Six years ago, when I filled a trashcan with all of my toxic cosmetics, I thought I would only buy safe products for the rest of my life.
For a long time, I did. I tried different brands of mineral makeups – and liked them. When I occasionally went to natural food stores and needed makeup I bought different kinds. But then life became really busy, and as a mother of two I didn’t feel like adding another store onto my list of errands – and sometimes I just didn’t want to pay for shipping on top of an already-pricey product. Some days, I used the last of a cosmetic and just wanted to spend a couple dollars and get a replacement right away.
Here and there I started making compromises. My cosmetics bag looked less safe as became a blend of safe and natural brands and cheap, toxic varieties.
This spring I was jolted back to a safer reality as I tried the 100% Pure Must Haves Gift Set with blush, eye shadows and lip gloss all colored with fruit pigment. (Disclosure: I am an affiliate of alex+von.) As the gift set, the four products cost $29. That I could afford.
My choice of eyeliner and mascara already were safe, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, so I threw away all my unsafe blush, yet again.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My big surprise
Later this summer, as I prepared for a talk about safe cosmetics, I began researching exactly what was in cosmetics – and I was shocked by what I had put on my face. For a couple of years I thought it was no big deal to return to cheap – and toxic – blush. Yet when I checked the EWG rankings, my blush was filled with parabens and quaternium-15.
Seeing those ingredients and the dangers shocked me – and I had a pretty big realization. Every day, I applied a product that is known to be toxic to my reproductive system, immune system, endocrine system, organs – and skin. And I smoothed it all over my cheeks to be absorbed into my bloodstream by my skin’s amazing capillary system. Shame on me.
For me, I had lapsed with just one cosmetic product. But I know that some women are applying many more toxic cosmetics every day, to the risk of their own health.
I’ll use my teenaged self as an example. Back in high school, I was in my cosmetics heyday when I believed I needed to wear cosmetics – and a lot of them – to look good. (Thank you, marketing in teen magazines!) I routinely used nine different kinds of cosmetics every morning. Ack! I’m thankful my daily routine now includes just four.
Imagine all of the toxins I was exposing myself to every single morning as I applied nine different cosmetics to my skin. (It’s no wonder I developed endocrine system issues when I was in my early 20s!)
What can we do now?
None of us can turn back time and fix our past mistakes. But we can start making healthy changes today. I hope you’ll join with me and start caring about ourselves enough to pitch the toxic products from our cosmetic bags.
If you need a little help in doing this, check out September’s Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Challenges for quick, step-by-step guides:
Talk back
Will you join with me in detoxing your cosmetic collection?
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