If you’ve followed along with us, you probably know by now just how important it is to cultivate a personalized skincare routine filled with streamlined products to achieve and maintain youthful and radiant skin (we cannot emphasize this enough!). But just as important to unlocking healthy, glowing skin is an awareness of what you’re applying to your face via your makeup routine.
As we prepare to venture out of our homes more with the promise of warmer weather, we’ve started thinking about our makeup routine and how we can achieve beautiful results while maximizing benefits for our skin. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of pure, naturally-derived ingredients to nourish, hydrate and enhance our natural beauty, and the same principles hold true for our beauty products.
Why is it so important to be aware of what ingredients are present in your makeup products? Lets take your lipstick, for instance. We’re all familiar with the phenomenon of having to re-apply lipstick or lip gloss every few hours to maintain the desired look. This is necessary because lipstick eventually disappears from your lips after you unknowingly eat it. This can create an issue when lipsticks are filled with dangerous ingredients such as aluminum, chromium or lead. Ingesting these materials in small quantities every day could lead to serious health consequences.
Instead of exposing yourself to potentially dangerous chemicals, we recommend investing in makeup that is formulated entirely with non-toxic ingredients, such as the Emogene & Co. Lip / Cheek Tint that comes in two amazing colors, Just Kissed and Tea Time. This 2-in-1 product has been a total game-changer in our makeup routine, and we love adding a little color to our lips and cheeks for an instantly polished look. Unrefined cocoa butter & coconut oil combined with skin calming chamomile, calendula and lavender-infused grapeseed oil moisturize and protect while leaving behind a fresh scent. Made exclusively with non-toxic earth minerals, our Lip/Cheek Tints work wonders with all skin tones.
For your lips, glide the product on, layering to build intensity, and even applying lip gloss on top for an extra pretty pout. For your cheeks, blend the product with your fingertips, a brush, or a sponge.
While we don’t want to pin “bad ingredients” against “good ingredients” (after all, this can be subjective and can differ significantly between skin types), we want to give you a general (pharmacist-recommended) roadmap as you work towards cultivating your own non-toxic makeup routine.
Some details to look for:
- Non-Toxic: This means that none of the ingredients have been proven to cause harmful responses in humans. To verify this, check the ingredients list and research anything that you don’t recognize.
- Cruelty-Free: This means a product was manufactured in a way that doesn’t involve harm to animals or animal testing. Look for third-party certifications such as Leaping Bunny Certified.
- Sustainable: Sustainable products do not harm people or the environment. Sustainable brands will be as transparent about their ingredients as they are about who manufactures their products and how. They should disclose the working conditions of their employees, including the farmers who source their ingredients.
- Eco-Friendly: Eco-friendly beauty products are products that do as little harm as possible to the environment. This means using primarily eco-friendly ingredients and manufacturing in a way that conserves resources. Look for brands that are transparent about their manufacturing process and how they reduce waste.
- Biodegradable: A biodegradable beauty product contains ingredients that will quickly break down and not harm the natural environment. Look for the biodegradable label and research the ingredient list to ensure there are no hidden artificial ingredients.
- Plant-Based: Plant-based beauty products are made from ingredients that are derived from plants, such as plant oils and extracts. Brands may also use the term botanical to describe this. These products tend to be vegan, without harmful chemicals, but remember to research the ingredient list to confirm.
What to Stay Away From:
- Parabens: Parabens are extremely common in beauty products and are used as preservatives. Unfortunately, parabens are endocrine disruptors that negatively impact both humans and animals.
- Phthalates: These chemicals are commonly used in beauty products that contain fragrance or nail polish. They are also linked to endocrine disruption. Phthalates can be labeled as DMP, DEP, DBP, and DEHP.
- Artificial Fragrances: Most fragrances found in beauty and household products are made up of numerous chemicals. Since you don’t know what it’s made of, you can’t research how it may affect you. Try to steer clear of any products that include fragrance on their ingredient list and look for non-toxic options instead.
- Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a commonly used gas that acts as a preservative. Unfortunately, despite how often it’s used, it is a known carcinogen at high levels of exposure and can act as a skin irritant.
- Petrolatum: Petrolatum, i.e. petroleum jelly, isn’t unsafe when it’s properly refined. Many petroleum-based products, particularly in the US, are not properly refined. If they aren’t, they may contain PAHs, which are toxic chemicals and suspected carcinogens. The only way to ensure petrolatum is safe for use is for brands to be transparent about their refinery history which isn’t required in the U.S.
- BHA/BHT: These are both common chemicals used as preservatives in food and beauty products. However, they are suspected carcinogens as well as skin irritants and endocrine disruptors.
- Ethanolamines: These chemicals are often used in skincare products and act as preservatives and foaming agents (what makes your shampoo sudsy). They have been linked to cancer, however, so it’s best to avoid them.
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite non-toxic makeup recommendations below. Try them out for yourself and let us know what you think!
- First and foremost, Emogene & Co.’s Lip/Cheek Tints in Just Kissed or Tea Time: Use this product day or night for a little extra color to brighten up your lips and cheeks!
- I love this ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 for light coverage, easily application, and some sun protection!
- ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara in After Midnight is my go-to mascara for every day or going out! If you're looking for a more cost-effective option, Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is another great one!
