Is the make up of your make-up dangerous?
Given that our skin is the largest organ in our body I have a rule with my cosmetics: if I wouldn’t eat it I won’t put it on my skin. A health snob? Perhaps… but consider this...On average, women use 12 personal care products each day. This might seem like a lot but consider moisturisers, cleansers, toners, foundations, lipsticks and lip balms - you get the picture. Men also use on average 6 products per day too… so they are not exempt!If each product contains a dozen or more chemicals, that means the average woman exposes herself to over 167 chemicals on her body and face every single day.Hmm... well, this mightn't be as bad as it sounds, as some chemicals are naturally occurring BUT out of 80,000 chemicals used in beauty/personal care products in Australia, ONLY 200 OF THEM ARE TESTED FOR SAFETY!If those stats don’t freak you out just a little, or you still feel nonchalant about the whole “let’s go organic in our skin range” rant, have a look at the issues these common ingredients have been proven to create in more than a handful of studies:
- Phthalates – Neuro-developmental Disorders and Tumors
- Parabens – Genital Abnormalities
- BHA – lowered sperm count.
And that's before we even get into the everyday stuff - skin rashes, adult acne, increased chance of sunburn and skin/eye ulcers.My best piece of advice would be to log on to the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep website, which has a great database of ingredients and products that allows you to see how potentially toxic each product is.I would also be wary of the rampant green washing that occurs within the cosmetic industry. Just because it says organic or all natural doesn’t mean it’s clean and pure. Petrol can be organic and all natural, so too can alcohol. The regulation of Australia’s cosmetic industry is rather flexible and thus organic labeling can be used, regardless of whether the said item has any of the aforementioned virtues.The best part of finding ‘clean’ beauty products is the opportunity to start cutting back on the amount of makeup you wear and embracing fantastic local organic makeup lines committed to quality ingredients.I love Evohe sustainable skincare range. Their Omega 369 Facial Oil is just beautiful. I tend to dust a bit of Evohe mineral makeup powder into the palm of my hand, add a drop of oil and use that as a liquid foundation. For sexpot mineral makeup in vibrant colours you can’t fault Inika Cosmetics. The company was born from the CEO’s own struggle with hormonal imbalances and is a testament to the power of detoxing to heal a modern day body. Another favourite (particularly for those with problem skin) is Jane Iredale's mineral makeup range - to die for!That being said, everyone knows that the best skin moisturiser comes from your post workout glow, so don't miss your gym sessions in winter ladies and gents! Holly McBride is a freelance health writer and active contributor to BUF Girls. She's a girl with a passion for reading between the lines to discover what is truly healthy and helpful. For more recipes, ideas and healthy inspirations from Holly, visit healthywholeholly.wordpress.com