Organic Cosmetics & Makeup – The Intelligent Way to look Beautiful! What’s in your makeup – Th
Whilst you quibble over whether Chanel, L’Oreal or Estee Lauder is best, we’ll take a deeper look into the ingredients of those beloved lipsticks, blushers, mascaras and foundations that grace your cosmetic bag and your skin. It feels good when you open your bag and it’s full of beautifully packaged luxury makeup, don’t get me wrong, I’m not particularly singling out the above brands, just pointing out that when we choose our cosmetics, we are often choosing a brand that says more about our lifestyle than even our clothes - they are expressions of who we want to be and what our priorities are. We choose a brand that represents us.
We buy from places that we feel familiar and comfortable with, where we fit in. This can unfortunately play on our sense of ego and then bypasses our basic rights to being provided with products that are not polluting us. Often the primary factors that govern women’s choice is image, packaging, and price but If you’re going to eat about 6lbs of lipstick in your lifetime, I would say ingredients needs to figure as top of the list -make it sure it’s safe!
Although off the shelf products meet federal and government safety tests, because they tell you the toxin quantities are so small as not to harm you, imagine that you are ingesting this stuff over a whole lifetime, and not just through one product, but all the products you use. There is no evidence to suggest that when combined with other makeup and toiletries, the chemical concoction will not cause you harm. Also the chemicals that are ingested and absorbed through the skin can build up in our body and be stored in our fat cells only to be released later in life. No wonder certain cancers are on the increase!!
Here’s a quick heads-up on the chemicals that plague your cosmetics and what you need to avoid:
Phthalates:
Some side effects reported of exposure to phthalates are damage to various organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs. These are used as plastic softeners in nail polish, hair sprays and many other toiletries. They also help the fragrance in your product last longer. Research has found that phthalates may have a disruptive effect on human hormones, possibly causing birth defects and liver damage. Both DEHP and DBP (the later is often present in nail varnish) are classified as class 2 compounds, toxic to reproduction, but are still present in many cosmetics
Parabens:
In a nutshell, parabens are used as preservatives in most cosmetics and skincare products, including foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and hairspray. There are several types of parabens that exist in common formulations; Methylparaben, propylparaben, butyleparaben and ethylparaben. As well as being linked to hormone disruption and various cancers, they can irritate the skin. They have been detected in human breast tissue as they can even act as oestrogen mimics -increased oestrogen levels are linked to cancer.
One, propyl paraben, has been shown to adversely affect male reproductive functions; at the “daily intake level” currently acceptable under EC law, it decreased daily sperm production. (Oishi, S., ‘Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system’; Food and Chemical Toxicology, 40: 1807-1813 (2002))
VOC’s
A lot of makeup contains VOC’s, such as formaldehyde and ethanol. These have be shown to cause eye, nose and throat irritation, difficulty breathing, allergy symptoms and headaches. Formaldehyde is considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the formaldehyde in your lipstick gets ingested. We probably eat about 6lbs of lipstick in our lifetimes – not so yummy!
Chemical Solvents
Amongst this nasty bunch of chemicals is acetone, toluene, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and alcohol. They have been linked to many different health problems from headaches to liver damage whilst also causing harm to the environment.
Synthetic Polymers
Synthtic Polymers are ingredients such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). These synthetic substances are derived from petrochemicals and used in mascaras, eyeliners and hairsprays to ‘fix’ the product to your skin or lashes. Watch out for them in natural and eco-friendly hairsprays too; they have been linked to headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions.
buyOrganics founder Sonia recommends some Natural alternatives in Organic Cosmetics and Makeup to keep you looking a million dollars!
The Phthalate DBP and toluene, another toxic chemical is found in nail polish. This compound is flammable and can make the nails dry and brittle. Instead of using the chemical based polishes found on the market, you could use a natural water based polish, but these do not last long and have to be removed quickly otherwise they become impossible to remove!
I love Zoya Nail Polishes for totally natural nails because they are long lasting, don’t have to be removed quickly and come in over 300 shades, we stock around 80! Worn by the stars!
Choose mineral based eyeshadows such as Nvey Eco or Inika as eyeshadows traditionally contain a chemical called polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). This compound has been shown to cause an allergic reaction in some people. It is important to read all product labels before purchasing any brand of eye shadow and avoid those that contain PVP. Both Inika Eyeshadow and Nvey Eco Eyeshadows are totally natural and don’t contain synthetic fillers such as Talc or Bismuth oxyclorane or PVP either.
Lipsticks traditionally contain petroleum, chemical fragrances or FD&C colours and can contain formaldehyde, lipsticks containing lead and heavy metals can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. Children exposed to lead have been shown to have impaired school performance and lower IQ compared to children un exposed. Always choose natural organic lipsticks that do not contain synthetic colours or preservatives. I love Nvey Eco and Inika natural organic lipsticks, which come in a great range of natural colours without synthetic colours and toxins. Miessence has been cited by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to be one of the purest ranges on the market.
When choosing a loose or powder foundation, its best to choose organic as the organic cosmetics do not contain talc which has been linked to cancer. No-talc powders instead use bentonite and/or kaolin as well as essential oils which have been extracted from plants that have not been treated with pesticides and herbicides. Organic foundations also do not contain paraben preservatives such as methyl parabens or propyl parabens. I love Miessence and Nvey Eco crème and liquid Foundations – the same mineral formulations in a cream format for people who like a cream rather than a powder. Inika Mineral foundations give such fantastic coverage that they can even cover skin problems such as acne, rosacea and scarring completely naturally.
