Green and Gorgeous: Getting the toxins out of your makeup
Wear lipstick? Did you know that over your lifetime you will consume about 4 pounds of it if you wear it regularly? That's because our skin, the largest organ in our bodies, is porous and absorbs some of what we put on it (not to mention that we end up eating some it).
But what's the big deal, you might say. Well, the problem is that lipstick has some nasty chemicals in it (like lead for instance), as does most conventional makeup. And about 25% of those chemicals are going thru your skin and right into your bloodstream - no stop-off at the ol' toxin-filtering liver, just right into your bloodstream.
Photo:
Shutterstock
But aren't these products safe? Aren't they
regulated by the FDA? In
fact, they're not. The FDA does not approve cosmetics. Nor does it set
limits for contaminants, such as lead, in cosmetics (except in regard
to color additives).
So now it's in your bloodstream. What now? According to a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), "Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including industrial plasticizers called phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue, and persistent fragrance components like musk xylene in human fat." I don't know about you but I don't need to wait for a scientific study linking those to cancer to come out to give me a clue that those chemicals don't belong in my tissue.
So what do you do to avoid the chemicals? I'm going to try to make this easy on you but unfortunately, you can't just go look for "natural," "organic" or "hypoallergenic." They have no specific legal definition in the cosmetic world. And besides, poison can be "natural."
WHAT TO AVOIDGet familiar with the chemicals on these lists:
What Not to Buy - EWG's Cosmetics DatabaseWhat's in Your Products? - Campaign for Safe CosmeticsThe Dirty Dozen - The Green Guide
SEARCH THE DATABASESearch
EWG's Cosmetics Database to see how your current products rate and to find safer products.
STAY CONNECTEDKeep up with new products and reviews by following some blogs like
Green Makeup Artist,
Organic Makeup and Skincare,
The Organic Beauty Expert, and
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetic's list of favorite blogs.
I use
Eve Organics for most of my make-up. I found them at the
Green Festival one year. They had samples of everything so I could try it all on, which is VERY important so you don't waste money on something that you won't use. You can also find some of their products at
Studio Within Salon & Spa and
J's Vitamins & More in Chicago, and
Acacia Organics in Barrington.
I did find 2 other local shops that advertise chemical-free options - Karyn Calabrese of
Karyn's Raw Cafe recently launched her own
make-up line and
If a Goddess Wore Makeup is a shop in Andersonville. I have not checked them out so still do your homework before you buy. Whole Foods is also an option but again, you will still need to read labels.
Just for fun, take this
short quiz to see if you've been fooled by product claims.
For more on this topic read
Beauty & the Beast: The deadly side of beauty products.
Photo:
Eve Organics
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