Makeup is a product many people use every day, but unfortunately, it often includes a variety of harmful toxins that can lead to issues like skin irritation, hormone disruption, and even cancer. The regulation of chemicals in cosmetics is lacking. It's important to find safer products, as makeup is so commonly used.
Although synthetic dyes and pigments, such as Red 36 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, and CI 19140, are often what give many types of makeup their color, there are potential risks to these ingredients. Many types of colorants are carcinogenic or are contaminated with carcinogens. Several dyes and pigments can also lead to allergic reactions, and some are also damaging to genes, which can also lead to the development of cancer. Some colorants are also endocrine disruptors, meaning they can harm your hormones and all the parts of the body affected by those hormones. Many dyes have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Heavy metals have been found in many kinds of makeup, from foundation and mascara to eye shadow and lipstick. These toxic substances can contaminate makeup through dyes and pigments, both mineral and synthetic. Many makeup products have been found to be contaminated with a variety of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, aluminum, manganese, beryllium, titanium, thallium, and selenium. These metals have been linked to issues like cancer, reproductive, developmental, neurological, cardiovascular, skeletal, lung, blood, immune system, and kidney issues, and hormone disruption, as well as many others. Heavy metals are bioaccumulative, meaning they're stored up in your body for a very long time, and they're difficult to remove. Heavy metals are especially dangerous to fetuses, babies, and children, so you should be especially careful to not wear makeup containing heavy metals when pregnant, breastfeeding, or around children. Heavy metal contamination in makeup is a very serious and common concern, and it's important to ensure you use makeup with testing proving the products are safe.
Talc is an ingredient commonly used in blush, foundation, lipstick, bronzer, and eye shadow, among other products. Talc can contain asbestiform fibers, or asbestos, which are known to cause cancer and respiratory harm. Asbestos is mined with talc, so without testing, you won't be able to tell if a talc sample contains asbestos or not. Many talc-containing makeup products, including those for children, have been found to contain asbestos. Asbestos can enter through the skin, and the powder in makeup can also be inhaled. Studies have found a link between asbestos and mesothelioma and uterine, lung, larynx, and ovarian cancer, and possibly fallopian tube, cervical, and peritoneal cancer as well. Talc has been discovered in ovarian, cervical, and endometrial tumors, and the noncancerous ovarian tissue of people with breast cancer. Asbestos, and even asbestos-free talc, can irritate and cause inflammation in the respiratory system. Just a small exposure to asbestos can lead to the development of these issues. Other minerals like bentonite, kaolin clays, and mica can also be contaminated with carcinogens and heavy metals, as discussed previously (though processing is sometimes used to try to remove these).
There are some ingredients in cosmetics that are affected by sunlight. When they're exposed to light, their components can cause red blood cells to burst and damage cell parts. Having these kinds of ingredients in makeup can make it dangerous to wear it in the sun. In addition, nanoparticle ingredients, like nano zinc oxide and nano titanium dioxide, can pose a concern. Nanoparticles can easily enter the body due to their small size. They have been found to damage genes, lead to cancer, harm cells, and even cause cells to kill themselves prematurely.
Fragrance (or parfum) is an ingredient that is composed of many other harmful ingredients. Despite many makeup products not being scented, "fragrance" is still used in these products so their manufacturers don't have to disclose the other additives in it. Many parts of fragrance can cause allergic reactions, reproductive problems, endocrine harm, cancer, respiratory issues, damage to neural tissue, and fetal harm. The ingredient fragrance can be found in many lipsticks and lip glosses, foundations, bronzers, highlighters, setting powders and sprays, concealers, blushes, primers, and eye shadows.
PFAS have been widely detected in many kinds of makeup, including lipstick, mascara, foundation, concealer, eyeliner, and blush, with higher levels found in waterproof products. This includes products from several popular brands, such as L’Oréal, Ulta, Mac, and Cover Girl, as well as "clean" beauty brands, like Burt's Bees and Honest Beauty. In one study analyzing the prevalence of PFAS in cosmetics, a little over half of makeup products tested contained PFAS. These toxic chemicals can accumulate in the body and environment and don't break down naturally. They have been linked to many harmful reproductive effects, immune system harm, hormonal disruption, and various cancers. You can read more specific details about the health impacts of PFAS here. Exposure through makeup is common, as PFAS are able to easily move into the body through absorbing into the skin, the inhalation of powdered products, entering the tear ducts, and even the ingestion of products applied to the lips (people who wear lipstick ingest several pounds of it in their lifetime on average!). PFAS does not have to be included on an ingredient label for it to be in the product. In one study, only 3% of products with known PFAS in them actually listed PFAS as ingredients. Testing is needed to ensure products don't contain PFAS. Manufacturers should be taking steps to remove PFAS from their formulas, ingredients, and production processes, but for now, it's important for consumers to choose cosmetics without these toxic chemicals.
