The Startling Truth About Your Cosmetics

The Startling Truth About Your Cosmetics

I will admit it: I love makeup. Like many women, I started experimenting with makeup in middle school and despite my many embarrassing makeup choices (ie. very dramatic cat eyes on the daily) I still wear makeup today. I enjoy experimenting with different palates, brands and styles. In my opinion make up is more than just a way to look pretty, it is a powerful force that helps me feel put together and confident.

Although I wear cosmetics fairly often, I had never once stopped to consider what exactly is in my makeup. That changed when my women’s studies professor gave our class an assignment to look up the grooming products and cosmetics we use on a daily basis to see what types of chemicals they contain. Using a database called Skin Deep I looked up all my products and was startled to discover the chemical content of my seemingly harmless makeup. I learned that many of my products have hazardous chemicals that are potentially dangerous to my health, and yet none of these products feature warning labels. Upon further research I discovered that one in every 13 women are exposed to ingredients that are known carcinogens through their cosmetic products.[1] That statistic is terrifying! I had always assumed that the FDA or some other government organization vetted my cosmetics to make sure that they were safe for me to use, but as it turns out, the FDA cannot require safety testing for cosmetics or regular ingredient safety assessments.[2] This means that cosmetic companies can essentially put whatever chemicals they deem fit into their products, regardless of long-term health effects, so long as costumers don’t complain. In other words, your makeup could potentially cost you much more than your money. 

By informing you about the dangers of chemicals in cosmetics, I don’t intend to scare you away from makeup by any means; hell, I still wear makeup. I only wish to spread the word that there needs to be a higher standard for cosmetic safety if women are going to continue wearing makeup, because clearly the current system is insufficient for securing healthy products. 

Curious about the chemical content of your makeup? Check out http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.