
What's in Your Makeup?
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Ushering in 2025, I realised that people are becoming more aware of what they ingest or apply onto their bodies. Going back just a year ago, I would not have thought twice about the contents of the body lotion I was applying, in that I realise now that it goes beyond skin deep ….. like it goes really down to levels that can even affect your blood and hormones.
Even with food. One would shudder if we look into the amount of preservatives and sugars contained on supermarket shelf items including breakfast cereals targeted for children. I recently conducted a podcast on hormones where my guest who is a medical doctor specialising in hormones and wellbeing, spoke about how our environment contributes significantly towards hormonal imbalance.
How do all the above tie in with cosmetics, specifically with makeup? Well, for those who wear makeup for work, you will have your makeup on for a good number of hours in a day. Have you ever thought about the ingredients in your makeup? There are people who advocate going makeup-free but I am not prepared to do that. Simply because makeup is fun and it can definitely enhance your best features. It is that little indulgence which adds to the many nice things in life.
What is key is to avoid makeup with ingredients which can cause harm to your health over time. I can name you two, to begin with. Parabens and phthalates. Just look up on their potential risks. While parabens are used in cosmetics as a preservative, they also mimic our hormone estrogen and are known to be endocrine disruptors, linking to cancer and other health issues. Parabens are also linked to eczema and psoriasis for those with sensitive skin. So why not go for products which use ingredients alternative to parabens?
Phthalates are also known to be endocrine disrupters and can be harmful to your health. Their use is much wider – from shower curtains to shampoo to perfume. Even when phthalates are not found in the list of makeup content, they have been found in fragrances used in makeup. While the jury is still out there on the extent of harm phthalates in cosmetics can cause to their users, I would say we should avoid makeup with phthalates and use only those which has natural fragrances added to it if at all.
Other ingredients to look out for is mineral oils and alcohols. Mineral oils are a petroleum products which have been refined to the point that they can be used as makeup ingredients. While refined mineral oils in makeup have been classified by the World Health Organisation as safe, they can cause pores to clog or irritation to the skin.
Alcohol can be classified as bad and good alcohol. Bad alcohol, like those used in certain types of toners to give that refreshing sensation, can dry out your skin. Fatty alcohol (good alcohol) made from coconut or palm oil, on the other hand is good for the skin, in that it draws in and holds moisture. The takeaway here? Know what types of alcohol used in the product or opt for alcohol free products.
Let’s make 2025 a year where we pay extra attention to our health and the easiest way would be to control what goes into our bodies. That too goes for what we breathe in and what we put into our mouths, be it our daily meals or snacks. But that is a story for another day.
Much love,
Sarina.