Cosmetics: What's in them?

What's in our Cosmetic Products?

Did you know that the products in your home could potentially be dangerous not only to the environment but also to your health?

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When choosing a product, what is the most important aspect that you will look for? The packaging? The smell? Or possibly, the ingredients?

Let's take a look at the ingredients contained in our daily products.

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Top 5 Harmful Chemicals in Cosmetics

Lead

There are heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, iron, aluminium and others found in many cosmetics products like foundations, eye shadows and lip products. If these metals accumulate too much in your body, it will cause dangerous health issues like cancer, reproductive and developmental concerns. Lead is a type of neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities. For women, it can delay puberty and develop infertility problems. Mercury is dangerous to your lungs, causing infections with its high toxicity. Surprisingly, lots of whitening products rely on mercury for faster results. If you stop using them, your skin can break out and leave permanent acne scars.

Fun fact: Did you know that Queen Elizabeth used to use vinegar mixed with lead on her face as foundation to cover her smallpox scars? It's potentially very dangerous!

Talc

Talc is present in most makeup products like face cake, blusher, bronzers--- the most important product you'll reach for if you want to achieve flawless, translucent face. Talc absorbs the moisture on the skin and leaves it looking matte and non-cakey. However, talc carries the risks of developing asbestos; a known chemical for developing cancer tissues! 

Triclosan

This chemical has been found in soaps, tubes of toothpaste and body cleansers due to its fascinating resistance to bacteria. However, too much of everything is not a good thing. Triclosan has been banned because of its effect that can trigger thyroid and antibiotic resistance. Other than that, it is proven that this harmful chemical led to the growth of tumour and stomach inflammation in tests conducted with mice. 

Artificial Fragrance/Parfum

What is the first thing you do when you reach for a product on the shelves in supermarkets? I bet you inspect it and proceed to smell it, right? Lots of cosmetic products out there have some sort of smell (even when they say 'no fragrance') in them. To our dismay, most of these smells are created from artificial fragrances or parfum. It could just as well be chemicals like irritants, stimulants and other combinations of harmful chemicals that end up smelling nice. We'll never know, right? There are reports saying these artificial parfums had cause allergies and hormone disruptions!

Paraben

There are different types of parabens like proplyparaben, methylparaben, isobutylparaben and trust me, they are all harmful to your body. These preservatives can be found in lipsticks, blushers,  face powder and a variety of other cosmetic products. Chemicals like paraben can lead to breast cancer, hormonal imbalances and can even attack your endocrine system. If you ever see the word 'paraben', please avoid them!

Of course, there are also many other lists of dangerous chemical ingredients used in present-day products, and it is indeed overwhelming to avoid all of them. However, let's do our best by reading more about them and choosing a safer brand option, as it poses countless risks to the body. Remember, your health is very important! :)