Clean Makeup and What To Watch Out For
Who didn’t love getting into mom’s makeup as a little girl? Trying to copy the celebrities in magazines by tracing our lips with bright red lipstick, layering blue and green stardust on our eyelids that rose way up over the eyebrow and down the cheek, and then finishing with circles of blush that turned us into the most beautiful model clown – a “masterpiece!”
But when you look at what we were NOT allowed to play with, like antifreeze and caustic chemicals like lead, mercury, and formaldehyde, it may surprise you to learn that that stuff was actually in the supposedly “safe” makeup!
The Problem
Did you know that the use of certain additives and chemicals are only banned after a product is already on the market and enough harm is done to provide the evidence needed to prove that the product is hazardous?
The whole cosmetic industry is a severely unregulated, taking the position of “innocent until proven guilty” with the use of its ingredients, instead of doing sufficient research to ensure real safety before consumers use their products. The word “natural” can be used loosely, and “organic” products are even allowed to have up to 30% pesticide or other chemical ingredients to still classify and advertise their products as organic. Read the labels on your makeup and try to understand the chemical jargon, most people can’t (or don’t bother), and instead trust the marketing language.
Many consumers are waking up to the long-term side effects of being exposed to so many toxins, even in small amounts (like the chemicals in our house cleaners and detergents, products with artificial scents, or propylene glycol to soften food and skincare products). Over a long period of time, exposure to these ingredients actually ages the skin due to cell damage on the inside of organs - this is what ultimately ages our skin faster than simply the passing years.
Nanoparticles that are in some skincare products readily penetrate the skin and make the skin feel soft, but they don’t simply stay on the surface, they absorb into the bloodstream and cause toxic effects – effects that are compounded with frequent use. There is already evidence of the effects of nanoparticles, including degenerative disorders in the brain and nerve damage. We are dealing with one of the most dangerous types of ingredients in the cosmetic industry, learn more about them here.
My new motto is “if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it on your skin.” When you put toxic chemicals on your skin, even when hidden or diluted in products, they are absorbed directly into your bloodstream without any filtering, so the toxins will travel directly to your delicate organs. The aging process is expedited as the organs get continually burdened, commonly leading to a chronic disease or worse.
If you notice that your skin develops eczema, or your eyes get irritated and puffy when wearing your daily makeup, take that as a warning sign that your products have a toxic ingredient(s) that will build up and cause health problems for you over time. This is what is called Free Radical damage or “rust” at the cellular level, it creates a covering over the cells so that they can’t remove waste or take in the proper nutrients to maintain their health. No amount of deep-moisture cream will help over the long run, since the root cause would not be addressed and the symptoms would only be covered up. In fact, the next reaction could be much more serious and damaging to the cells.
So, what can you do?
REMOVE, REPLACE, REJUVENATE
First, Remove the toxic products from your skincare and makeup rotation (yes, even that $60 foundation that makes you itch, it isn’t worth sacrificing your health!).
Then, Replace them with truly natural products that are proven safe for your face and organs. These products are truly organic and mineral-based, tend to have more natural, muted colours, and can come off easily without harsh makeup wipes - learn more about what we use below.
Finally, Rejuvenate your skin at Redeeming Thyme. We use truly natural, plant- based skincare products for all of our services, and help to heal cells through collagen-enhancing microcurrent facials, as well as clean mineral makeup sampling options to put your best youthful face forward.
If you would like to purchase the same products that we use, contact Dale to schedule a trial session, or browse the line of products here (hint: if you want to get a 24% discount, visit Dale’s page to learn how).