Now here is a great question from a reader:
“Is this makeup okay? These are the ingredients. Thank you!”
This woman is paying attention to what she puts on her body. What we put on our skin goes right into our bloodstream and does effect our health, including makeup, fragrances, deodorant and even shampoo, so this is very important.
So how do you know which cosmetics are safe and which are fatally flawed?
That’s easy, thanks to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
EWG has compiled a guide of thousands of cosmetics, personal care products, fragrances and even baby products ranked according to their potential to cause cancer, trigger allergic reactions, interfere with hormones, impair reproduction and damage the unborn.
Some additional product categories are skin care (including baby powder, shaving cream, deodorant and bandages), hair care (includes dyes and chemical treatments), eye care (such as contact lens solution) and all types of oral care, which is a great way to find an acceptable toothpaste.
In just 4 years, their “Skin Deep” database has had over 63 million searches! (at the time of this printing in 2008)
This particular reader is asking about cosmetics from Bare Minerals. I remember seeing their commercials and being impressed with the idea of makeup that is “safe to sleep in.”
Although EWG doesn’t have the Bare Minerals brand listed in their cosmetics database, (at the writing of the article updated link here: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/brand/Bareminerals/) I did a search of the ingredients listed at the Bare Minerals website, and I found that all of them carry low-level health risks:
Titanium Dioxide
Zinc Oxide
Mica
Iron Oxide
Bismuth Oxychloride
There are products listed in the cosmetics database that score 0 risk, however a score of “0” can still mean low risk as opposed to none at all, so click on the product to read the details and see if one of the risk factors has a check mark.
I certainly wouldn’t sleep in Bare Minerals makeup after researching the ingredients. There are other brands that contain a lower risk score.
In addition, Bare Minerals has a foundation with SPF 15 “sun protection,” but this usually means that only the healthiest rays of the sun are blocked, while harmful ultraviolet rays are allowed in. Ironically this also stops the body from producing vitamin D, which prevents at least 77% of all cancers. This is a dangerous situation that greatly increases the risk of cancer, contrary to false advertising that claims to lower cancer risk.
Did you ever wonder what else the Avon lady had in her bag? If you’d rather not know, don’t click here! Avon products range from 0-10 on the danger scale.
Here’s how some other popular cosmetics companies rate, with 0 being low risk and 10 being the most unsafe:
Mary Kay: “Enriching Women’s Lives” on a scale of 3-8.
“Maybe it’s Maybelline?” It might be, if it rates 1-7.
Cover Girl: An “easy, breezy, beautiful” 2-7.
L’oreal: “Because you’re worth it!” Isn’t your life worth more than a risk of 1-10?
L’oreal for Kids: They think the kids are worth a risk of 4-9.
Revlon: “Twist, glide and shine” from 1-10.
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!
Now let’s have some fun. I decided to go to the far end of the danger spectrum to find out which products rate a “perfect 10.” I found a line of cosmetics called “You Can Have It All”:
You can have it all! Cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and more!
FRAGRANCES
Feeling obsessed?
Obsession for Women by Calvin Klein ranks 9 out of a possible 10 for potential health risks.
You can search the EWG database for fragrances including perfumes, colognes and body sprays.
ORAL CARE
Let’s take a look at what the database has to say about one of your dentist’s favorite chemical compounds, sodium fluoride.
Rat poison is straight sodium fluoride, and it’s also used as termite pest control and roach spray. This is why toothpaste labels in the US carry a warning to call poison control immediately if more than the amount needed for brushing is swallowed. (This warning is not used in all countries, but the same risk applies.)
Here are the health risks of sodium fluoride according to EWG:
Cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, nerve and organ damage, hormonal disruption and more, including “…tumor formation at low doses… brain and nervous system effects at very low doses.” But hey, your teeth look great!
Just kidding.
When you brush with fluoride, it’s easily absorbed through the soft tissues of your mouth right into your system. It also causes gum disease.
More about Fluoride here.
Some of you are buying “all-natural” toothpastes at the health food store, but what are you getting? Read the labels, because some of them contain fluoride and are not safe or natural.
Two very popular brands of toothpaste in the natural health community are Jason, which rates 1-4 on the EWG scale, and Tom’s of Maine, which has been quietly owned by Colgate for 2 years now and rates 1-5. (I’m certain that many people would stop buying Tom’s if they knew who had purchased it.)
There are better options at the health food store than these popular ones. Some people brush with baking soda and others add peroxide for whitening, but I prefer all-natural toothpaste.
Or Try Christie Aphrodites Recipe here!
Find a safe, fluoride-free toothpaste, or you could just buy insecticide and save yourself the trouble. Killing the bacteria on your teeth with rat poison will do the same thing to you over time. Also, avoid processed sugar as much as possible for the best way to care for your teeth.
Other dental products include fluoride as well, such as mouth wash and dental floss, so make sure you look into all your oral care products to make the safest choices.
Thanks for your great question. This is an important topic that most people are completely unaware of.
– Cancer Info
If I had cancer, I would take the products I recommend in this blog.
More cancer resources:
Cancer Tutor – Hundreds of natural cancer cures by a bona fide cancer researcher.
Gerson Therapy – Vegetable juicing to overcome chronic illnesses, including cancer.
Dr. Lorraine Day – Has excellent videos explaining that the cancer industry is a corrupt business. Dr. Day also tells her story of how she overcame cancer by juicing vegetables.
If it’s an urgent situation and you don’t have time to do cancer research, try getting a consult with Ralph Moss, PhD.
I appreciate your support and applaud your efforts in educating yourself about your health.
Remember, no one will ever care more about your health than you!
In Health,
Stephanie Davis
Keep functioning ,remarkable job!