Natural Cheek, Lip and Eye Makeup

Honey Bee and Signature Makeup Made With Natural Ingredients
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Is Your Make Up Aging Your Skin and Making You Sick?

It is a medically recognized fact that our body absorbs significant amounts of what we put on our skin. Yet, one third of all personal care products contain one or more ingredients classified as possible human carcinogens. Women are unknowingly exposing themselves to some 100 chemicals every morning when applying make up. In fact, many lipsticks, creams, eye shadows, foundations, nail polish and perfumes have been regularly found to contain toxic chemicals known to cause infertility and cancer.

Did you know? 89% of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have NOT been evaluated for safety.

Yet, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Handbook, which is the "bible" of regulations and standards laid down in the United States for the manufacture of food and drugs, including cosmetic and skin care products, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to register with the FDA. The result is that nearly all commercial makeup products are contaminated with a variety of harmful ingredients.

1,4-Dioxane Petroleum-derived Contaminant

1,4-Dioxane is a petroleum-derived contaminant, which is considered to be a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a clear-cut animal carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. Also, it is on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known or suspected by the state to cause cancer or birth defects. Because it is a contaminant produced during manufacturing, the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient on product labels. (read more)

Parabens in Cosmetics

Parabens are known hormone disruptors, which evidence suggests can mimic the female hormone oestrogen, and a lifetime of increased exposure to oestrogen is linked to a heightened risk of breast cancer. One study found parabens present in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tissue samples (though it is important to note that the study did not prove they'd actually caused the breast cancer). Parabens are also thought to adversely affect male reproductive functions.

"I never in a million years thought I could be exposed to chemicals which could damage me through my make-up. Make-up makes me feel good and it wouldn't have even crossed my mind that it could be doing me harm." -- Charlotte Kohl (read article)

Phthalates in Cosmetics

A recent study by the Women's Environmental Network in conjunction with the Swedish Study for Nature Conservation found that four out of five popular beauty products they tested contained chemicals called phthalates - pronounced 'thalates'.

Phthalates have been found to harm the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system, especially developing sex organs in males. It can also cause premature breast development in girls, low sperm counts in men and cause the testicles to waste away.

Two phthalates are already banned in the European Union from being used in chewable plastic toddlers' toys because of the risk to developing reproductive organs. But women could still be absorbing a range of different phthalates through their beauty products and risking the health of their unborn children. An American study found that every single man and woman they studied contained traces of dibutyl phthalate. The levels of this phthalate were particularly high in women between the ages of 20 and 45, largely due to the fact that they use more cosmetic products than men. (read article)

Lead in Cosmetics

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that a significant proportion of lipstick manufactured in the United States and used by millions of American women contains surprisingly high levels of lead. According to new product tests, 61 percent of brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, which can be toxic if ingested. (read article)

Did you know? The FDA grants approval to some lead-containing colorants used in most lipsticks.

Mercury in Cosmetics

Here's what the FDA's handbook on mercury in cosmetics states:

"Mercury compounds are readily absorbed through the skin on topical application and tend to accumulate in the body. They may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxic manifestations. The use of mercury compounds as cosmetic ingredients is limited to eye area cosmetics at concentrations not exceeding 65 parts per million (0.0065 percent) of mercury calculated as the metal (about 100 ppm or 0.01 percent phenylmercuric acetate or nitrate) and provided no other effective and safe preservative is available for use."

Nitrosamines in Cosmetics

And this from the FDA handbook:

"Cosmetics containing as ingredients amines or amino derivatives, particularly diethanolamine or triethanolamine, may form nitrosamines if they also contain an ingredient which acts as a nitrosating agent as, for example, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol, Onyxide 500), 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane (Bronidox C) or tris(hydroxymethyl)nitromethane (Tris Nitro), or if they are contaminated with a nitrosating agent, e.g., sodium nitrite. Amines and their derivatives are mostly present in creams, cream lotions, hair shampoos and cream hair conditioners. The nitrosation may occur during manufacture or during product storage.

"Many nitrosamines have been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals. They have also been shown to penetrate the skin. Nitrosamine contamination of cosmetics became an issue in early 1977. In a study of 29 cosmetic creams and lotions, N-Nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) was determined in 27.

"FDA has urged cosmetic manufacturers to voluntarily remove from the cosmetic any ingredient which may combine with others to form NDELA and to conduct additional testing to determine why cosmetics become contaminated with NDELA."

In other words, cosmetic manufacturers can do as they please. But wait, there's more harmful chemicals that the FDA suggests manufactures should avoid, but doesn't require them to eliminate:

"Because of its neurotoxic effect and ability to penetrate human skin, hexachlorophene (HCP) may be used only when an alternative preservative has not been shown to be as effective."

The FDA handbook lists more hazardous chemicals that are prohibited as cosmetic ingredients EXCEPT when unintentional contamination occurs due to the manufacturing process, yet there is nothing in place to regulate the manufacturing process to prevent the contamination:

• Bithionol because of its likelihood of causing photo-contact sensitization.
• Halogenated salicylanilides (di-, tri-, metabromsalan and tetrachlorosalicylanilide) because of their potential for causing photocontact sensitization.
• Chloroform because of its animal carcinogenicity and likely hazard to human health.
• Vinyl chloride as an ingredient of aerosol products because of its carcinogenic effect in humans and animals.
• Zirconium-containing complexes in aerosol cosmetic products because of their toxic effect on lungs, including granulomas.
• Methylene chloride because of its animal carcinogenicity and likely hazard to human health.

And that's just a small sampling of what you are putting on your face every day.

There are things you can do to protect yourself from the hazards of cosmetic contamination. For starters, here is additional reading to help you know what you are really putting on your face every day:

• Can Beauty Be Dangerous?
• Is Your Makeup Killing You
• What's in Your Make-up's Make-up?
• Chemical Detection: Know How to Protect Yourself
• Chemicals Used in the Beauty and Skin Care Industry

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Lead Free, Petroleum Free, Chemical Free
Non-Toxic Natural Makeup

At last, there is a non toxic, chemical- and lead-free lip, cheek and eye make-up choice: Honey Bee mascara and eyeliner and Signature eye shadows, cheek colors and lip butters.

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Copyright © 1997-2009 Carol A. James All rights reserved. Last update: November 1, 2009