Guest Post: Organic makeup: Safe for you and your planet

Skincare in the new era takes a different meaning as we turn our clocks back to re-learning beauty basics. With changing lifestyles and ‘go green’ options adopted by most in their daily lifestyles, consumers are now looking at cosmetic brands that let the skin breathe. It literally means that women are looking at cosmetics that are obtained naturally rather than manufactured artificially in labs.

The added benefit is that the earth could be cleansed off harmful chemicals in the near future. Unfortunately, hundred percent organically driven makeup kits do come with a higher tag as they have to pass stringent rules stipulated by the USDA. Whether these stipulations are adhered to by the manufacturers is a big mystery. So, be cautious when buying cosmetics off the shelves or from networking groups.

As eco-friendly health and nutrition products become integral to our lifestyles, our choice of skincare follows a similar regime. The new concept of the skin to absorb significant quantities of potions that we apply on the skin has now been taken one-step further – our skin is what we apply! Because women are more aware these days, makeup that is free from harmful ingredients is gaining shelf space.

Women today understand that most makeup have harsh chemicals which could be harmful in the long run. In addition, consumers are forced to use a product for its effect despite its harmful merits. In fact, cosmetologists are using pure and natural products by replacing some synthetic ingredient. Essential oils are being used to replace parabens. Instead of petrochemicals, jojoba, avocado, shea and coconut butter are used.

Synthetic ingredients in cosmetics that harm the environment

Sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate are harsh surface-active agents, which cause skin irritation and pollute ground water.

Petroleum used in lip balm and other potions is a non-renewable resource and pollutes the environment. It can even clog the soil surface of the earth.

Toluene is a paint thinner, which is used as an active ingredient in most nail varnishes.

Be Alert

Beware of ‘organic’ labels on cosmetic products as these could misguide you. It is best to read the ingredient section in each cosmetic that is bought. One such misnomer regarding Kohl eyeliners is that they are touted as being natural products. Unfortunately, a majority of kohl-based eyeliners might contain lead and other elements such as aluminum, carbon, and sulphur, which could be harmful to the eyes.

Phthalates, an industrial chemical, is incorporated in chemical cosmetics and is labeled as ‘essential oils as fragrance’. They are present in nail polishes and hair sprays to keep hair smooth and also as solvents in other products.

Mineral makeup or mineral-based makeup!

Minerals in cosmetology have gained popularity in the past years as they are made from pure minerals. However, it becomes tricky to choose them. The original mineral ‘make ups’ usually had either four or five ingredients. However, the new entries in the category contain a little more than four or five ingredients which makes them mineral-based makeup and not mineral make up!

As research points out, most chemical ingredients in cosmetics are either related to cancer, birth defects, infertility, and other health problems; it becomes necessary to educate buyers and environmentalist to campaign for safe cosmetics!

Apart from the active ingredients, environment friendly cosmetics need to have packaging that does not damage the environment. An option would be to use eyeliners encased in wood rather than those embedded within plastic. Wood being recyclable is a better option than plastic encasings for either lipstick or eyeliners. Pressed eye shadow or pressed powders could be better off with reusable slots for refills; thus saving on packaging material too! Lip color and lipstick made from plant-derived ingredients are much safer than petroleum based ingredients.

Moreover, cosmetic products are better off without animal testing. The concept of natural ingredients from the ‘potion to the jar’ finally stands to make the product 100 per cent eco-friendly. A word of caution therefore would be to carefully choose your products; check for ingredient transparency of cosmetics labelled as ‘natural’ or ‘green’. In a nutshell, look beyond the pink washing of ‘peaches and cream’ potions!

 

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About the author: Amanda Kidd is an avid writer and blogger on beauty. Amongst all, celebrities life excites her the most and always keeps a track of the new happenings related to beauty and makeup in the celebrity world.

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