Pretty Is As Pretty Contains – the Ugly Truth About Non-Organic Makeup

Originally Published January 11, 2013   Spiffing up for a party or just getting ready for work, think twice before applying your makeup as toxic ingredients may be lurking within! Get a magnifying glass and start reading the tiny print on your makeup labels. You will be horrified at the contents of some of your favorite beauty products. Be especially leery of unpronounceable names as that is the first clue that the ingredient is chemical and may be toxic. Be aware too that not all chemicals are required to be listed on the label. Endocrine disrupters like phthalates, carcinogens like formaldehyde, and neurotoxins like lead, are often found in cosmetics and personal care items.

Non-organic, non-natural makeups are chemical cocktails. Preservatives, coloring, fragrances, wetting agents, solvents, emulsifiers, coating agents, conditioning agents, and covering agents have been added to extend shelf life, make them adhere to the skin, and make them colorful and smelling good. These toxic chemicals create a variety of health risks not to mention the negative effect their production has on the environment.

Here are some of the chemicals to spot check for on your makeup labels:

• Alcohol: found in many cosmetics as a solvent or denaturant (a poisonous substance) ingestion or inhalation of alcohol vapor causes headaches, dizziness, vomiting, mental depression, and even coma. If ingested, only one ounce is fatal.
• Butylated Hydroxyanisolea – (BHA): is commonly found as a preservative in lipstick. Considered a carcinogenic it is recognized to cause skin reactions, sense organ toxicity, and cancer.
• Ethanolamines – Di… (DEA), Tri… (TEA), Amono… (MEA): considered hormone disrupters, they are used as an emulsifier, pH adjuster, and preservative in foundations, concealers, eyeliner, and face powders. A carcinogen, these have been linked to liver and kidney cancer.
• Ethoxylated Compounds: are used in cosmetics as a skin conditioner and emulsifier. These compounds are processed by adding ethylene oxide, a known breast carcinogen, to other chemicals to make them less harsh on the skin. Look for syllables “eth” or “PEG” like PEG-40 or ceteareth-20.
• FD & C Color Pigments: are synthetic dyes derived from coal tar –petroleum! Easily absorbed into our bodies, coal tar is stored in our organs and fatty tissues. Although most colors are carcinogenic causing skin irritation, nausea, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, and skin cancer, the most dangerous are D&C Red 36 and D&C Red 22 – both have been linked to nervous system damage.
• Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives: are used to prevent the formation of bacteria. Think about this… Formaldehyde is a chemical used to preserve corpses! What in the world is it doing in makeup? Urea (Imidazolidinyl) & DMDM Hydantoin are just two of the many preservatives that release formaldehyde. Formaldehyde irritates the respiratory system possibly causing asthma, causes skin reactions, can trigger heart palpitations, and has been linked to reproductive problems and cancer. Scary to think formaldehyde-releasing ingredients are common in many store brands of cosmetics.
• Fragrance: this term is unregulated and indicates the presence of up to four thousand different ingredients. Most of these are synthetic and can be toxic or carcinogenic. Reported symptoms include headaches, dizziness, skin rash and discoloration, coughing, vomiting, and can even affect the central nervous system causing depression, hyperactivity and irritability.
• Heavy Metals – (Other Than Lead): viewed a by-product of manufacturing heavy metals – arsenic, mercury, aluminum, zinc, chromium and iron – have been found in makeup ranging from foundation, nail color, lipstick and lip gloss to eyeliner and mascara. These have been linked to nervous system toxicity, as well as reproductive, immune and respiratory toxicity and cancer. These usually are not listed on a label but point to the importance of using certified organic from green manufacturing.
• Lead: banned in the ‘70’s because of health dangers, it is a known neurotoxin that causes anemia, an increase in blood pressure, damage to the brain and kidneys and can in fact negatively affect almost every organ and system in the body. Lead is viewed as a production contaminant that makes its way into lipsticks through tainted raw materials and pigments.
• Mercury: is an antibacterial that is thought to help prevent eye infections, but it is a known toxin. Trace amounts are used in certain eye products, including mascaras and eyeliners, when no other preservative can be used.
• Parabens – methyl, propyl, butyl: are a group of synthetic chemicals that are used as antimicrobial preservatives. Used in more than 13,000 cosmetic products, these are endocrine disrupters. According to the Environmental Protection Agency these endocrine disrupters “…interfere with the human endocrine system and end up being stored in our body’s fatty tissue”. Parabens contribute to developmental, immune system, and reproductive disorders.
• Petrolatum: is a mineral oil jelly and a common ingredient in lipsticks as a moisturizer. Ironically it can cause chapped lips and allergic reactions. Daily use may show skin as moist, but petrolatum does not allow moisture from the air or oxygen to penetrate and may actually suffocate the skin causing skin cells to die. Petrolatum comes from petroleum or crude oil which is easily contaminated and has been linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive damage, immune system toxicity, endocrine disruption and neurotoxicity.
• Phthalates: are widely used in cosmetics and other personal care products to hold in the color or scent. They are hormone disrupting chemicals that can destroy the endocrine system. Not covered by strict enough laws these are rarely listed separately on labels but are included in the term “fragrance”.
• Propylene Glycol – (PG): used to break down protein and cellular structure (exactly what skin is made of!) it is used in most forms of makeup as a wetting agent. It is actually the active component in antifreeze! PG can quickly penetrate the skin and is considered a skin and eye irritant and has been linked to liver abnormalities and kidney damage.
• Talc: because of its coverage and oil-absorption properties, Talc is used in makeup as an anticaking, coverage, skin protectant, agent. Talc not only can clog pores, but it is toxic and carcinogenic. Cosmetic-grade talc is a form of magnesium silicate that can cause non-reproductive organ system toxicity and even cancer.
• Tocopheryl Acetate: used in a variety of products, including lipstick, moisturizer and foundation as a skin conditioning agent, this vitamin E acetate can cause allergies, immunotoxicity and cancer.
• Triclosan: is an anti-bacterial chemical that the EPA actually registers as a pesticide! Considered a hormone disruptor, it is stored in our body fat where it accumulates causing damage to liver, kidney, lungs, heart problems, birth defects, and cancer.

Just as important as reading the ingredient label is knowing the manufacturer of your makeup products. Loopholes in laws and unregulated areas have cosmetic manufacturers easily able to use ingredients that are cheap, extend the shelf life of the product or entice consumers to buy by looking or smelling attractive. Because the term natural tends to be loosely used, it is worth the effort to look for makeup products that have certifications for being all natural or organic and are produced by manufacturers employing green practices.

Pretty is as pretty contains and non-organic, non-natural ingredients are pretty ugly.