I flipped over this package for a lip gloss and was shocked.

I’ve been in the natural sphere for so long that I assume that the popular cosmetic brands have come a long way with their ingredients to match the demand for more natural consumption. In the last 5 years, so many more of us have been voting with our dollars by switching to more natural and organic food. At superstore the natural isle has grown tremendously and you can now find kombucha in almost every large chain grocery store in Edmonton. This makes me so happy. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the same impact on the quality of our cosmetics.

Many of us know natural is better, but few of us actually flip over packaging to read what’s in our make-up. The regulations on cosmetics in Canada and the USA is awful. You can put ingredients that are known carcinogens, hormone disruptors and contaminated ingredients in your product and it’s legal. It falls on us as “consumers” to look into it ourselves and decide to purchase the item or not. Unfortunately, we assume that our government has our best interest in mind and would protect us from such things.  This allows for cleaver marketing and cheap prices to sway us into buying something that’s catchy without really looking into how it can impact our general health.

So What Are These Ingredients?

Petrolatum: This ingredient is restricted in high amounts for cosmetics because it is toxic to non-reproductive organs. There are major concerns with this product being contaminated. The biggest concern is bio-accumulation in your system.

Paraffinum Liquidum: Derived from petroleum. There is a risk of it being allergenic and immunotoxic. There is also research that suggests a link with cancer.

Ozokerite: This is a type of wax that is either derived from petroleum or mineral sources. It does not have to be started on labels whether it is derived from petroleum.

Di-PPG-3 Myristyl Ether Adipate: There is currently no data on the safety of this ingredient. Because of this, it is generally regarded as safe until proven otherwise.

Isocetyl Stearate: There is no data on the safety of this ingredient either, although there is concern that it is an irritant to the eyes and skin as well as the lungs in aerosol form. There is also concern with ecotoxicity.

Cera Microcristallina: Another petroleum derived product. It is classified as expected to be toxic or harmful and a medium human health priority.

Isopropyl Lanolate: Chemically derived from lanolin, an animal by product, this ingredient has been shown to be a skin irritant/allergen and has possible negative impacts on the environment.

Flavor: This can really be anything as there is no need to specify origins. Most companies add this to mask a smell.

Dimethicone: This is suspected to be eco-toxic and has limitations in cosmetics as is suspected to be toxic to organs.

Phenyl Trimethicone: Also suspected to be an environmental toxin.

Lanolin: An animal derived fat. Generally regarded as safe although some say it is potentially allergenic.

Carnauba: A wax derived from a brazillian carnuba palm tree.

Tocopheryl Acetate: This is acetic acid and vitamin E. It has been linked to tumor growth at high doses in animal studies. It is also considered a human skin toxicant and allergen. It is expected to bioaccumulate in our environment. It has a high occurance of contamination with the highly toxic compound Hydroquinone

Isopropyl Myristate: This is isopropyl alcohol and mysteric acid. It can be animal derived. There is also strong evidence that it is an irritant to the skin and eyes.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract: A safe ingredient with the only concern being concentration.

Impact Pure Pearl: I was unable to find out what this ingredient may be. It is likely a colourant.

Paraffin: Derived from petroleum and classified as expected to be toxic for organ systems.

Cetyl Alcohol: A long chain organic alcohol that can be either plant or animal derived.

Sucralose: This is basically splenda. It is a flavoring agent that is chemically derived to mimic sugar. Probably because without it this product would taste like an oil change.

Hydrolyzed Silk: This is silk that has been hydrolyzed with an acid or an enzyme. It is safe although we don’t know what type of acid or enzyme was use to hydrolyze the silk.

C1 77019, C177891, C1 77163, C1 73360, C1 16035: Colorants. Unclear what they are made from.

So pretty much, this entire product is a big chunk of oil in forms that are generally regarded as safe because there is limited data or gaps in data. There are some ingredients that are known skin irritants and others that may impact our environment. To make it even better, it is possible that there are even ingredients that are immunotoxic! Oh, and if you are a PETA supporter or a vegan, this product is definitely not for you.

This product is precisely the reason why Rachel and I decided to start Pure Living Enthusiast. The current regulations are frustrating and scary when it come to thing we put on our body and around our eyes multiple times per day. Since we absorb about 60% of what we put on our skin, this is not just a social issue, this is a health issue as well.

Please switch to natural if you haven’t already.
Please share this information with your family and friends.
Please vote with your dollar so that we can collectively shift what’s in every cosmetic product on our shelves.