What’s In Your Makeup?

Look for products free of dubious ingredients—and that aren’t tested on animals.

Petrolatum, bismuth oxychloride, chromium hydroxide green, polymethylmethacrylate: Do these sound like anything you’d want near your eyes or mouth? Not likely, but all are common ingredients in most conventional makeup.

“Mainstream cosmetics often contain petrochemicals, preservatives that can degrade into formaldehyde, and artificial colors.

Since these compounds are readily absorbed by the skin and stored in the body’s fatty tissue, they can accumulate in the body over time,” explains Kim Erickson, author of Drop-Dead Gorgeous.

If you want to avoid risky ingredients but aren’t ready to give up wearing makeup, you’ll find plenty of natural options. “There are a growing number of safe alternatives to conventional cosmetics,” adds Erickson. “You can replace just about any conventional cosmetic with a natural product, and best of all, these nontoxic beauty products perform well and come in a great selection of colors.”

For Healthy Skin

Natural cosmetics use botanicals and vitamins that support skin health. Many foundations contain glycerin and natural sugars to help keep skin hydrated, as well as plant oils including jojoba, sunflower, avocado, and almond to nourish skin and soften dryness. Aloe vera, chamomile, calendula, and comfrey can help to diminish redness and soothe sensitive skin, while antioxidants (green tea and vitamins A and E) help fight free-radical damage and the effects of aging.

Natural makeup can also address specific problems. To minimize and heal blemishes, many concealers contain herbs like hawthorn, calendula, and anthyllis extracts that control redness and even out skin color. You may also want to try lipsticks and glosses with rich healing oils, including vitamin E and jojoba oil that help keep lips soft and supple.

Eye shadow can help soothe the sensitive eye area. Look for euphrasia (eyebright), rose, and silk powder to help nurture this delicate skin.

Quality Ingredients

“The philosophy behind natural cosmetics is very different from that of conventional products,” explains Darlene Zembrod, esthetician and national trainer at Ecco Bella. “Where conventional cosmetics are primarily concerned with profit and use the cheapest ingredients available to make the greatest profit, natural formulations are created to enhance and protect the largest organ of the body—our skin. And many formulations often contain ingredients that improve the overall health of the skin.”

While conventional makeup typically contains ingredients that can irritate your skin, natural cosmetics avoid these ingredients. “Natural products are devoid of harsh chemicals, known carcinogenic ingredients, and heavy formulations that can suffocate the skin and are typically found in conventional cosmetics. The skin is a living, breathing, absorbing organ, so it’s important to avoid substances like FD&C colors, talc, and other toxic ingredients,” adds Zembrod. Although some mainstream products do contain herbs and antioxidants, their effectiveness is compromised when they are blended into a synthetic formula.

Safe for Animals, Too

You can feel good about using natural products for another reason. “Natural cosmetics are not tested on animals, and products are cruelty-free,” says Ulrike Jacob of Lavera. “You don’t need to practice animal testing to ensure a product is safe for human use.”

There are several alternatives. Some companies test products on human volunteers, some use cell and tissue research, while others use only ingredients found on the U.S. government’s GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) list. If you’re not completely sure about animal testing in personal care products, just look for the leaping bunny logo. You’ll find more information about cruelty-free products and companies at www.leapingbunny.org. Although a manufacturer is not required to use the logo, most choose to do so.

A Rainbow of Colors

A wide selection of colors and products makes selecting healthy makeup fun. Whether you want a glittery pink or red lipstick for a party, a colored powder or stick that can be worn as blush, eye shadow, and lipstick, or something as basic as foundation or concealer, there’s a wide variety of natural products from which to choose.

“Most of the colors used in conventional makeup are FD&C colors,” says Kirsten Corcoran of Larenim Mineral Makeup. “Many of these coal tar–based colors can be irritating to sensitive skin, and some are believed to be carcinogenic. So it’s a good idea to avoid them.”

Instead of artificial colors, choose natural products that contain plant dyes including beet, annatto, cinnamon, and walnut, as well as mineral pigments containing iron oxides. Mineral pigments also have greater staying power than conventional dyes. “Conventional powders are usually just an FD&C dye in a talc base, which oxidizes and fades quickly. Minerals have large molecules that sit on the surface of the skin,” explains Corcoran. “They do not break down or oxidize easily like FD&C dyes, so color lasts a lot longer.”

Other advantages? Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are both white in color and commonly blended with the brighter pigments, help protect your skin against the sun. Zinc is an antimicrobial with skin-healing properties that make it beneficial for fighting acne and treating damaged skin.

Application Tips

Enhance your appearance with these techniques.

• When applying foundation, a drop the size of a pea should be enough. “Most people require only a touch of foundation around the nose and chin,” says Lisa Petty, author of Living Beauty. “There’s no need to put foundation on your eyelids or your mouth. It’s important to remember that the more makeup you put on your face, the more it will get into your lines and wrinkles, calling attention to them.”
• For a soft, diffused glow, apply blush to the “apple” of your cheek: Look in the mirror and smile, then lightly brush color onto the plump, round center of your cheek.
• The best cover for a red or inflamed area is a green-tinted concealer that can counteract and tone down redness.
• While applying mascara to lower lids, tilt the wand so that only a few bristles make contact with your lashes at a time. Then use an eyelash brush or comb to remove clumps from lashes. This will help prevent mascara from flaking off onto your skin.
• Use a lip liner that’s the same color as your lips. If your lips are thin, carefully define each lip just outside your natural lip line.
• For long-lasting lip color, apply a natural, wax-based balm, such as candelilla or beeswax, under your lipstick. Wax fills in tiny cracks and lines, helping lipstick to glide on smoothly.