Mainstream brand cosmetics have suspect, or even dangerous ingredients. Are there safe cosmetics?

We’ve talked elsewhere about dangerous ingredients in skin care products. Unfortunately all the same problems apply to cosmetics.

The FDA does not adequately regulate cosmetics, and in particular does not have any brief to satisfy itself that the ingredients used in cosmetics by the cosmetics manufacturers are safe for human use and human consumption.

Human consumption? We don’t eat them do we?

Well in effect we do. When you put a skin care product or a cosmetic product on your face some of it is absorbed into your skin, and from there it gets into your bloodstream, just as if you had eaten it. Unfortunately when you apply cosmetics to your skin some of them aren’t removed when you clean them off your face before you go to bed.

Some of those ingredients have gone into your system.

And there are some quite nasty ingredients in cosmetics, just like there are in skincare products. Mascaras, lipsticks, eye shadows, bronzers, blushes, foundations and more have ingredients in them that are often suspect and in some cases have been shown in studies to cause cancer.

Here’s a quote direct from the FDA website:

“The regulatory requirements governing the sale of cosmetics are not as stringent as those that apply to other FDA-regulated products… 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.”

Scary isn’t it?

There is even an organization to fight the proliferation of dangerous ingredients in cosmetics, called the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics.

Here’s just a couple of examples from the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics website.

1. A study has found that some (more than half of those tested) major big name brands of lipstick contain lead, including:

L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red”
Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red”
Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red”

and more. And there was lead found in some of the most expensive brands too, so paying more is no preventative.

2. Some cosmetics are contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane, and it isn’t of course listed on the labels, so there is no way of telling which ones.

And there’s lots more examples, no need to list them all here, although we have talked about this in more depth in relation to dangerous ingredients in skincare products.

So Can You Find Safe Cosmetics?

Yes you can, just like you can find safe skin care products.

There are various cosmetics companies working hard to produce safe, and high quality cosmetics for the consumer. And the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics has a register that companies can sign to pledge themselves to using only safe ingredients in their cosmetics and skincare and anti-aging products.

Who can we recommend that produces safe cosmetics and has signed the campaign for safe cosmetics pledge?

Ferro Cosmetics, manufacturer of a high quality range of safe cosmetics, and a signatory to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

And for skin care products Xtend Life, who produce the worlds best skin care and anti-aging products, and who are also a signatory.

So whether you’re looking for skin care, or cosmetics, you can buy your products comfortable in the knowledge that you aren’t putting your health at risk.

Written by - Natural Health

(And make sure you read our page about Natural Skin Care, it's quite an eye opener about modern skin care products.)