Do you know what exactly you are putting on your face when applying make up, moisturisers, anti-aging cream, and whatnot?
Conventional cosmetics are said to contain chemicals and substances that can be potentially harmful to our health.
RECOGNISE ANY OF THESE?
Dioxane, phthalates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, coal tar, lead, mercury, nanoparticles, parabens, oxybenzone, petrochemicals, hydroquinone, p-phenylenediamine.
Just take a look at the list of ingredients printed in a barely readable font at the back of your make up product box. These are many of the common chemicals and carcinogens found in conventional cosmetic brands a lot of us apply on our face. Some of these chemicals have been linked to cause serious health problems, including hormone imbalances, learning disabilities, birth defects, various neurological disorders, and allergies to name a few.
COMMON MISCONCEPTION
I remember watching an episode of Dr. Oz where he demonstrated to his live audience of majority make up-wearing women how most cosmetic products in stores are labelled to be toxic-free and natural when in fact they are not.
Products labelled as “hypoallergenic” (relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction), “organic”, “all natural”, “non-comedogenic”, “dermatologist tested”, “preservative free” might be anything but what it claims to be. Labels are lies, and it is not illegal because the government does not ban these substances even though they potentially lead to multiple health concerns.
WHEN BUYING COSMETIC PRODUCTS
The most important thing to take note of is the list of common chemicals and carcinogens, some which were mentioned above.- With the knowledge you have, you should no longer purchase products simply from what is stated on the product label as we have found out – labels are lies. Read the ingredients list.
- Check for reviews online for products, especially if the Organic Consumer’s Association has released results on them.
- It may generally be impossible to completely avoid these chemicals as they are so commonly used by numerous conventional brands. But we can try to limit our exposure to them.
- Try to purchase only from explicitly-known organic beauty brands. Listed below are a few I am familiar with from the list provided by All Women Stalk.
- Bare Minerals
This is one of the more commonly known and loved organic make up brands in the market. Found easily at Sephora, the natural products give great coverage and do not clog pores as much, making it a stellar choice for those prone to breakouts. - Tarte
A leader in healthy, organically-chic high performance cosmetics, Tarte is another popular organic makeup brand made with superfruit and plant extracts, vitamins, minerals, essential oils and other naturally-derived ingredients. All products are without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, synthetic fragrances and gluten. Also available at Sephora stores. - Afterglow Cosmetics
If you are looking to find long-lasting organic make up with high definition glamour and fierceness, look no further because Afterglow is the brand you’re looking for. Out of majority of the organic makeup brands, Afterglow offers the most long-lasting make up products. - Ecco Bella
It seems that Ecco Bella is the most organic of all organic make up brands out there. All of the Ecco Bella products are free of gluten, water, preservatives and dyes. In addition to that, they have body care products as well, so do check this amazing organic cosmetic brand out! - Alima Pure
Alima Pure mineral makeup contains natural makeup ingredients that look as good as they feel. These cosmetic products contain no parabens, chemicals, dyes or nanoparticles, just pure natural beauty for the natural beauties.
Unfortunately, it has come to my knowledge that The Body Shop, a brand that we all know and love for multiple reasons from their Fair Trade initiatives to their human rights advocacy to being against animal testing from the very beginning, uses several ingredients that are known irritants, toxins, and carcinogens into their products. “Natural products inspired by nature”? I think not.
✿ P.S, I have discovered an online organic cosmetic product library of only all natural organic products, not limited to only make up right here at Credo! It saves one the hassle of needing to remember all the various names of chemicals and carcinogens when shopping for make up to see if it is purely organic. DO CHECK THIS SITE OUT!