January 15, 2019
What's Really in Your Makeup?!
If you use cosmetics or other personal care products (uhh, all of us, duh!), this one is definitely for you!
According to reports by the Environmental Working Group, the average American woman uses 12 personal care products daily, exposing them to over 168 different ingredients. Holy cow, that's a lot! Many consumers assume that if the product is being sold, it must be safe to use. Upon doing a little research, this assumption is proven to be largely untrue. According to the FDA, they do not regulate cosmetic products or ingredients and companies are not required to have their products tested or approved before going to market. In the US, there are only 11 cosmetic ingredients that are banned; an extremely low comparison to the whopping 1328 prohibited chemical ingredients by the EU (European Union)!
Ingredients don't necessarily have to be orally ingested to be harmful; many of the products we use every day are inhaled or even absorbed through the skin when applied topically. So what about the products that are labelled as "natural" or "organic"? Surely those are a healthier option, right? Well, not necessarily! The FDA lacks a standard definition of what the terms "natural" or "organic" technically mean. Meaning, a product can be labelled as "natural" while still containing many questionable ingredients.
Cosmetic regulations in the United States have not been updated since 1938! WOW! A little shocking, right?! Beauty trends change seemingly by the minute, and somehow our regulations have been untouched for over 80 years! So if the FDA isn't regulating what we are putting on our bodies then what can be done? It's simple- get to know what you're using and be ingredient savvy! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) provides an online Cosmetic Database for products they deem as "safe" and provide many great tips for choosing healthier options.
