Many women would “absolutely die” without lipstick, or so they say. But can you handle the idea that a shark—a majestic, ancient animal that has more to do with human life than people think—was probably killed so its liver oil could go into your favorite tube, or your moisturizer, or your squalene-based health supplement? (Squalene is a natural antioxidant.) “Aside from the meat and fins for consumption, a lot of the different parts of the shark are also used,” Dr. AA Yaptinchay, director of the NGO Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP), reveals. The cartilage is ground into a health supplement, the gill rakers are used in Chinese medicine, the skin (of rays, in particular) is used as leather for fashion accessories and furniture, the teeth, and jaws for jewelry and curios, and the liver oil for beauty products and health supplements.

Honasan, A. (2017, December 3). A shark may have been killed for your lipstick. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. C1, C5.