Green Cosmetics?

Women love to be beautiful. This is simple fact. However, for years, "being beautiful" in America has come to mean "covering your face with a layer of makeup." While this approach to beauty is not necessarily right or wrong (it's more of a cultural issue), the beauty industry of the past has definitely compromised standards of green, eco-friendly living. The chemicals and dyes in many cosmetic's ingredients are often considered both harmful to the human body and harmful to the environment. Because of this, recent industry trends have shifted to trying to provide makeup with a more "green" basis for its production. Certain lines of makeup products boast of containing only "natural minerals" or "no harmful chemicals" in their ingredients, but the prices for these more green products is often higher than the former (and not so green) cosmetics. Now the current trend in cosmetics is to actually make your own makeup, in theoretically "green" ways, but a quick look at the ingredients on even these homemade "green" cosmetics makes one question just how environmentally friendly such makeup really is.

First of all, there are definitely aspects of some organic, do-it-yourself makeup formulas that are praiseworthy. Most of these "recipes" are paraben-free, which is a huge bonus over some non-organic alternatives. Additionally, the coloring for certain do-it-yourself organic cosmetics (such as foundation) is often made with cinnamon as the coloring agent-an all natural and non harmful substance that even smells great. These homemade foundations also easily allow for the creators to mix up the "perfect" shade of color for their faces. Another bonus to such homemade and "green" makeup is that the recipes generally allow for the creators to alter the ingredient list so that it does not contain any potential irritants to their own skin, as each person may have their own personal allergic reactions to different chemicals.

However, a closer examination of the ingredients of even the most "environmentally friendly" cosmetics reveals that this industry still has a ways to go before it can really claim to be fully green. For example, both the do-it-yourself recipes and store bought cosmetics often use talc powder as a base. Talc which is a mineral that contains fibers similar to asbestos has been found to be a proven carcinogen, causing a high rate of lung cancer in the miners who work in the talc industry. Despite scientific research, however, talc has remained an accepted ingredient for even the "greenest" of commercial cosmetics.

In order to truly be green in your makeup regime for each day, carefully examine the ingredient list on your favorite blushes, foundations, and eye shadows. Eliminate those products that have parabens or other environmentally dangerous additives and chemicals. If you plan on making your own makeup, try using a talc powder substitute such as tapioca powder to provide the base for your cosmetics. Remember, just because a makeup brand boasts of being "all natural" it does not mean that it is "all green and good for you." There are many natural chemicals that are harmful to humans and overuse of them can be harmful to the earth as well.