According to the website Consumer Savvy Tips, some of the ingredients that are used in cosmetics can be absolutely disgusting! Listed below are some of the worst:
Creepy Cosmetics Ingredients
* Cow Dung - while it isn't in your makeup yet, it is already being using in Japan and it will be coming to the United States and other countries, soon. You can bet they are not going to list it on the ingredients label, either, without changing the name to some fancy chemical term.
* Ambergris - this sounds like a pretty name, something that you wouldn't mind using. In truth, it is actually whale vomit and it has already been used for years in perfume and some creams.
* Caviar - it's expensive, so it must be wonderful, right? Do you really want raw fish eggs on your skin?
* Placenta - prized for its protein ... but do you really want to rub it on your face?
* Chemicals whose names you cannot pronounce. While this was not on the list of substances mentioned by the Consumer Savvy website, I often wonder about the idea of rubbing all these different unknown chemicals on my skin, especially when I have no idea what they actually are.
* Poisonous substances that contaminate your makeup, such as arsenic or high levels of lead. A surprisingly large amount of makeup has been contaminated with bacteria and other substances that are never listed on the ingredient lists ... often because they are not supposed to be there in the first place. Do you really want to rub these things on your skin every day?
* Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, is found in about one in five cosmetic products, often listed under the names DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymenthylglycinate and bronopol. Check your makeup and see if you find one of these substances listed in the ingredients.
You should also know that our FDA has only banned about a dozen toxic chemicals from cosmetics, while the European Union has banned over 1300. That's something to think about!
The good thing about the Consumer Savvy article is that it also offers some practical suggestions for natural substances that you can use on your skin and hair, such as avocado, beer, tea bags (which I have used), mint, limes, etc. These are great alternatives and you can read more about them here:
http://www.consumersavvytips.org/the_real_truth_about_your_cosmetics.html
For more information, look for: "13 Things The Beauty Industry Won't Tell You," Reader's Digest, August 2014
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