Let’s say you get a bad perm or your eye shadow makes you look like a wombat. You gnash your teeth, while friends and family remind you beauty is only skin deep. They say it’s what’s inside that counts. They’re right: Healthy cells and microbes cause that certain glow. Too bad cosmetics often have the opposite effect.
Take benzene, a petroleum derivative in nail polish and blush. Harmless? No chance. It disrupts the endocrine system and causes hormonal imbalance. Phathalates? Known to cause birth defects. Parabens? Disrupt the endocrine system. Worse, six types of parabens have been found in breast cancer tissue, reported the Journal of Applied Toxicology in 2004.
And those are just a few of the dangerous substances identified in cosmetics. According to Kevin Donegan, spokesperson for the Breast Cancer Fund, “About ninety percent of personal care products have never been tested for toxicity.” That means that despite their use in industrial manufacturing, untested chemicals are slathered, powdered, rubbed, and slicked onto women’s bodies daily.
What’s a girl to do?
Fortunately, there are companies with socially responsible product lines. Burt’s Bees, Kiss My Face, and Avalon Organics have all signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge that their products are free of chemicals known or suspected of causing cancer, mutation, or birth defects. Plenty of others companies have signed the contract, too, but if you don’t find your favorite product line, the Environmental Working Group has a database that rates the safety of numerous personal care brands from make-up to shampoo or dental care.
Donegan advises another step, “Write to the companies of the products you use. Show you’re paying attention. Consumers shouldn’t be expected to be their own chemists.”
Learn More
The concern about cosmetics is global. The Japan Offspring Fund offers a poster explaining dangers, choices for safer products, and tips on making your own make-up.
Speaking of, why not try your hand at hand lotion and make it yourself?
