Many of us consciously try to be healthy—we go to yoga, drink our greens but then we *unknowingly* slather harmful chemicals all over our skin daily.  

Beauty products should be good for you, right? After all, something that is supposed to enhance your natural beauty should be designed to nourish your body, right? Hmmm, well not so much.

What about the more “natural” brands?  Sadly, I personally find that the “all natural,” organic, or “crunchy” brands also are completely unregulated—brands can slap a label on with no regulation or proven effects on their safety—as well as many natural items contain a higher level of heavy metals, which aren’t safe for humans at any level.

Sadly, the beauty and skincare industry is not regulated and the ingredients in personal care products are not required to be tested for safety.  Take lead for example, something that has been removed from paint and other products because it has been deemed too dangerous, but is still found in 95% of lipsticks on the market.  Maddening, right?

Switching to safer products has been a journey for me over the past 10 years but one that is so personal to me.  After suffering several pregnancy losses, experiencing unexplained infertilty and dealing with horrible hormone issues and fatigue for years, I knew I had to take my health one step further by taking a look at the toxins in my life and home.  This transition has taken time, but I am living proof that this can truly transform your health, vibrancy and life!

I don’t wear much makeup daily, but when I want to feel glamorous, I really want to feel good and know I am not hurting my health. 

So today, I want to share a pretty in depth look at why you should consider the ingredients in your makeup seriously and what products I love!

Safer Makeup Matters: Heavy Metals, Hormone Disruption and Other Things They’re Not Telling You

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Colorants used to give cosmetics their lasting pigments such as foundation, blush, powder, eye shadow and lipstick are particularly high in heavy metals.  Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium and arsenic are naturally occurring substances, but not safe for humans at any level.

Heavy metals build up in the body and cause toxicity to the neurological system, imparting brain functioning, the reproductive system in both males and females and development in a fetus in utero as well as small children and adolescents.

“Lead toxicity is a particularly insidious hazard with the potential to cause irreversible health effects. In evaluation of its toxicity in humans, it was found that bone to blood mobilization increases during pregnancy, lactation, physiological stress, chronic disease, along with advanced age. Its release back into the bloodstream, particularly during times of calcium stress in the pregnancy period, makes the developing fetus more prone to its toxicity through mobilization as part of the blood supply and after birth through lactation (breast feeding) of the infant.”  (*source)

“Cancerous breast biopsies show higher accumulations of iron, nickel, chromium, zinc, cadmium, mercury and lead than non-cancerous biopsies. In addition, several metals act like estrogen in the presence of some breast cancer cells.” (*source)

Batch Testing for Heavy Metals

It’s not enough just to test and ingredient once and then say the end product will be safe.  Supply chains change, sourcing changes, where the ingredients are sourced from in the world can change with time and the manufacturing process can also lead to cross contamination or the unknown addition of dangerous by-products.  This is why batch testing the end product is so important. I love that my favorite cosmetic company batch tests! 

Very few companies are that rigorous in their testing, which is just one reasons I feel confident wearing Pure Haven, especially skincare and body care. 

Here is a guide to check your current products for safety.

Still have questions? Join the free CLY community and ask Coach Dee!