Organic Make-up

It is not surprising that cosmetics are some of the least regulated consumer products. “Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, cosmetics and their ingredients are not required to undergo approval before they are sold to the public. … This means that manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review or approval.”

You may wonder why this would even matter. It is just going on your skin right? Well your skin is the largest organ in your the body. Your skin performs many duties. It offers protection from outside elements and infections, helps your body regulate its temperature, serves to rid your body of toxins and gives color to your appearance. The cosmetic products are applied directly on the skin. Most all of the chemicals used have known negative side effects. Yet they are still allowed. Some of the toxic ingredients in skin care products may cause some, all, or non (if you are lucky) of the following:

~endocrine disruption

~alter genital development

~contact dermatitis

~allergic reactions

~eye irritations

~dryness of hair and skin

~skin rashes

~cell damage

~toxic by products for environment

I have a few checks on this list. No doubt about it.

My Suggestion: Check out this database for skin care products~ Skin Deep. Type in the brand that you use and it will give you a ranking on 1-1o for toxicity. I was using MAC makeup for years ~which is so bad for your skin. I think it ranks about an 8 on the database. I have now switched over to a make-up called Vapour. Here is a little about the product line.

Vapour cosmetics are made with a minimum of 70% certified organic ingredients. The remaining 30% is comprised of mineral pigments and natural vitamins. We source pure, unadulterated certified organic plant ingredients which are all biodegradable. We favor small, independent producers whenever possible. By supporting Organic farming we help reduce waste, pollution, and the toxic load on the water table. Supporting Organic farming promotes responsible, more sustainable crop cycles. Organic certification standards go beyond farming practices to include strict regulations which ensure responsible non-chemical raw ingredient processing. Vapour uses no irradiated, no chemical and no petroleum ingredients. We do not use ingredients with nano-particles.

I have been using this make-up line for about a year now and I love it. I used to get really itchy eyes from MAC mascara and MAC eye shadow/ eyeliner. I would wake up in the morning and my eyes would sometimes be swollen and blood-shot. I think make-up allergy runs in my family because my mother has it too. These issues do not happen anymore. Another great thing about Vapour make-up is that a little of the product goes a long way. I have been very pleased with the performance of the products. There may be “greener” products out there, but this is a great one to start with. Any other brand suggestions?