Avoiding Toxic Foundations • Accidentally Green

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Foundation can be great cosmetic tool for women – it potentially can mask a variety of facial imperfections.

Unfortunately some foundations – including products by Cover Girl, L’Oreal, Maybelline, Max Factor, Neutrogena, Physicians Formula, and Rimmel – contain hazardous ingredients. Since your skin contains capillary networks that absorb what’s applied, the toxins directly affect your body.

Toxins found in the majority of hazardous foundations include:

Propylparaben and Butylparaben

Known reproductive system and developmental toxins, parabens disrupt your endocrine system. Parabens also have been found in breast tumors.

Quaternium-15

Aside from acting as a preservative and disinfectant, quaternium-15 releases formaldehyde. And formaldehyde is a known human immune system toxicant, as well as a human skin toxicant. Specifically, quaternium-15 can trigger blistering, burning, itchy, scaly skin and hives – and respiratory reactions. It also triggers allergies and is toxic to your organs.

Retinyl Palmitate

Classified as known reproductive toxicants by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, retinyl palmitate (or Vitamin A Palmitate) is toxic to your reproductive system and interferes with cellular activity.

Other ingredients

Some Rimmel foundations also include the toxins geraniol (aggravates allergies and is an ecotoxin), benzyl salicylate (aggravates allergies, disrupts your endocrine system and is an ecotoxin), and lilial (disrupts your endocrine system, aggravates allergies, is toxic to your organs and bioaccumulates).

Fear not!

Women aren’t doomed to a lifetime of flawed faces – if foundation is an important cosmetic in your daily routine, there are safer solutions. I’ll explain them tomorrow.

Note: Foundations were tested and ranked for safety by the Environmental Working Group.

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Hilary Kimes Bernstein

Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.

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