Makeup (& Beauty Products)
Makeup is something we use to help us get ready for the day, sometimes it’s a form of expression, a form of art, and just pure fun to explore. With something such as makeup or skincare, it’s vital to know what the ingredients are in our products if we want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. What’s the point if we eat healthily yet we don’t put clean products on our face?
Europe has done a fantastic job in banning a range of chemicals used in beauty products. The EU law banned 1,328 chemicals from cosmetics that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm, or birth defects.
Some of the top 11 ingredients used in beauty products - such as Makeup that have been banned in Europe are;
Parabens
Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives in cosmetic and body care products since the 1920s. Since cosmetics contain ingredients that can biodegrade, these chemicals are added to prevent and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and mold, increasing the shelf life of the product. The concern with these chemicals is that scientific studies suggest that parabens can disrupt hormones in the body and harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer.
https://www.ewg.org/what-are-parabens
Talc
Talc is an incredibly carcinogenic ingredient that was used in baby powders - Johnson & Johnson is a very popular brand of baby powder that many women used for their babies and themselves. Many women started getting cancers, specifically Ovarian Cancer and Mesothelioma.
Fragrance
Fragrances are what you smell in your soaps, laundry detergents, deodorants, shampoo, conditioners, body wash, lotions, perfumes, body spray, and even some makeup. They commonly contain phthalates, which are chemicals that help the scents last longer. Fragrance chemicals, like other toxic chemicals, can pass from the skin and into the blood. The sinister thing about Fragrances is that Manufacturers are not required to list their fragrance ingredients on product labels.
Titanium Dioxide
TiO2 is a fine white powder that occurs naturally. It was first intentionally produced for use as a white pigment in 1923. is used in a variety of personal care products, including sunscreens, pressed powders, and loose powders, as a UV filter or whitening agent. In lotions and creams, it presents low risk of exposure. However, when TiO2 is inhalable—as it may be in powders—it is considered a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.Nanoized TiO2 does not appear to confer any unique health hazards.
Petroleum
Petroleum or petroleum jelly, derived from petroleum, is often used in personal care products as a moisturizing agent. Petrolatum is odorless and colorless and has a long shelf life which is why it’s popular to use in the manufacturing of cosmetics.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs) are used in many personal care products, particularly in shampoos and liquid baby soaps. These chemicals, which help prevent microbes from growing in water-based products, can be absorbed through the skin and have been linked to cancer and allergic skin reactions.
Quaternium-15
Quaternium-15, a known skin toxicant and allergen, may be especially dangerous for hairdressers and janitors, who are sometimes exposed to this formaldehyde-releasing chemical at regular doses for long periods of time.
Triclosan
is an ingredient added to many consumer products intended to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. It is added to some antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes, and some cosmetics—products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also can be found in clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and toys—products not regulated by the FDA.
P-Phenylenediamine
Consumers encounter p-phenylenediamine in many forms of permanent hair dyes called oxidative dyes. As a known skin sensitizer, it leads to allergic reactions. P-phenylenediamine, as well as the products of its reactions with hydrogen, can alter the genetic material of cells.
Avobenzone
A study published in Chemosphere found that avobenzone can turn toxic when exposed to chlorine. The study suggests reactions from these chemicals interacting form new compounds that could result in kidney and liver dysfunction and nervous system disorders.
This is just a short list of the terribly unhealthy, metabolic, and endocrine-disrupting ingredients in our makeup and beauty products. The crazy part is that the FDA has approved them all and more to be in them. Even as Europe bans these ingredients, it’s continued to be allowed in our products. With that being said, I’d be cautious and do more research on things the FDA deems safe or healthy.
If you use products that have any of these ingredients above (makeup, shampoo, conditioners, lotion, sunscreen, etc.) I recommend making a cleaner switch as soon as what you currently use runs out. Other options are to make the switch immediately or not do anything at all. The purpose of this resource is to provide the information, however, at the end of the day, it’s up to you on how you use it.
If you decide to make a cleaner switch here’s a post about CREDO. A great resource to start buying cleaner beauty products, skincare, haircare, oral care. It truly is a great first step!
As always, stay healthy!
-N