Heavy Metals: Why It's Important to Switch to Safer Color Cosmetics
You've heard of parabens in your facial cleanser and phthalates in your moisturizer, but what about your bronzer and lipsticks? While more and more safer brands are popping up in the skincare space, the toxicity of color cosmetics is not widely talked about. The important thing to stay away from here is heavy metals.
The Gist:
Why do heavy metals exist in our cosmetics? They contaminate the ingredients that are used to color cosmetics. Because they only "tag along" to colorants or other ingredients used to get color, companies are not required to list them on ingredient labels.
Heavy metals are metals that may negatively affect human health. For example, lead is a neurotoxin and can lead to behavioral problems, learning problems and lowered IQ.
They are found naturally in the earth, but become more concentrated through manufacturing and mining activities.
The most dangerous heavy metals are lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. All of these can lead to increase risk of cancer and major organ damage from buildup over time. This is why it is important to be proud of yourself for every little switch you make. Each decision you make to use a safer product can lower your buildup to harmful chemicals. It is not fair to say that your lipstick, or one other single thing you use can cause an illness, but it is the buildup of the dozens of products we use on our bodies and in our homes everyday.
Speaking specifically to lipstick: many sources say women eat seven or more pounds of lipstick in a decade. Not only do we eat it, but we ingest it as it is sitting on our lips. THIS is a great article discussing this topic.
What can you do? Find a company that is testing for heavy metals. They are measured in parts per million and it is possible to reach "no detect" levels in your color cosmetics.
My favorite #doitbetter brand for color cosmetics is Beautycounter. Simply put, they do the homework for me and never sacrifice safety for performance. Yes please!
Shop Beautycounter HERE and please reach out to me for any recs.
Easy Summer Tutorial
-Dew Skin No. 2
-Concealer Pen in Fair
-Brow Pencil Dark
-Eyes are using Candlelight all over lid, Cameo on brow bone and Dusk in crease and corners from Romantic Palette
-Nectar Blush (btw this is the new Nars Orgasm..you heard it here first)
-Halo Highlighter
-Dune Bronzer
-Volumizing Mascara
-Brunch Color Intense Lipstick
Shop the look HERE
