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CONFESSION: I HAVE FINALLY COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT I AM A FULL-FLEDGED MAKEUP JUNKIE — AT THIS POINT NOT ONLY ALL OVER THE MAKEUP ADDICTION SUBREDDITS. HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO BEFORE STARTING MY INTERNSHIP AT PARADOX, I WAS CLUELESS. WHEN MY SKIN WOULD FLARE UP I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WOULD CAUSE IT AND WHICH INGREDIENTS
HERE’S MY TRANSLATION FOR EVERY BEAUTY JUNKIE WHO DOESN’T SPEAK GIBBERISH EITHER
PARABENS ARE A COMMONLY USED CHEMICAL IN COSMETICS USED TO PREVENT MOLDING AND BACTERIA IN PRODUCTS. YUCK, I KNOW RIGHT? BUT IT’S ALSO CREATING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS. PARABENS IN COSMETICS CAN BE LABELED AS METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN, OR ETHYLPARABEN. THESE CHEMICALS ACTIVATE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS - WHICH ARE WHAT MAKE PARABENS CANCEROUS. IN SOME CASES, IT CAN LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUMORS IN THE BREAST AREA.
PSA: REMEMBER TO GET YOUR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM, LADIES!
2 / SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS: SYNTHETIC COLORS
SYNTHETIC COLORS ARE WHAT MAKE YOUR COSMETICS PRETTY AND APPEALING, BUT THESE SYNTHETIC COLORS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE CANCER-CAUSING AGENTS. THESE CHEMICALS WOULD BE LABELED WITH A COLOR AND A NUMBER, THEN LABELED AS FD&C OR D&C. KEEP AN EYE OUT!
AS YOU MAY KNOW, MANY COSMETICS CONTAIN FRAGRANCE. EVEN WORSE, FRAGRANCE CAN CONTAIN HUNDREDS OF INGREDIENTS. MANY ISSUES THAT COME WITH FRAGRANCE IN COSMETICS ARE IRRITATION TO THE SKIN, HEADACHES, AND EFFECTS ON BREATHING. NOT COOL IN MY BEAUTY BOOK!
YOU CAN USUALLY FIND PHTHALATES IN YOUR NAIL POLISH TO PREVENT CRACKING AND IN YOUR HAIR SPRAY TO AVOID FLAKING. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE RECENTLY BEEN UNDER CLOSE INSPECTION WITH THE FDA. MOST RESEARCH HAS BEEN TESTING ON ANIMALS (SO SORRY LITTLE GUYS!) AND THEY HAVE FOUND THAT IN LARGE AMOUNTS, PHTHALATES CAN DAMAGE THE LIVER, KIDNEYS, LUNGS, AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM.
TRICLOSAN ISN’T AS COMMON AS IT USED TO BE IN THE 90’S. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE ARE CORRELATIONS TO HORMONAL DISRUPTIONS, HEIGHTENED ALLERGIES, BACTERIAL RESISTANCE, IMPAIRED MUSCLE FUNCTION, AND IMPAIRED IMMUNE FUNCTION. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, A GOOD ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTISEPTIC ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TEA TREE OIL.
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) IS ANOTHER CHEMICAL THAT CAN CAUSE IRRITATION AND DRYING. IT’S ALSO COMEDOGENIC, MEANING IT CAN CAUSE BLACKHEADS BECAUSE IT BLOCKS YOUR PORES. SLS AFFECTS YOUR SKIN’S NATURAL OILS CAUSING BREAKOUTS AND CYSTIC ACNE. NOPE, DEFINITELY DON’T WANT THAT AROUND MY FACE!
PETROLATUM IS TYPICALLY MARKETED AS PREVENTING DRY LIPS, HOWEVER PETROLATUM ACTUALLY CAUSES PHOTOSENSITIVITY, MEANING THAT IT CAUSES SUN DAMAGES TO YOUR LIPS INSTEAD OF HELPING. REMEMBER THE SCENTED LIP SMACKER BALMS YOU USED TO LOVE AS A KID? YEP, NOT SO HEALTHY FOR YOUR LIPS.
OKAY SO THIS TITLE WAS A LITTLE DRAMATIC, FORMALDEHYDES IN SMALL QUANTITIES ARE NORMALLY FINE. ALTHOUGH, BE AWARE THAT THIS CAN AT TIMES CAUSE SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ALLERGIC REACTIONS, AND IRRITATED THROATS.
TOLUENE IS A CHEMICAL TYPICALLY FOUND IN HAIR AND NAIL PRODUCTS. NAIL PRODUCTS SHOULD NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 33% OF TOLUENE, WHEREAS HAIR PRODUCTS SUCH AS SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS CAN CAUSE DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. LARGE AMOUNTS OF TOLUENE CAN CAUSE SCALP BURNS, IRRITATION, AND HAIR LOSS. UHM, NO THANK YOU!
TITANIUM DIOXIDE (TIO2) IS A CHEMICAL THAT IS HARMFUL FOR SENSITIVE SKIN BUT USUALLY FOUND IN SUNSCREEN. WHEN EXPOSED TO SUN THE UV FILTERING INGREDIENT ACTUALLY RELEASES HARMFUL RADICALS THAT CAN BECOME CANCEROUS. WELL, THAT DEFINITELY DOES NOT HELP IN PREVENTING SKIN CANCER. SERIOUSLY, WHO MAKES THIS STUFF?
SOME DEODORANTS STILL USE AN ALUMINUM-BASED COMPOUND THAT PREVENTS SWEATING, BUT DO SO BY BLOCKING YOUR SWEAT DUCTS THAT CAUSES THOSE PAINFUL LITTLE BUMPS ON YOUR ARMPITS. OUCH! I SUGGEST SWITCHING TO AN ALL NATURAL PRODUCT LIKE NATIVE DEODORANT.
TRIETHANOLAMINE CAN USUALLY BE FOUND IN FOUNDATION, CONCEALER AND EYE PRODUCTS. IT’S USED TO ADJUST PH LEVELS AND HELP BLEND YOUR MAKEUP PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, THIS CHEMICAL IS NOT MEANT TO STAY ON YOUR SKIN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. IT CAN CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO THE EYES, SCALP, AND SKIN. YIKES - REMEMBER TO WASH YOUR FACE THOROUGHLY! YES, EVEN AFTER A GREAT MAKEUP DAY. ;)
