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Foundation sits on the skin, covers most of the face and more
of it is used than most other make-up items.
Why do you care?
- Foundations
may contain a wide range of allergens and irritants and exposure
to them is all day – since foundation is usually applied in
morning and removed at the end of the day.
- Foundation and other facial makeup are the third leading cause of contact dermatitis.1
- Cosmetic acne – very small white pimples or lumpy red spots
that occur intermittently on skin surface – can be a result
of acne genic ingredients found in foundations.
- Mineral-based foundations may be a safer alternative, since they are produced without talc, chemical additives, fragrance, fillers, preservatives, or dyes.2 Caution though, as the “nano-sized” ingredients, which are 10- 1000 times smaller than their normally-sized counterparts, are more likely to be absorbed into the body through the skin because they're so small.3
The Know How
- Choose foundations with the least number of problem ingredients.
Watch out for:
- 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1.3-diol (yes, it is all
one ingredient!) and quaternarium-15, as they can
break down into formaldehyde.
- DEA and TEA, they produce nitrosamine
compounds, which are suspected carcinogens.
- Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) and petrolatum
– these petroleum-based products tend to block pores
and prevent natural respiration process.
- Propylene glycol – known to cause allergic reactions
and it is suggested on the material
safety data sheet (MSDS) to –“avoid contact with eyes,
skin, clothing … wash thoroughly after handling”. Aren't
we putting this ingredient on our skin?
- For more details on these ingredients check our Ingredients
to Avoid List.
- Look for “ non-comedogenic ” on the label – this means the product does not block pores and thus produce acne.
- Careful of synthetic fragrances, as they often are used to mask the chemical odor of some ingredients and may contain hormone-disrupting phthalates.
- You may need less foundation than you think – dab foundation
on spots, broken veins, dark circles and blend into your skin.4
Know and Tell
- Tamey switched over to a “natural” foundation about six months ago. To date, she has only tried one and the results are “OK”.
- Patti does not use cream or liquid foundation – she's more of a face powder girl – we'll cover (pun intended) that one in the future.
- For a list of suggested foundations, check out the Skin
Deep Web site and a recent article in The
Green Guide.
- There's nothing like good clean living to be reflected in your skin. You know the drill - get lots of sleep, eat really well, drink water, reduce stress, exercise and generally feel good about your life. The trick is we are supposed to do these all at once!!!
- The Natural Makeover Diet and Awakening Beauty can help you work on achieving healthy skin from the inside out.
P.S. If you use a “natural” foundation, let us know how it works for you.
1 The Safe Shoppers Bible, 1995
2 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 2006
3 Enviro blog. Environmental Working Group - April 27, 2007
4 Organic Beauty, 2001 |
