45% of People Worry About Toxic Makeup — Should You?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for making sure that food, drugs and other consumer products — including cosmetics — are rubber. Just you may be surprised to learn that they do not actively regulate the contents of corrective products sold in the The states. Therefore, the makeup you clothing may contain chemical ingredients that could be harmful to your health.

Common contaminants establish in cosmetics range from lead and asbestos to phthalates and more. They can be found in lipstick, powders, fragrances, boom polish, lotions and other dazzler products. The health risks associated with this unsafe listing of subconscious ingredients include cancer, fertility issues, hormone imbalance and neurological issues, to name just a few.

We surveyed 1,000 Americans to gauge their concern and knowledge of toxic risks from makeup products. Cardinal findings reveal:

  • 45% of people are concerned well-nigh the potential dangers of unregulated cosmetics.
  • 55% of American women wrongly assume the FDA regulates cosmetic ingredients.
  • 1 in 3 people NEVER check cosmetic ingredients.
  • 46% of frequent makeup-wearers proactively review corrective ingredients before making a purchase.

In this post, we explore the results and provide useful tips on how to identify safer makeup options.

Majority of Women Unaware of FDA Makeup Regulations

Percentage of American women who assume the FDA regulates cosmetic ingredients

Americans trust the FDA to oversee the safety of products they apply every day, including cosmetics. As our survey shows, that trust has led 55% of female respondents to wrongly assume that the organisation regulates makeup ingredients. And 59% of men made the aforementioned mistaken supposition.

The FDA has been regulating the cosmetics manufacture since the 1930s, only it has created no substantial guidelines manufacturers must follow. As clarified past the FDA, "The police force does non require corrective products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approving before they go on the market." In contrast to the FDA's more than detailed oversight of nutrient and drug products, cosmetic manufacturers are not required to share their product formulas or even register with the FDA. They are left to regulate themselves.

Compared to the rest of the world, U.S. regulations of chemicals and contaminants in makeup products are drastically limited. An analysis by the Environmental Working Grouping (EWG) identified more than 40 nations that have adult specific and strict regulations for the ingredients of cosmetics and personal care products. Some have restricted or completely banned more than i,400 chemicals from use in cosmetics. The FDA has also taken like measures to ban and restrict such chemicals for safety reasons — but merely for a total of nine chemicals.

Can Toxic Chemicals in Makeup Really Hurt Me?

How much of an touch can hidden chemicals in makeup actually take on your health? For many years, studies have shown that pare absorbs corrective chemicals, allowing them to enter the bloodstream. Pulverization makeup products may be inhaled, bringing potential contaminants such every bit asbestos into the airway and lungs. Lip makeup may also be ingested by repeatedly licking or bitter your lips, delivering the chemicals to your tummy and digestive organisation.

The amount of exposure to whatever harmful chemical is a key gene in its potential impact on your health. For frequent makeup-wearers, daily use of a variety of products leads to chronic exposure over many years.

Health Risks from Makeup

Due to the broad spectrum of contaminants that may be present across a wide diverseness of makeup products, the list of potential resulting health issues is long. Some common wellness concerns connected to toxic cosmetics include:

  • Cancers, such as breast cancer and cancerous mesothelioma
  • Fertility issues and nativity defects
  • Neurological bug
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Asthma
  • Thyroid issues

The risks of developing serious wellness bug such as these must be weighed confronting the level of trust you lot have in the manufacturers of your preferred makeup products.

33% Never Bank check the Ingredients in Makeup

Number of people who check cosmetic ingredients

Many people examine the labels of their food products, or what goes in their bodies, before making a purchase. Just, according to our survey results, one in three people never look at the ingredients of new cosmetics, or what goes on their bodies. When we suspension that response down by gender, the numbers shift to xx% of women and 49% of men who never examine makeup labels.

Unsurprisingly, frequent makeup-wearers are the most proactive, with 46% in the addiction of reviewing cosmetic ingredients earlier making a purchase. Knowing what to expect for — even for the biggest makeup lover — is not easy or straightforward.

