makeupmayhem

story by | sheri kleinsasser stockmoe

We spend money on it. Get up early to use it. Some wouldn’t think of leaving the house without it! So, something we are willing to invest in, committed to losing sleep over and devoted to, should be good for us too, right? But could your makeup actually be harmful?

Dating back to Egyptian times, women used makeup. They painted their eyes, applying dark color under the eyelid and blackening their eyelashes with items such as charcoal. They even used natural henna [a flowering plant] for nail polish. Today, makeup is a multi-billion dollar industry with new products entering the scene each year. For many women, makeup is more than just adding some color or shading here and there. A 2009 survey of 4,000 women in the US and four European countries found:

• 82% believe wearing makeup makes them feel more self confident

• 86% believe wearing makeup improves their self image

I don’t think these statistics are surprising. Do you? When you think you look good, you feel better about yourself. The basic premise of makeup is just that; to make you look good or better or more attractive [in the eye of the beholder of course]. But what’s in this stuff we use to minimize, cover up, emphasize and beautify? What if the goo, powder, cream, lotion, gunk or balm we are using makes us look good, but contains some not so good ingredients?

who’s watchin’

In our world of labels, disclaimers, watchdog organizations, TV shows and practices in place to provide transparency and protection of the general public, you would only assume the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] is responsible for making sure items that are used on such a regular basic, like makeup are safe, but that isn’t necessarily the case. The FDA cannot require a cosmetic company to test for safety. Instead they can conduct pre-market reviews, but only for certain color additives and active ingredients in cosmetics classified as over-the-counter drugs. Now, the cosmetic industry does have its own review panel, but its recommendations are not binding for companies.

There are ingredients in these products considered unsafe in other countries that can be found on our shelves. In fact, there are more than 500 products sold in the US that contain ingredients that are banned in other countries such as Canada and Japan. Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs directly into the bloodstream up to 60% of the chemicals in products that it comes into contact with. You need to be your own watchdog! Here are just a couple common items found on makeup labels that might surprise you:

• fragrance The listing of fragrance on a label seems simple, but it can actually indicate the presence of up to 4,000 different ingredients! Federal law doesn’t require companies to list on product labels these individual ingredients even though many can be toxic or carcinogenic. Fragrances are also among the top five allergens in the world!

• mineral oil [petrolatum, petroleum] Used as an emollient or lubricant and derived from crude oil, mineral oil can suffocate the skin by forming an oil film. Our skin needs to breath and these products can inhibit that. The European Union has banned petrolatum from use in cosmetics. So why do you still see it in the US? It is unbelievably cheap!

Reading product labels can be confusing, especially when you can’t pronounce a majority of the words. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s [EWG] Skin Deep cosmetic database at www.ewg.org/skindeep to search product and ingredient safety. EWG is a non-profit based in Washington, DC and their website states:

At EWG, our team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

Since 2004, EWG has used a rating system to let consumers know the safety of 68,032 products and 2,868 brands. Search for cosmetic and personal care products such as makeup, shampoo, baby products, sunscreen, lip balm and everything in between. This is a great place to start evaluating your products.

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