Closer Look at Cosmetics

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I am not much of a makeup person but I am a huge skincare person so I can't say that I don't have quite a few bottles and jars of serums, moisturizers, and exfoliants sitting in my bathroom. For most people, at least some form of cosmetics/personal hygiene products are necessary for normal life. Everyone has to have some products and by their nature, they are going directly onto our bodies which means that we should be extra careful when it comes to the ingredients they contain.

I usually try my best to look for "clean" ingredients using the Think Dirty app but there is always more to learn and discover when it comes to products that can have such a profound impact on my health.  A lot of my products were rated well and "clean" but a couple disappointed and frightened me. For example, some days I wear the Glossier futuredew serum as a an all over skin illuminator and hydrator. 

A search for the full list of  the ingredients showed that there were a lot of things I had never heard of. 

The full ingredients list: hexanediol, disteardimonium hectorite, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf oil, Rosa Canina Fruit oil, sodium chloride, squalene, Evodia Rutaecarpa fruit extract, olive oil polyglyceryl-6 esters, isoamyl laurate, isohexadecane, water, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, oenothera biennis oil, grape seed oil, polyglyceral-10 pentaoleate, hydrogenated castor oil, jojoba seed oil, hydroxyacetophenone, mica, tin oxide, iron oxide, vitamin E, titanium dioxide. (Skincarisma.com, 2022).

I looked into a few of my different skincare products using the website "EWG.org". They have a feature called "Skin Deep" that acts as a database full of tons of different cosmetic products and gives detailed breakdowns of ingredients and potential hazards.

The results of the EWG Skin Deep search rated futuredew a 3 out of 10. This isn't horrible but it's also not great. It basically means that it is "moderately" hazardous and that there is limited amount of data out there on it. In particular, tocopheryl acetate. There is strong evidence that this chemical is a skin allergen or irritant for many people and an environmental toxin (EWG.org, 2022).

The results of my chosen cosmetic product weren't terrible but I know that there are tons of different types of products that may even have an "Organic" label slapped on them that contain seriously harmful ingredients. For example, parabens, carbon black (found in mascara and eyeliner), and fragrances are all all can contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins (Wisecup, 2022). 

According to EWG.org, "The U.S. government doesn't review the toxicity of products before they're sold. Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish without regard for how safe they are" (EWG.org, 2022). People deserve to know that what they are slathering all over their face and using all over their bodies could be causing them harm. I don't understand why these companies can legally use any ingredient that could cause cancer or harm to reproductive health.

As for the futuredew, even though it wasn't scored horribly, I think that I'll stop using it because it's unnecessary and I don't need to be putting anything that contains chemicals that are irritants on my face. It also has some ingredients that are environmental toxins and it's not worth purchasing something that, quite honestly doesn't do much ,and is harmful to the environment. 

Looking at the EWG.org database for futuredew inspired me to look into almost all of my other products or products that I've considered buying and planned to in the future. I won't be using a few of my products ever again and have reevaluated my plans to purchase others in the future. I think this is a really great resource that will help me be more intentional about the cosmetics that I purchase, whether it's for my own health or the health of the planet.

I encourage you to take a look at the ingredients in your cosmetic products because you may be surprised like I was! 

Sources

Skincarisma. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.skincarisma.com/products/glossier/futuredew/ingredient_list

Ewg Skin Deep®: Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid Rating. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/products/926986-Glossier_Futuredew_Oil_Serum_Hybrid/ 

Wisecup, M. (2022, March 29). The 10 most toxic skincare ingredients to avoid - and why. Conscious Life & Style. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/toxic-skincare-ingredients-to-avoid/