Parabens are ingredients found in about 75-90% of cosmetic products, usually as preservatives. Preservatives are important in products with water to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, especially in eye makeup, because applying makeup with bacteria or mold can lead to infection. However, parabens are not safe preservatives. They appear on ingredient labels as anything with the suffix "paraben," but they can also go under alternative names like methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate. Parabens can readily absorb through the skin, and studies have shown that the use of paraben-containing makeup increases the concentrations of these chemicals in the blood and urine. Parabens have been found to be endocrine disruptors, known to disrupt the normal activity and production of estrogen, steroids, and testosterone. It's especially dangerous for people to use products with parabens during puberty due to parabens' endocrine-disrupting effects, which can impact normal reproductive development, but unfortunately, teenagers use even more cosmetic products on average than adults. Parabens have been linked to reduced sperm counts, abnormal puberty, including decreased ovary and prostate weight, early puberty, and increased breast development, lower egg counts, altered adrenal gland, thyroid, liver, and kidney weights, and reduced anogenital distances (the distance from the genitals to the anus, an indicator of reproductive health). Exposure to parabens can also lead to the development of breast cancer, and parabens can damage DNA when exposed to sunlight. When exposed during pregnancy, babies have had lower weights and early birth. Parabens can also cause allergic reactions. These chemicals have been detected in over 90% of people, so they're very common.
Another toxic chemical commonly found in makeup is phthalates. Phthalates are very harmful to the reproductive system, and they're endocrine disruptors as well. They have been linked to a plethora of health problems, including pregnancy loss, preterm birth, obesity, higher blood pressure, cardiovascular and metabolic issues, such as diabetes, lower sperm count and motility, developmental harm, skin irritation, allergies and asthma, DNA alterations, early menopause, lower birth weight, altered sex hormone levels, early puberty, delayed neurodevelopment, ADHD, decreased thyroid function, harmed genital development, and bone and lymph node cancer in children. You can read more about phthalates here.
With so many toxins so prevalent in products that are being directly applied to the body, using a safer brand is important. There are two brands I consider to be relatively safe, though there are no perfect options. Each of these brands has been tested and is free of PFAS, which is one of the most important things for makeup to not contain. In addition, most of the ingredients they use are nontoxic.
One choice is Crunchi. Crunchi uses mineral pigments, avoiding the carcinogens that often contaminate petroleum-based pigments. They also use minerals like mica and kaolin. They test their products for heavy metals, and their levels are below the limits in the European Union and Canada (but some heavy metal exposure is practically unavoidable because heavy metals are mined with pigments and minerals). They do not make their testing results publicly available, however. Some of their products contain sodium benzoate, which has been linked to endocrine disruption, inflammation, ADHD, cell damage, and potentially cancer. Crunchi also uses non-nano titanium dioxide, which may damage cells. Isononyl isononanoate is also used, which has been linked to liver and kidney harm when applied to the skin. Most products include dimethicone. On its own, dimethicone is generally safe, but it can break down into siloxanes, which are harmful endocrine disruptors. There are some other similar ingredients with some small potential risks. But for the most part, Crunchi's ingredients are nontoxic. Most of their plant ingredients are organic, as well. Crunchi's Translucent Finishing Powder is made of amorphous silica, which can cause respiratory harm when inhaled in powders. If you choose to use this product, you should hold your breath while applying it to minimize this concern. Crunchi uses a blend of natural and generally safe synthetic ingredients in their products, so it's a good choice for safe makeup.
The second option is 100% Pure. This brand uses fruit and other plant extracts to create and color their products! This makes 100% Pure the safest brand in terms of colorant ingredients. There aren't many other ingredients besides the fruit extracts in their products, and these are pretty safe as well. They do sometimes use minerals, including mica, to add shimmer in some products. The company says they run heavy metal and contaminant testing and don't allow any heavy metals or contaminants in their products (though they haven't published their test results publicly). A few products also contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, but they aren't nanoparticles in 100% Pure products, so they're less of a concern, although there are some potential issues. Luckily, you can still minimize those risks, because 100% Pure offers alternatives without zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Fruit Pigmented Long Last Concealer with Super Fruits, Fruit Pigmented Full Coverage Water Foundation, and Fruit Pigmented Powder Foundation contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, but Fruit Pigmented 2nd Skin Concealer and Fruit Pigmented Cream Foundation don't. In a few lip products, Lip Caramel, Cherry Lip Balm, and Fruit Pigmented Lip & Cheek Tint, there is also "natural flavor" as an ingredient, which can be a concern because the full ingredient list isn't disclosed, so it's best to avoid these products. All of 100% Pure's other lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip balms (and all their other products) don't include it. Some of 100% Pure's ingredients are not organic, so they can contain pesticide residues. The only other potential issue is that some products include cacao, which can be contaminated with heavy metals, but again, 100% Pure tests for heavy metals. Overall, the vast majority of 100% Pure's ingredients are just plants, making this brand very safe and one of the best makeup choices.
Chances are, the makeup you're currently using is full of chemicals that can disrupt your hormones and cause reproductive harm, heavy metals, and even carcinogens. Although the beauty industry definitely still needs to improve, there are some fairly safe makeup brands that are much better than conventional ones.
Here's where I got some of this info!
Urinary Paraben Concentrations and Ovarian Aging among Women from a Fertility Center - PMC (nih.gov)
Hi there! Is this an issue generally for US products? Would love to know what you think of the formula for Korean makeup, since it is so commonly regarded as the best in the industry. Loved the article, keep it up! ❤️👏