So, apparently I’m an experimenter. I decided to ditch all of my normal makeup and replace it with purely “clean” makeup. What does that mean exactly? I thought I would showcase some ingredients from my normal makeup routine and see just how bad for the skin they may be.
Here is a list of some of my every day makeup products and some potentially harmful ingredients to take note of:
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultrawear (1 oz $48)
-Alcohol, which can be overly drying to the skin and irritating
-Cyclopentasiloxane, which has been shown to have organ system toxicity as well as potential for tumor formation in moderate doses (although I am aware that normally the amount of this ingredient in cosmetics is too low to produce an actual effect, this ingredient is listed as number 4 on the ingredient list of this foundation, which is enough of a concern for me to mention it)
Too Face Ethereal Setting Powder (0.56 oz $33)
-Talc, shown to have reproductive system toxicity and has been restricted in other countries besides the US in cosmetics
-Titanium Dioxide, possible human carcinogen for products that can be inhaled
Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer (1 oz $39)
-Cyclopentasiloxane, classified as expected to be harmful or toxic (moderate concern)
Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter (0.28 oz $34)
-Dimethicone, recommended restricted in cosmetics as it is shown it may be toxic
-Talc, shown to have reproductive system toxicity and has been restricted in other countries besides the US in cosmetics
Morphe Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette (1.98 oz $38)
-Talc, shown to have reproductive system toxicity and has been restricted in other countries besides the US in cosmetics
-Dimethicone, recommended restricted in cosmetics as it is shown it may be toxic
*Please note that mica is listed as an ingredient for several of these products, and has been described by some as a controversial ingredient. There is yet no definitive evidence of the effects of its use in cosmetics, therefore I did not include it. I encourage you to do your own research about this ingredient as well, though!
Now, let’s take a look at some of our natural makeup products. I decided to only purchase and use drug store clean makeup because I enjoyed the comparison of price as well. There are several clean makeup options at Sephora and Ulta to check out! I did scan each of these items for harmful ingredients, and will list them if found. Otherwise, I am going to showcase the good ingredients in each of these products.
Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation (1 oz $14.97)
-Sunflower seed oil, skin conditioning
-Squalane, naturally occuring lipid
-Meadowfoam Seed Oil, hydrating and skin conditioning
Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Mattifying Powder Foundation (0.3 oz $15.82)
-Squalane, naturally occuring lipid
-Bamboo Stem Extract, skin conditioning
-Honey, hydrating and soothing
-Jojoba esters, moisturizing and hydrating
– Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, skin conditioning
Just like I scanned the clean makeup for harmful ingredients, I did look at the basic makeup for ingredients that may help skin. It is common for makeup to include moisturizing ingredients to enhance texture, and make it more blendable. However, the clean makeup contains natural ingredients that help the skin to actually look better!
After my week long trial, the difference in my skin was not huge. I will say that I think it would take longer than a week to see anything dramatic when it comes to our skin. I will say that with the help of some before and after pictures, my skin definitely looked more glowy and fresh. I believe I can attribute that to the fact that the clean makeup does not clog my pores like my normal makeup routine most likely does. I did not make any changes to my skin care routine during this trial. I enjoyed using the Burt’s Bees products as well as the Found makeup. Although I did not list above, I changed my entire routine to all natural makeup, from the brows to skin to the eyes! There were definitely some products that I would not re use for personal preference, but as far as skin health, I saw a difference.
Now it does not take a chemist to understand product ingredients. Utilizing some online research, we can all better understand what we put “on” and therefore “in” our skin. Not enough studies have shown the overall effects of these ingredients in order for me to stop using them all together, but it does have me questioning it quite a bit. Since the FDA does not regulate our cosmetics nearly as much as they should, is it up to us as consumers to read ingredients? Or since it is being sold on the shelves at stores, it should be assumed that it is safe?
I want to know if you all use any clean makeup and what your thoughts are on this topic! I think this is an important discussion that we as a community should be having.
Resources:
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
https://www.sephora.com/
https://www.ulta.com/
