The makeup industry ends up on the news every so often. Just last week, California decided to ban cosmetics tested on animals starting in 2020. One major thing in the industry that’s been around for awhile and will continue to be around is natural makeup.
Several makeup manufacturers still produce products with trace amounts of chemicals, stating that there are no effects on humans. However, a growing number of people are saying that in this day and age, we should be using makeup products that are completely natural. After all, there are so many potential long-term side effects of chemical-contaminated products that have never been studied - why take the risk?
Here are three reasons why you should go natural when it comes to makeup:
 1 - We shouldn’t be putting chemicals on our skin to begin with
As aforementioned, quite a few cosmetics manufacturers continue to put dangerous chemicals in makeup, including a few that are banned in other countries. Our skin is our body’s first line of defense, but it does absorb substances that are put onto it. Why allow chemicals to make their way into your body?
Laws regarding cosmetics in the United States are still rather lacking, and this can be seen in the legality of makeup containing carcinogenic ingredients. How can you keep yourself safe? You have to read the ingredients in the fine print before you purchase makeup just as you do with food.
If any of the following ingredients show up in the list, opt out: formaldehyde, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), carbon black, quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3 diol, phenacetin, coal tar, benzene, untreated or mildly treated mineral oils, ethylene oxide, chromium, cadmium and its compounds, arsenic, and crystalline silica.
These are compounds that SafeCosmetics.org say to steer clear of. They have been linked to occurences of cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxity. To ensure a healthier future, go natural.
2 - It’s better for the environment
If these things harm your body, who’s to say it won’t harm the environment? It’s simple, really. The makeup that you put on your face is washed off at the end of the day. It flows into the sewage system along with the water, which is then treated and come back into the water system. Though many things can be cleaned with good water treatment, some toxins make it through and are present in the water that we use to take showers, brush our teeth, and even wash our pets. Besides having an impact in your own household, it will also impact the natural waters in the environment - ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans - where they can continue to harm the creatures there.
Manufacturers who produce natural makeup are dedicated to not only protecting you, but protecting the environment. They make products that don’t harm the living things in our environment, be it animals down by the river or the plants in your backyard. They spend huge amounts on research and development in order to produce products that are friendly to the ecosystem. They often use sustainable energy, recycled materials, plant-based ingredients, and minimize their waste. These companies refuse to test their products on animals, something that quite a few big manufacturers still do. They do their best to do no harm to the world.
3 - You can absorb nutrients
Your skin doesn’t only take in harmful ingredients - it takes in good nutrients, too. The following ingredients are things that natural makeup manufacturers often include in their products:
* Coconut oil: antioxidants and emollients
* Avocado oil: lecithin, fatty acids and vitamins A, D and E
* Sunflower oil: vitamin E and antioxidants
* Borage seed oil: gamma linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid, and antioxidants
* Bamboo powder: silica and flavanones
* Aloe extract: vitamins A, B, C and E, and lipids
* Plankton extract: amino acids, essential fatty acids and plant minerals
Several other natural extracts are often included in these products that are wonderful for your skin. Opt for these natural products instead, and opt out of products that can harm the environment and your body.