One of the biggest problems people have with the cosmetic industry is that they load up their products with bad ingredients like lead, paraben and other carcinogenic substances that remain on the skin throughout the day. It can be challenging to find natural and organic makeup options.
Cosmetic companies may use raw materials or ingredients without getting approval from the government. Industrial chemicals, according to statistics, make up about 1/8 of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products and these include pesticides, carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and reproductive toxins. The worse of it all is that the U.S. federal law allows companies to leave out many chemicals in their labels, including nano-materials, components of fragrance, and ingredients considered trade secrets. Hence, it has always been advised to use genuine makeup manufacturer skin care products to eliminate skin problems and for a charming personality.
And here’s the scariest part. According to Skin Deep, more than 500 products on the U.S. market contain ingredients banned in cosmetics in other countries such as Canada, Japan or the European Union.
Here are some ingredients you want to avoid in your makeup products.
- DEA – reactions formed can be carcinogenic
- BHA and BHT – endocrine disruption; possible carcinogen
- Coal tar dyes – possible carcinogen; may contain heavy metals toxic to the brain
- Dibutyl phthalate – reproductive toxicant; endocrine disruptor
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives – known carcinogen
- Parabens – suspected endocrine disruptor; may interfere with male reproductive functions
- Parfum (fragrance) – allergies; asthma; known carcinogen; neurotoxicity
- PEG compounds – possible carcinogen
- Petrolatum – possible carcinogen
- Siloxanes – endocrine disruptor; reproductive toxicant
- Sodium Laureth sulfate – possible carcinogen
- Triclosan – antibiotic resistance in bacteria; endocrine disruptor
To avoid these substances, the solution is to make your own makeup.
Basic Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Natural and Organic Makeup:
- Kaolin clay or arrowroot powder (Foundation Base)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (For Brown Eye Shadow)
- Hibiscus Flower Powder
- Activated charcoal
- Alkanet Root Powder
- Cinnamon (please make sure it’s Ceylon)
- Beet powder
- Mica powder
- Iron oxides (Red / black / yellow / brown for pigmentation)
- White organic face lotion/moisturizer (For liquid foundation only)
- Aloe Vera gel (For eyeliner)
- Shea Butter (For eyeliner)
Powder Foundation
Mix base powder with a small quantity of iron oxides together to get the perfect shade. Mix very well when adding the pigment. Please note that when dampened, the color of the powder might be different. You can also mix in zinc oxide to obtain a full spectrum of sun protection. If you have scars be sure and check out bestbrandreviews for great options.
Bronzer
Mix a base powder with cinnamon, cocoa, iron oxides, and/or mica to get your desired color. To get more of contour color without the slimmer, leave out the mica.
Eye Shadow
To get your desired colors, mix any of the ingredients above together. You can experiment with this DIY makeup product to see what works for you. For example, you can mix kaolin clay with brown red iron oxides and activated charcoal for different shades of red. For some shimmer, you can add mica too.
Blush
Mix your base powder with alkanet root powder, dried and powdered hibiscus flower, and/or beet powder until you get a color you desire. You can as well add cinnamon, iron oxides, or cocoa powder for more pigmentation too. Add a few drops of water to get the hibiscus to make a blush with the base powder for a small batch of blush. For some shimmer, add mica.
Liquid Foundation
Make your powder foundation and mix it with an organic white moisturizer/cream. Depending on the shade and cream you use, you may have to make your base powder a tad darker. This foundation will be light coverage. For full spectrum sun protection, you can add a small amount of zinc oxide.
Eyeliner
Mix 1 part activated charcoal, either 1/2 part Aloe Vera gel or 1/3 part shea butter, and 1/2 part iron oxide for black eyeliner. For a little shimmer, you can add a small amount of mica powder. Mix properly and store in an air-tight container. You will have to apply it with a brush. You can play around with the ratios to get an excellent consistency for your eyelids.
If you feel like making your own makeup is too big a task, here are some natural and organic makeup brands you can consider for your beauty products.
- 100% Pure: best for fruit-pigmented mascara
- Juice Beauty: best for moisturizers and anti-wrinkles
- Real Purity: best for lipstick, eyeshadow, concealer, and powder blush
- RMS Beauty: best for concealer
- Jane Iredale best for BB creams and powders
- ILIA Beauty: best for tinted lip conditioner and lipsticks
- Alima Pure: best for powder foundation for all skin tones
Nothing is too good when it comes to taking care of your precious skin, and you can never be too cautious. Take a bold step and invest in makeup that not only makes you feel beautiful but also safe and has no toxic side effects.