How to Spot Toxic Makeup

How to identify toxic makeup and cosmetics

One of the biggest obstacles in deciphering the dangers lurking in a makeup label is that not all of the potentially harmful ingredients are actually listed.

For instance, contempo enquiry uncovered that more than than half of the pop cosmetic products they tested independent meaning testify of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used to increase immovability and water resistance in makeup. Well-nigh none of the PFAS-heavy products included the chemicals on their ingredients labels. PFAS are known to cause multiple health problems, such every bit cancer, high cholesterol and weakened immune systems.

Ane common makeup ingredient you may see on labels only mistakenly assume holds no adventure is talc. Oftentimes added to cosmetics to help absorb moisture, talc tin be perfectly safe. But dangers arise from the possible contamination of talc with asbestos, a microscopic cancer-causing natural fiber that can exercise severe impairment to your lungs. Talc and asbestos are natural minerals that often class close together geologically, resulting in the demand for all talc deposits to be tested for asbestos. If manufacturers skip that pace, consumers risk developing asbestos-related cancers such every bit mesothelioma.

Atomic number 82 is a harmful heavy metal and naturally occurring impurity that can show upwardly in lipstick and whatever heart products containing kohl. High levels of atomic number 82 can cause serious anemia, neurological issues and kidney bug in children. Fifty-fifty depression-level atomic number 82 exposure has been shown to cause learning and behavior problems. The ingredients of cosmetic products marketed to children should be examined closely.

Another carcinogenic ingredient often found in beauty products is formaldehyde. Ofttimes used in nail polish, nail mucilage and eyelash glue, the chemical has been completely banned from cosmetics in Japan and Sweden.

Additional chemic contaminants to await for on cosmetic labels include:

  • Triclosan: Ofttimes constitute in torso launder and toothpaste
  • Phthalates: Often found in blast shine, fragrances and hairspray
  • Parabens: Often used in moisturizers and soaps
  • Toluene: Often found in nail polish
  • Carbon Black: Often found in mascara, lipstick and eyeliner

How to Identify Toxic vs. Safe Makeup Products

Understanding the terminology in makeup labels

Deciphering the ingredients list on your cosmetics is no piece of cake feat. The chemical names can exist confusing, as manufacturers often identify certain chemicals by alternate names. Use these tips to improve your odds of finding safe makeup products.

Don't Trust Makeup Labels

Certain phrases on beauty products should non be trusted. The terms "natural" and "organic" do not guarantee a production has no toxic ingredients and there is no legal continuing to verify their accuracy. As well be mindful that products labelled "long-lasting" or "wearable-resistant" may contain PFAS, which are chemicals known to crusade serious wellness issues.

Trustworthy Resources for Safe Makeup

Multiple organizations dedicated to making makeup safer for everyone have created valuable online and in-app databases that tin help you decipher the wellness dangers hidden in your cosmetics' ingredients. Many as well provide recommendations for nontoxic makeup products.

  • Pare Deep Cosmetics Database
    • Features information on more than than 74,000 products from the scientists at EWG
  • Campaign for Rubber Cosmetics
    • Created by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
  • Retailer Report Card: Who'south Minding the Store?
    • Inquiry the deportment of your favorite stores on issues of toxic chemicals in their products
  • INCIDecoder
    • Search past products or ingredients to detect the total details on all ingredients and their alternative names

Wearing makeup is a daily practice for many Americans, notwithstanding so many assume the cosmetics they use each day are safety. Existence mindful of the potential dangers of toxic makeup, specially during regular cancer screenings, can make a divergence in achieving a healthy future.

What is in makeup infographic

Methodology:

The survey featured in this post was conducted on YouGov Direct. One thousand U.S. adults ages eighteen and older were surveyed on Aug. xi, betwixt 11 a.m. and v:32 p.m. Eastern time. Data is weighted based on historic period, gender, didactics level, political amalgamation and ethnicity to exist nationally representative of adults 18 and older in the Usa. The margin of error is approximately iv.v% for the overall sample.