Let's Makeup

Women's makeup? Beauty products -- safe or not? Here are some statements taken from an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola. ("Body Absorbs 5 Pounds of Make-Up Chemicals Per Year," www.healthiertalk.com, March 13 2009)

* Women who use make-up on a daily basis can absorb almost 5 pounds of chemicals into their bodies each year.

* Some of the compounds present in make-up have been linked to side effects ranging from skin irritation to cancer.

* Parabens, which may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216, have shown particularly troubling links to cancer.

* Putting chemicals on the skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when people eat something the enzymes in their saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body. 

* The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health stated nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic. 

* Environmental Working Group (EWG) detected 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families - phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks - in blood and urine samples from 20 teen girls aged 14-19. 

* Some so-called "organic" beauty products contain only a single-digit percentage of organic ingredients.

The ingredients in makeup are currently being examined very carefully by various health-conscious groups. American manufacturers argue that no single product has been proven to have a detrimental effect, but when a woman is using 10 or 20 of these products each day, the cumulative exposure does add up.

The federal Food and Drug Administration takes a hands-off approach to cosmetics. Instead of testing products before they hit the market, the FDA regulates these products only after they are sold, investigating health complaints when and if complaints are filed. (Molly M. Ginty, "Activists Push for Safer Ingredients in Makeup," www.womensenews.org, April 30 2004)

Young women exposed to chemicals in makeup may face special concerns. Adolescent girls typically experiment with an increasing number and variety of body care products. This occurs during a period of accelerated development.  

Adolescence encompasses maturation of the reproductive, immune, blood, and adrenal hormone systems, rapid bone growth associated with the adolescent "growth spurt," shifts in metabolism, and key changes to brain structure and function.

A 2000 study at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan linked phthalates (which are also used to soften plastic) to early puberty in girls. Phthalates help cosmetics adhere without smudging. Two particularly suspect phthalates were DBP and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D, staff scientist for Environmental Working Group (September 2008) reported, "Alterations in an array of sex hormones, present in the body at levels as low as one part per billion (ppb), or even one part per trillion (ppt), guide this transformation to adulthood. Emerging research suggests that teens may be particularly sensitive to exposures to trace levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals like the ones targeted in this study, given the cascade of closely interrelated hormonal signals orchestrating the transformation from childhood to adulthood."

Still, the FDA, concluded after a thorough review of the literature that "it's not clear what effect, if any, phthalates have on health." And the CTFA, the industry trade group, notes that government and scientific bodies in the U.S. and Canada have examined phthalates without restricting their use in cosmetics. 

However, with increased consumer education and concern, cosmetic companies are acting on their own. Shelly R. Kramer (ConsumerReports.org www.healthy-communications.com, 2007) reported that companies that have eliminated phthalates are no doubt getting the message that people are paying more attention to ingredients. But public concern isn't the only factor driving the reformulations.

Another reason the industry is reacting is the European ban. The U.S. has outlawed just eight cosmetic ingredients while the European Union has banned more than 1,000. Kramer said, "For companies that make cosmetics, complying with E.U. rules makes good business sense. It's more efficient to sell the same product worldwide. It's also good PR." (ConsumerReports.org www.healthy-communications.com, 2007)

Following this sensible advice, Estee Lauder pledged to eliminate the phthalates chemicals from its MAC and Clinique nail polish lines, while on the same day, Procter and Gamble promised to remove them from its Max Factor and Cover Girl nail polish lines.

Now about 380 U.S. companies have publicly pledged their allegiance to cosmetic safety by signing the Compact for Global Production of Safe Health & Beauty Products, under which they voluntarily pledged to reformulate globally to meet E.U. standards. Is this just tickling the surface of the makeup transformation?

"This is a much bigger issue than nail polish or phthalates," says Barbara Brenner, the executive director of the San-Francisco-based Breast Cancer Action, one of the advocacy groups putting pressure on the cosmetics industry. "It could be the beginning of a revolution in consumer safety. People need to know that some cosmetics contain toxic chemicals and they need to demand that safer ingredients be used." (Molly M. Ginty, "FDA Failing To Remove Toxic Chemicals From Cosmetics," Organic Consumers Association, June 1 2004)

Ginty stated, "With the nail polish victory behind them, health advocates are demanding that U.S. cosmetics manufacturers starting using the same formulations they use in Europe, where cosmetics are made in factories separate those sold in the United States. In addition, they're calling for further study of other suspect ingredients: parabens, which are in face creams and lotions and have been found in human breast tumors and formaldehyde, which is found in nail polish and blush and has been linked to cancer." ("FDA Failing To Remove Toxic Chemicals From Cosmetics," Organic Consumers Association, June 1 2004)

Footnote

EWG's "Skin Deep" investigation is released in conjunction with the launch of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, organized to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation or reproductive harm.

Founding members of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include: The Breast Cancer Fund, Friends of the Earth, Women's Voices for the Earth, Environmental Working Group, National Environmental Trust, National Black Environmental Justice Network, Health Care Without Harm and Commonweal.

