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MAKEUP + COSMETICS
Did you know that US cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market? Under U.S. Law, the FDA does not have the authority to require cosmetic companies and manufacturers to submit their data to them to be tested. As such, many toxic chemicals are permitted in our makeup. Research has shown that many of these chemicals have been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, impaired immune function, and so much more. Therefore, the burden falls on us as consumers to know what is in our products.
Thankfully, there are a few resources we can utilize.
➤ A note of caution here however- these are great places to start but they are not end all resources. It's
best to still check each ingredient.
* This page also contains external links, some are affiliate.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a database for personal care products, called EWG Skin Deep. This database allows you to search cosmetic brands and items and gives them a hazard score range based upon their ingredient list. They compare the ingredients, product labels and websites to nearly 60 toxicity and regulatory databases. They have also created a quick tip wallet guide for choosing safer products while you shop.
The Think Dirty app can be a great resource as well to search products and also includes a rating system. The great thing about this app is you can simply scan the barcode of a product while you shop!
The Clearya app works a bit differently and is activated when you visit certain shopping sites (Amazon, Target, Walmart, Sephora, etc.) within the app. When you add an item to your cart, the Clearya app alerts you and provides any information about toxic chemicals in that product.
After doing a bit of research and product label checks for myself, here's a few of my favorites that I use!
Earthley Wellness has an amazing skin care line with simple and safe ingredients you can trust. My favorite is the Rejuvenate Me Serum and Exfoliating Cleanser- it's like a spa in a jar!
Crunchi makeup was founded based on principals of healthier living. They are a toxic free, safe ingredient brand but also committed to product performance. This is where I have found I really like their line- their makeup is clean but actually performs as makeup should. Crunchi has even gone so far as to compile a list of banished ingredients that are not allowed in their products.
*Use the link above to receive $10 off a new client order of $50 (using a new email into the Crunchi system).
Big Woods Botanicals is a small local business that contains high quality, locally grown or wildcrafted products. Her products change with availability and season, but they are oh so good!
All in all, with the US banning only 11 substances for personal care products thus far (compared to the 1,300 + ingredients banished in the UK) it's no wonder why we have so many issues.
Learning to read labels can be daunting, but learning how to lessen your body burden can have extraordinary impacts on your health and well-being.
resources:
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/prohibited-restricted-ingredients-cosmetics
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32009R1223