Natural beauty for me has a wholesome meaning…what you put on your face should be as good as what you put in your body and Green beauty is not hard to achieve it just takes a bit of effort to learn the ingredients to avoid and that’s where I am here to help.
In today’s world where so many beauty products come filled to the brim with preservatives and ingredients that can be potentially harmful to our skin and our health, products made from all natural ingredients should be your first stop at your local beauty counter or salon.
It really is frightening to learn just how many toxic ingredients go into the production of cosmetics. I can assure you that a excessive array of chemicals, dyes and fillers some of which have been mentioned below are found in almost every commercial cosmetic product because they can be manufactured incredibly inexpensively and have a very long shelf life. Which for companies equals money and profit. However for the consumer, these ingredients can cause a whole host of health problems.
Some of these ingredients are known carcinogens and hormone disruptor’s, while others are major irritants and allergens.
Below is a small list of the main ingredients to avoid when purchasing cosmetics, for two main reasons, these ingredients are no good for your skin, your health or the planet.
Coal Tar: known carcinogen..
Hydroquine; found in skin lighteners and many facial moisturisers
Aluminum often in more than 90% of deodorants and used as a base for many eye shadows
DEA (Diethanolamine)
Diazolidinyl Urea and Imidazolidinul Urea..often used a preservatives both of these chemicals release formaldehyde.
Propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol, along with various ingredients formulated with PEGs and PGs 9 …yes look out for the term PEGs and I don’t mean those hanging on the clothes line.
Petrochemicals, examples include petroleum jelly, isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, methyl alcohol or methanol, butyl alcohol or butanol, ethyl alcohol or ethanol (often used in skin astringents and perfumes or colognes).
Dioxin (1,4-) known to cause birth defects
Formaldehyde
Lead often listed as hydrated silica in toothpaste.
Talc (that can be contaminated)
Artificial Colours often labelled as FD&C Lakes and Dyes D&C colours.
Synthetic fragrances and flavours …etc etc.
Parabens’ are a family of synthetic preservatives (methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, and butylparaben).
Whilst being an effective broad-band preservative and found in almost every common beauty care product including colour cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners and lotions. The use of parabens allow manufacturers a very cheap way to preserve products, allowing them to have shelf lives of 2-3 years without spoiling. Fresh Products are always going to be better for your skin, you wouldn’t eat something that had been sitting on a shelf for a year or two so why put it on your face?
Parabens are known as a hormone disruptors, this nasty little preservative is absorbed into the skin and accumulates in the body over time and has been linked specifically to breast cancer and has been discovered in breast cancer tumors.
Bismuth oxychloride can be found on the ingredient list of many mineral cosmetics ranging from nail polish to bronzers to blush and eyeshadow.. Bismuth oxychloride is a natural ingredient found in the majority of mineral cosmetics. It is the main irritant in some brands of mineral cosmetics. Though a natural by-product, bismuth oxychloride often causes itching, rashes and mild to severe cystic acne as it can clog your pores..
Nano minerals are commonly found in sunscreens to create a full sun coverage without “white” effect, your sunscreen becomes pretty much sheer. in recent years this technology has been increasingly used in mineral cosmetics. Nano particles are tiny or micronised minerals in which an ingredient – natural or synthetic – is found in such tiny particles that safe use of these is questionable. Personally, I do not agree with using nanotechnology and my mineral line Elusyion hasn’t ever used this technology, we do not need to use them to create a professional and beautiful product that is long wearing and looks and feels amazing.
I hear you…this all sounds so overwhelming these days almost everything can kill us or we are told to avoid almost everything…
Never fear… some very forward thinking and health conscious, cosmetic manufacturers like myself went back to basics and produced cosmetics ranges made from safe, pure, naturally pigmented minerals, free of all the nasty synthetic and chemical ingredients.
Modern makeup returns to ancient times in mineral cosmetics .
Mineral makeup is crushed pure mica’s and oxides that are harvested from earth and rock and milled down into a very fine powder, which produces a pure loose highly pigmented powder, which can be combined together to produce almost a limitless range of colours. These powders allow the skin to breathe. These powder colours are then combined with organic and natural ingredients to naturally produce all the standard line ‘wet’ cosmetics like lipstick, glosses, liquid foundations, eyeliners, mascaras and even spray tans with one major advantage, NO Chemical Nasties.
As a consumer ..what can you do?
Moisturing can not reverse skin aging..neglecting to use organic and natural ingredients that actually nourish the skin will lead to skin aging, The same goes to chemical laden cosmetics, you get one face, care for and look after it as naturally best you can. Quality costs but so does neglect in the long term.
Don’t be GREEN WASHED… Read ingredients before purchasing. Dont be bought with flashy packaging or eco designed adverts.
Avoid mineral companies using nano-particle technology
Avoid mainstream cosmetic companies that have produced a line of mineral cosmetics as often these contain the fillers and other ingredients your skin wants you to avoid.
Be sure also to be a humane shopper and do your part to stop animals being tested on. Make sure the mineral company you choose is truly cruelty free. In Australia make sure that the company is certified cruelty free visit choosecrueltyfree.org.au
Even after reading all of this I’m sure you are still thinking,…I doubt the products I use every day have the chemicals you are talking about.? I can assure you that well over 13 years ago I thought the same thing… until I looked into some of the ingredients listed on the package, I soon found out that some of my (formerly) much loved cosmetic companies were rated among the worst for toxin levels in their cosmetics.
Learn from websites like www.livingsafe.com.au you will find a wealth of information from skincare to home cleaning.. Its worth the time for the sake of your family and your health to educate yourself.
My advice is read labels, educate yourself about the ingredients in the products you love to use, There are alternatives for every toxic makeup or skincare product lined up on shelves, there is a natural one available that is better for you and your skin too
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