Dangerous Beauty
The toxins lurking in your makeup bag
We know beauty is pain (hello, bikini wax!), but can looking good be lethal too? We thought the ingredients in our makeup were safe, but turns out they’re more disturbing than Alec Baldwin on an airplane!
“The average woman uses about a dozen products a day containing over 160 chemicals,” explained Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of the award-winning book Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. Even scarier? The government doesn’t require safety studies for cosmetics, which means that makeup companies can legally put harmful chemicals into their products. See below for a rundown of makeup’s most common toxic ingredients:
Parabens (aka ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben): These chemicals mimic estrogen and may increase the risk of breast cancer. A recent study suggests that methylparaben “blocks the effectiveness of cancer treatment drugs.” From perfume to mascara, this toxin is in many products, so always look for paraben-free items.
Sodium laureth sulfate or PEG compounds: Used to make products lather, watch out for these ingredients in makeup removers and cleansers. All are laced with 1,4 dioxane — a known carcinogen.
Quaternium-15, Diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin: These bad boys are common in many cosmetics and are known to release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and potent allergen.
Fragrance: Don’t be fooled by words you can pronounce. Fragrances can be quite toxic since their chemical compositions are deemed trade secrets and never disclosed. Many contain serious allergens, as well as phthalates, which are linked to birth defects.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
