Spring Clean Your Makeup Bag

SPRING is in the air and many of us take it as an opportunity to embark on a deep cleaning frenzy around our homes.

But there's one place that most of us rarely think to spring clean ... their make-up bags.

A cluttered cosmetic case or bathroom cupboard packed with manky old products is a good indication your beauty bag is in dire need of a clear-out.

We keep hearing time and time again the following “I am just waiting to use up all my old skin care before I start going all-natural” Our response is DON’T WAIT! Bin it all and save your skin from enduring any more toxic waste!

It’s time to purge your personal care products of harmful chemicals and we have compiled a list of the top ingredients to try to avoid in all personal care products.

Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, and isobutyl) 

 What are they? It's not the first time you have heard about these preservatives.  They're used to keep bacteria from forming in products.

 

Why should I avoid them? They have endocrine disruption concerns. The commercial sale of cosmetics requires the use of preservatives. Lest we trade a devil we know for a devil we don't, we need to know the safety of the replacement ingredients to eliminate concern, just as with BPA-free bottles and PFOA-free pans.

 

PEG &  Sulphates 

 What are they? In personal care products (like shampoo, body wash, liquid soaps) these raw ingredients are reacted with ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen, and added to product formulations to make the ingredients softer on the skin. Ingredients ending in "-eth" (e.g. sodium laureth sulfate) and ingredients including the word "PEG" (e.g. PEG-4 Laurate) are what you should avoid. 

 

Why should I avoid them? The ethoxylating process contaminates the product with a suspected carcinogen, 1, 4-dioxane. The product is then purified to remove the 1, 4-dioxane, but this process isn't perfect, leaving behind trace amounts of the contaminant. A 2009 study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics highlights this disturbing and common problem.

 

Triethanolamine (TEA)

 What is it? TEA is kind of a jack-of-all trades for personal care products. It allows different ingredients to adjust to one another, enabling them to mix harmoniously, more or less.

 

Why should I avoid it? It can be contaminated by nitrosamine, a probable human carcinogen.

 

 

Why should I avoid them? After finding out what they are, it's no surprise to say they are strong -- violently strong. The outer layer of the skin is weakened when exposed to hydroxy acids; it's then more susceptible to damage from other hazards, such as ultraviolet rays. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has examined them, you can find their information here.

 

Triclosan & Triclocarbon 

 

What are they? Pesticides, believe it or not. They are added to personal care products for their antimicrobial properties.

 

Why should I avoid them? They don't add any benefit to products (i.e. they don't fight germs any more than conventional soap), they're known thyroid toxins and persist in the environment and in our bodies for a long time. In fact, it's hard to think of a reason to use them.