Everyone’s makeup should be some shade of green!

By: Melinda Toussaint

Did you know that women spend an average of $650 per year on beauty items and 400 hours per year on their beauty routine? (According to the book Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano) So no matter what the shade of eye shadow we are applying we can all apply more green to our routine.

Going green when it comes to your beauty is not only to keep the planet safe but ourselves as well. Currently 72 percent of all cosmetics contain phthalates which are hormone disruptors that can often lead to birth defects and an increased risk of breast cancer. And this is just one of the harmful toxins found in your makeup.

Only 11 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in beauty products have been tested for safety. That means that 89 percent is left up the consumer. For most of us, we don’t have the first clue of what to watch out for, and for many we don’t even keep a look out. That’s why I and many other useful tools are here to help.

After researching several harmful toxins, it seems that I am seeing the same ones over and over as part of the red alert for consumers. While you are shopping at your local drugstore or even upscale department store make sure you take a look at the fine print. While there are many toxins to stay away from, these top five are very widely used:

1) Parabens- (this means Methyl-, Ethyl-, Propyl-, Butyl-, and/or Isobuytl-) - These chemical preservatives are estrogenic (steroid hormones that affect female sex characteristics) and very disruptive of our normal hormone function. Repeated exposure to these chemicals can increase your risk of breast cancer.
2) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLC) - This is a foaming agent derived from coconut oil found in most soaps, body wash, toothpaste, and shampoos; things you most likely use on a daily basis. SLC is considered a carcinogen (capable to produce a cancer) and very harmful to us.
3) Aluminum - Aluminum is used in a variety of ways but it is most commonly used in deodorants (anti-perspirent especially) as well as in eye shadows as a color additive. Aluminum can cause heavy irritation as well as inflammation. It can seep into your pours which is bad because it is considered a toxic carcinogen.
4) Triclosan - I’m sure you have heard it before those anti-bacterial products do more harm than good, well it’s true. Antibacterial products like soap, toothpaste, and makeup are contaminated with dioxins (compound that is carcinogenic) from triclosan which with repeated use can weaken your immune system, decrease fertility, and cause birth defects.
5) Petroleum or Phenol-based products (nylon, polyester, etc) - Any petroleum based products or petroleum derivatives are very harmful to us and are unfortunately used in a variety of products. In lipsticks, petroleum based products can cause allergic reactions and in lash building mascaras, that we are all so attracted to, it can cause contact dermatitis. Phenol-based products are extremely harmful and when it’s in lip gloss, lipsticks, or balm can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and sometimes kidney or liver damage.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? Well don’t be! Gorgeously Green has created a shopping cheat sheet to help you remember the harmful toxins to look out for. If you would like one just download it at www.gorgeoulygreen.com/cheatsheet to make it easier. Or better yet just stick to the organic brands.

To be certified organic by the USDA the ingredients used in beauty products have to be grown and processed without any pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides. However, not all organic products are completely safe. There are four levels of organic certification that will be helpful to know:
1) 100% Organic
2) Certified Organic: 95% + organic (with strict restrictions on the other 5%)
3) Made with Organic Ingredients (70-94% Organic)
4) Less than 70% Organic Ingredients (not certified organic but the ingredients that are will be denoted with an asterisk)

This should help you when deciphering labels and what they all mean. If you have ever looked up any organic product lines you might have noticed that a lot of lines can get pretty pricy (for example: Stella McCartney’s Care skin line sold at Nordstrom’s). But you might find it calming to know that you can get great organic and natural products right at your local Target store.
Shopping there the other day I saw one aisle in the beauty department dedicated to the organic brands. Everything from Burt’s Bees skin line, to Giovanni body washes and shampoos, to even EcoTools that make all their makeup brushes, scrubbers, and loafs out of bamboo! It’s that easy…. and cheap!!!

So no matter if your guilty pleasure is a softening skin lotion, or lash building mascara, or even that daringly sexy red lipstick, we all have to watch out for the products we are using on our bodies. Making your makeup any shade of green is not only saving the planet but it can also save you!

To learn more check out these books:
- Gorgeously Green by Sophia Uliano
- The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel