Au Natural - Eco Beauty Basics

Even if you religiously look at the ingredients in the food that you eat, most women don’t look at the ingredients in the make-up that they use. You don’t normally think of chemicals entering your body through your skin, but the increased use of patches for administering medication proves that your skin is a willing recipient.

Many cosmetics contain ingredients that are derived from petroleum, SLS and parabens. SLS is known to cause skin problems including dermatitis. Parabens can cause skin irritation and have been shown to act as weak xenoestrogens. Unlike estrogens derived from plants, xenoestrogens are derived from synthetic sources and have been linked to reproductive problems and breast cancer.

Fortunately, you can look great and avoid these toxins. The alternative to make-up with synthetic chemicals and petroleum-based products are those made from plant and mineral oils and natural pigments. Natural makeup is derived from plant sources, not petroleum and synthetic substances. Here’s a quick list of the chemicals to watch out for, as well as a list of some great natural make-up lines and their websites.

WHAT TO AVOID

ALUMINUM – Blocks pores, trapping sweat and toxins in the skin.

ARTIFICIAL COLORS - F, D, and C are all derived from coal tar.

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE – Found in all people tested by the Center for Disease Control in 2000. Causes birth defects in animal testing.

FORMALDEHYDES – Used in the medical profession as a preservative. Look for Imidazolidinyl, DMDM hydantoin, Quaternium 15, Diazolidinylurea, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, and 3-diol.

FRAGRANCES – This category contains up to 200 undeclared substances. Fragrances are known to cause skin irritation and hyperpigmentation.

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL – Is made from petroleum and acts as a drying agent.

PARABENS – Made from petroleum, parabens are thought to play a roll in decreased sperm counts and increasing rates of breast cancer. It is used in 99% of all cosmetics.

PARRAFFIN – Made from petroleum and is used to block pores, trapping toxins in the skin.