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When it comes to makeup, I am equal parts minimalist and junkie; I want the appearance of perfect skin, every day, with as little effort and as few products as possible. I am also torn between wanting to use only cosmetics that are healthy and safe and really really wanting my mascara to last all day without flaking or smudging.
I spend a lot of time researching cosmetics, because once I have brought something home and opened it up and put it on my face, I am often stuck with it (although more and more big box stores, like Sephora and CVS, are expanding their return policies to include makeup that has been opened and used, which is helpful unless you shop at smaller boutiques, as I do). But most of my reading and testing is about color and longevity, not about ingredients.
What I have learned recently is that I should be spending a lot more time reading about those ingredients.
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Cosmetics contain all kinds of things that really shouldn't go in or on your body, things like coal tar and lead and mercury. Unfortunately, these less desirable ingredients are often the ones that amp up the color or extend the staying power of your makeup. But with the rising concern about pharmaceuticals in the water and growth hormones in milk, it is certainly time we thought about what precisely is in our makeup.
Because looking healthy isn't worth it if your mascara is potentially giving you cancer.
I recently started reading Sophie Uliano's Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life. I'm a little bit underwhelmed by the book as a whole (I am perhaps too cynical for Uliano's relentless cheeriness) but the chapter on cosmetics includes some terrific resources, including a comprehensive list of ingredients to steer clear of and companies that are producing safe cosmetics.
Uliano also points her readers to the Environmental Working Group: "The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the
power of public information to protect public health and the
environment." As part of this project, the EWG has created a cosmetics database called Skin Deep, which is a comprehensive list of products with information about ingredients and their possible side effects. The database, and the information it contains, is both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Which is the point, I think.
I sat for an hour today with my laptop and my makeup bag and entered every single thing in the bag into the database; my blush scored rather poorly, but otherwise I seem to be making pretty good choices in terms of my makeup. Of course, not even the most comprehensive database will have EVERYTHING in it; several of my favorite products (my face cream and eye cream, for example) are not included. Fortunately, the EWC list gave me a good idea of what to look for, and I was able to do a little research on my own and determine that my beloved creams are indeed safe.
Phew.
The real downside here, of course, is that it falls on us as consumers to be vigilant about what is in our makeup; cosmetics companies are perfectly within their rights in the use of lead and mercury and other toxins in the various things we slather on our skin. If you want to do something about this, you can read labels and make a choice to support companies that are looking out for your health; you can also protest. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has information about how to contact manufacturers and regulators to insist that the makeup you buy be safe AND functional.
Queen Elizabeth I covered her face in lead paint in order to look powerful and beautiful; some historians theorize that she died of lead poisoning from years of making herself up in this manner. Four centuries later, women shouldn't be risking their health to be beautiful; we should be able to reap the benefits of advances in chemistry and medicine to have safer cosmetics. Get out your makeup and check the ingredients, and then toss everything that might be making you sick. I promise you will feel more beautiful when you are done.
