A Fresh Face for 2010

Ever wonder what's in your makeup? No? Well you should. No joke. This is serious. For years I've been using a very expensive cosmetic that I had to special order. I trusted them. And then I looked into what was in it, and I was shocked. After digging a little deeper, it turns out that cosmetics is a whole realm of nastiness, and shockingly, people are oblivious, or they don't care. Here's a thought: anything you put on your skin is in your bloodstream in 30 seconds. Knowing that, can you really put just anything on your skin? Here's another one: the average person uses nine cosmetic/personal care products a day, averaging a daily load of 126 chemicals! With that in mind, I set about finding the purest, non-toxic cosmetic. I'll share the fruits of my labour with you, but first, I want to pass on a little of what I now know. And you should pass this along to every woman you know. In fact, writing this post gave me an idea - I'm going to start a buyer's guide on Pure Green, that covers everything and anything, from mattresses and jeans to make-up and cleaners. This is my first crack at it.

First - I'm going to teach you how to read labels. If it says Natural, Biodegradable, Organic or Non-Toxic, don't trust it right away. There are very few rules in the cosmetics industry (in Canada and the U.S. anyway) that govern these terms - a product need have only ONE natural or organic ingredient to be allowed to use the label. In fact, almost 90% of cosmetics are synthetic (and thus harmful), and in the FDA's entire 67 year history, they have only banned 9, I repeat, 9, personal care product ingredients. And don't you believe that chemicals in small doses are ok. Those small doses will accumulate over time and eventually cause problems. Always check for ingredients. If they aren't listed, assume they have something to hide and pass.

Second, while there are many, here is a list of the top 12 dangerous, most commonly used ingredients. These are found in everything from soap, lotions, shampoos and hair products, perfumes, make-up, baby products and more.

1. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Paraben - used as a preservative; mimics estrogen (screws with women's bodies and feminizes male bodies....yikes!); carcinogenic.
2. Propylene Glycol - a cosmetic format of a product found in anti-freeze, brake, transmission and hydraulic fluid; works as a humectant that helps keep moisture in the skin or product (common in lotions, mascaras and deordorant/anti-perspirant; can cause liver/kidney damage.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate - acts as a foaming agent; the potential side-effects are too many to list.
4. Diathanolamine (DEA) - used as an emulsifier (lotions); while this product alone is not a carcinogen, it reacts with nitrates to form very toxic nitrocamines. Best to avoid.
5. Isopropyl Alcohol - petroleum derived; found in lotions and aftershave in particular; causes headache, nausea and more; destroys intestinal flora.
6. Pthalates - most often used as synthetic fragrances; endocrine disrupter; banned in EU.
7. Lead Acetate - reproductive and developmental toxin; found in hair dye, which is why you shouldn't dye your hair while pregnant. I know this is a tough one, but try going natural (I have been for 3 years and I love it), and try a natural hair rinse instead.
8. Tuolene - usually found in nail polish; reproductive and developmental toxin.
9. Petroleum Distillates - carcinogen; found in perfumes, mascara, lipstick and lip balm. Stay away.

10. Petrolatum (mineral oil jelly) - clogs sking from taking in oxygen; I spotted this in my Carmex, but its commonly found in lip balm.

11. Synthetic Fragrances - most often listed as 'fragrance'; wide range of potential side-effects.

12. Talc - lung irritant; carcinogenic.

I know this is scary, but I challenge you to read the labels in your bathroom and see what you find. It's important. To help prove my point, I looked up the top five best selling cosmetic companies (I chose to compare foundation since it goes all over your face) on Skin Deep, a website database by the Environmental Working Group that researches the ingredients in cosmetics. It ranks products on a scale of one to ten based on toxicity. (Please note, these stats must be taken with a grain of salt, because the companies don't divulge all ingredients, and this is taken from only one source - its still useful to know, and legit.)

1.Maybelline Classic Foundation - 8 of 10

2. Mary Kay Dual Coverage - 8 of 10

3. Estee Lauder Polished Performance - 9 of 10

4. L'Oreal Age Perfect - 7 of 10

5. CoverGirl Fresh Complexion - 8 of 10.

Check out the website to see what your favourite product ranks.

Now that I've scared you, I'm going to provide a solution! Check back tomorrow for part 2, in which I divulge my favourite, non-toxic cosmetic, and perhaps score a give-away! In the meantime, I've prepared a handy-dandy buyer's guide short format for your wallet or purse. *I have a longer version of the information provided, along with more available, prepared by Tira Wooton. Email me if you'd like a copy. I hope I didn't scare you too badly, but sometimes you just need your cage rattled! Here's to a healthier body and planet!

Click here to download yours.