Fox News Video

Study: Makeup Contains Chemicals Harmful, Cancerous to Teens

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efc0Wn1zHJc

The group recommends that consumers avoid the following ingredients when purchasing beauty products:

— DMDM hydantoin and imidanzolidinyl urea, which are toxic contaminants
— Fragrance and dyes, which can lead to allergies, cancer and problems of the nervous system

— Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, which can cause allergies and problems of the nervous system
— Parbens or “-parben,” which can lead to hormone disruption
— “PEG” and “-eth,” which are toxic contaminants
— Sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, which can cause skin damage
— Triclosan and triclocarban, which can lead to problems with the thyroid and environmental concerns
— Triehanolamine (TEA), which can cause allergies and contain toxic contaminants

Products to avoid include:

— Anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acid
— Hair dyes with ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene, and/or all dark permanent hair dyes
— Liquid hand soaps with triclosan
— Nail polish and nail polish remover with formaldehyde
— Skin lighteners with hydroquinone

Makeup Or Make Down...

Archaelogists have found evidence of the use of cosmetics (copper and lead ore) in ancient Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. Some believe Egyptians used cosmetics helped to keep the skin hydrated and supple to avoid wrinkles from the dry heat. Historical reports also contend that the women decorated their eyes by applying dark green color to the under lid and blackening the lashes and the upper lid with kohl, made from antimony (a metallic element) or soot. Egyptians believed that eye make-up could ward off evil spirits and improve the sight. Even the poor wore eye make-up in ancient Egypt. Supposedly it was also protection from the "evil eye."

 Alicia Silverstone

Makeup Primer

What do modern men think about the mysterious, deceptive art of makeup and the women who wear it? Of course, today some men, themselves, are comfortable wearing cosmetics, but most men view the entire industry in terms of the finished feminine product. Men know what they consider to be a beautiful woman, but few know the processes that produce much of their conception of beauty. A good bet is that most men are unaware that such a plethora of cosmetic products exists.

Lip products include lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner, lip plumper, lip balm, lip conditioner, lip primer, lip booster, and lip stain. Skin cosmetics take in foundation, powder, blush, rouge, concealer, and bronzer. For eyes, specialties feature mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, eye shimmer, and glitter eye pencils. Even eyebrows can be treated with eyebrow pencils, creams, waxes, gels, and powders to color and define. And, of course, nail cosmetics include false nails, polish, and a wide variety of artistic applications.



So how does a woman perform her skillful sorcery? What is makeup? Common ingredients include acetone, acetate, alcohol, algae, alum, beeswax, camphor, boric acid, caffeine, collagen, glycerin, grape seed extract, lanolin, rose hips, silicone, silk powder, sulfer, water and various vitamins such as B,C, D, and E.

Some of the more bizarre ingredients in makeup include table salt, pepper spray, diatomaceous earth (a component in dynamite), egg whites, plastics, simethicone (gas relief drops),  urea (formerly extracted from urine), propylene glycol (not toxic antifreeze but used on aircraft wings to prevent ice accummulation), and  hydrogenated vegetable oil. (Adrienne Crezo, CNN Living, July 18 2008)

All of those ingredients combine to help the cosmetics industry attract American consumers to spend billions of dollars a year on makeup products. In 2004, Americans spent $12.4 billion on cosmetics, an amount of money that is 33% larger than the amount needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide water and sanitation for all people in developing nations, and, ironically, since cosmetics are often advertised as symbols of women's rights and independence, just slightly larger than the amount needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide reproductive healthcare for all women in developing countries. (www.medscape.com/viewarticle, Ob/Gyn and Women's Health, 2006)

 Jessica Simpson

A Study
A relatively new study by beauty product company St. Ives found that one in five men wish that their ladies would wear less makeup, and one in 10 prefer the bare-faced look, the United Kingdom Daily Mail reports. (www.dailymail.co.uk, January 6 2010) This research begs the question: "Are women applying excess makeup for personal reasons, not to attract or impress men. Could it be that women who use a lot of makeup are trying to impress other women much more with it than they are trying to impress men?

A spokesman for St. Ives said, "For many guys, makeup can act as a barrier between them and their partner, and it seems they simply prefer women to go natural…. This seems to be a bigger issue between the genders as may women also admitted they weren't happy with their skin condition. So it would appear that women are wearing makeup to hide bad skin, not simply to impress the opposite sex. If women felt more confident that their skin was in good condition, they wouldn't need to wear so much makeup to cover up."


When asked to name their top 10 makeup pet peeves, here’s what the surveyed men reportedly said:

1. Lipstick on teeth
2. Too much blush
3. Thick foundation
4. Panda eyes
5. Clumpy mascara
6. Bright lipstick
7. Tell-tale foundation marks at the jawline
8. Bright blue eyeshadow
9. Penciled-in brows
10. Amy Winehouse-style eyeliner flicks

But, it's interesting to see that the majority of men were reluctant to admit this to their partner.

 Madonna

Women and Makeup

The study revealed that women had different feelings about wearing makeup as evidenced by these additional findings in the study:

1. 15 per cent of women admitted they wouldn't dream of walking out of the front door without war paint on.

2. Almost two thirds of women admitted to wearing a full-face of make-up to work most days, with one in twenty claiming they had been warned by their boss about wearing too much.
 
3. Thirty-nine per cent of women even claimed they dreaded their husband or boyfriend seeing them before they have applied their make-up.

4. But, the researchers also found 23 per cent of women who cake on the make-up are using it to mask their lack of confidence, while 30 per cent think they are hiding behind it.