Heavy Metals in Make-up and Cosmetics

Heavy Metals. They are dangerous and something I have spent a lot of time in my career learning how to identify metal toxicity in my clients and how to properly detoxify out of their bodies. We aren’t able to get away from all of the heavy metal exposure around us but we are able to stay away from the ones we can make a choice about.

Sources of Heavy Metals

• Vaccinations
• Lead Pipes
• Amalgam (silver) fillings
• Environment (air and dirt)
• Personal Care Products
• Makeup (specifically lipstick and black eyeliner)

I can’t get into all of these sources specifically but I am going to talk about metals in our cosmetics and makeups. This is an area we can learn to avoid.  I bet you didn’t even know the products you put on your face on a daily basis could be adding to the toxicity of your body instead. You may look good but it isn’t good for your body. Your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it. Think of everything you put on your skin, hair and face everyday. Choosing healthy products isn’t only a new trend but it is vital for our long term health.

The Heavy Metal Problem in Makeup

Heavy metals have been in our make up for years. The heavy metal issue has continued throughout the years with all brands of cosmetics. Don’t think that because the brand you use is sold in stores or has a high price tag or is high end in a department store makes them safe or free of heavy metals. For example, many of the high end companies state they have products containing “kohl” most often found in dark eye liners. Kohl is a mineral mined that always contains lead. Another example is the red pigment in lipsticks. It is nearly impossible to get a red or a vibrant pink lipstick that does not contain lead because of the colorant that they use in there.

In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics decided to see whether rumors about lead hiding in lipsticks were true. The Campaign sent dozens of lipsticks (ranging from drugstore to luxury to natural brands) to an independent lab to test them for lead—and it found low levels in over half the lipsticks. As a follow-up, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted its own expanded, 400-lipstick study, and it too found lead: The average concentration was 1.11 ppm, and the highest value was 7.19 ppm. (To put this in perspective, the FDA’s recommended limit for lead in candy is 0.1 ppm; there isn’t a limit for lead in cosmetics.)

These are scary numbers. They made me look twice at what I’m putting on my face.

This doesn’t mean that cosmetic companies are intentionally putting heavy metals in their products.

It is where they source their products and colors from that contain heavy metals.

The problem is the cosmetic industry doesn’t have a standard or a safe limit for heavy metals in cosmetics

What if I could tell you that you can look good and have the products on your face be good for your body?

Meet Beautycounter

Beauty counter has banned more than 1,500 ingredients setting a new health and safety standard. And Beautycounter is the only company who batch tests for heavy metals. No other company does that, even other organic and natural companies.

The only way to be sure that you’re not applying heavy metals to your skin is to refrain from using color cosmetics. The only way to be sure that your color cosmetics have undetectable or only extremely low levels of heavy metals is to use Beautycounter. We believe we’re using the strictest standards in the industry, testing all of our color products during formulation, at the end of formulation, and before we order any new batch. That is our commitment to you.

Beautycounter

Another thing that I love about Beautycounter is their products work. They formulate them with the best standard and they are high performing, meaning they will compete with the highest quality, best makeup in the industry. I’m using their products and am adding more into my routine each month. Everything I’ve tried I love. Don’t get me wrong, there are some other good companies out there making a difference. Through my research I decided to support and use Beautycounter.

Read more on the infographic below about Heavy Metals in Cosmetics

 

SOURCES

What Is Kohl Eyeliner, Really?

Play word association with “kohl” and the same descriptors tend to come up: inky, creamy, Cleopatra-y. But we recently found out what kohl actually is-and the answer is surprising….

The Average American Woman Puts How Many Products On Her Skin Each Day?

The Average American Woman Puts How Many Products On Her Skin Each Day?

http://www.beautycounter.com/know-everything/what-cosmetics-companies-wont-tell-you-aboutheavy-metals/