TikTok uses eyeshadow and clear lip gloss to form a unique lip gloss shade.
• Cosmetic chemist and beauty influencer Ramón Pagán does not recommend trying the hack out at home.

A popular TikTok beauty hack where users mix eyeshadow pigment with clear lip gloss creates bold makeup looks but could come with health risks.

The trend gained traction again after user Makiya Robale posted a video trying the hack on March 21. Robale's TikTok, which has over 5 million views as of Tuesday, was initially met with mostly positive comments.

In the video, Robale is inspired by beauty influencer Tusha Ruffin, who shared the hack in January. Ruffin's video has over 11 million views as of Tuesday.

Ramón Pagán, a cosmetic chemist based in London with over 45,000 followers on TikTok, says the trend is potentially harmful and warns against it.

"The big thing is obviously contamination, especially taking something that goes around your eye and mixing it into a product that goes around your mouth, or just anything of that regard," Pagán, who works in a raw material manufacturing lab as a formulator and developer, said to Insider.

According to Pagán, cross-contaminating beauty products for the eyes and mouth can cause infections and speed up molding. Pagán said that adding eye products that contain water and starch to lipgloss can feed microbial growth and run the risk of creating mold. Most lipgloss products are oil-based and shouldn't be mixed with water-based products, Pagán added.

In February, after the hack gained traction, Pagán posted a TikTok explaining the potential dangers of the trend, which has been around for years.

"It's been around for ages. I used to work as a makeup artist and so it's nothing new to take pigments and mix them in with products," Pagán said. "When you work on clients you are never taking an applicator, putting it on them, and then putting it back in the tube because you understand and you know that's not sanitary, and so you usually work with a palette or the back of your hand if it's clean, and that's where you mix things."

If you want to dabble with creating your tints at home, Pagán has another solution.

"Instead of using eyeshadows, mix glosses with products intended for you use on lips, like liquid or bullet lipsticks, or multi-sticks even, and doing so on the back of the hand or a palette," Pagán said.

Pagán says you should trust makeup brands to do the heavy lifting for you and keep the DIY creativity to the makeup looks instead.

"Use a product as intended. Products have instructions. If you don't use it as instructed and something happens, that's kind of on you," Pagán said.