Safe Cosmetics

So I’ve abandoned this blog for too long and really want to put in the time and energy deserved to get the best out of it, a topic really struck me today that I wanted to share and give my opinion on.

Via twitter I found this article; http://www.aolnews.com/2010/07/21/how-safe-are-your-cosmetics-new-bill-wants-to-find-out/

I think the video explains the key issues very well and I am so glad to learn that cosmetics are going to be assessed and potentially regulated more. It seems crazy that in this day and age we have ignored the toxins we are exposed to in our daily bath/shower routines when the awareness of healthy eating and exercise is at a high. I believe that the number of regulated compounds in the UK and EU is higher than America, but hopefully this law will only serve to set the ball rolling for greater research and regulation.

Thankfully, the makeup industry has clocked onto this idea of green cosmetics, with brands such as bare minerals, bella pierre and micabella offering foundations clearly listing 3 or 4 ingredients as well as mineral based eye shadows, lipsticks and even mascaras. They have always promoted that these are ’so pure you can sleep in them’. I personally love the mineral makeup, although my education into them was by accident actually buying a product heavily advertised as mineral but not pure in any sense of the word. I have since found out that you only need to have 10% or so of minerals to call yourself a mineral product!

Call me cynical but I believe that the root issue here not touched upon in the video, as with most things in the world is cost. Both the consumers cost that of the producer. As I write I have subjected myself to a two fold cleansing process, followed by serum and moisturiser, topped off with a bit of sudocream to rid myself of hormonal spots. Although I have been aware that a lot of the products I am using are potentially toxin filled, I am not in a financial position to buy from green producers, who for reasons I cannot understand sell there products at extortionate prices (and they aren’t that easy to find either!) I assume the reason my drug store products are so affordable is the cost of these cheap toxic components.

With the rates of cancers and allergies rising, I am really happy to know that hopefully in the not so distant future I can look forward to buying products which will if nothing else not increase my risk of developing cancers and chemical intolerance. Hopefully I can update you on this soon.