I’ve got some good news and bad news. First for the bad news: Heavy metals like lead, cadmium and nickel are common contaminants to color cosmetics. Whether or not brand uses mineral or synthetic colorants, or calls themselves “natural” or conventional, various heavy metals have been found across consumer brands. So what’s going on?
Heavy metals can enter into cosmetics in two primary ways: through the extraction and manufacturing process of the raw material or they contaminate the natural colors used to formulate the product. In other words, lead is a naturally occurring metal, found in the Earth and can “tag along” with the beautiful color that makes your blush, bronzer or favorite lipstick. So unless a company is actively testing and looking for heavy metals, they may have no idea that their naturally-sourced cosmetics are tainted with harmful metals.
Beautycounter (a beauty brand I work for) is dedicated to getting safer products into the hands of everyone and launched a line of color cosmetics where they third party test each batch for heavy metals before allowing them on to the market. After testing natural and conventional beauty brands, the company found that many “natural” brands tested positive for heavy metals, which contaminate mineral (and synthetic) cosmetics. Unfortunately the term “natural” doesn’t always mean “safe”.
And after extensive testing the company has concluded that it is nearly impossible for ANY beauty brand to claim to be “heavy metal free” or “lead-free”. Be wary of these unregulated and unsubstantiated claims.
So what is safer?
The short answer is that you should ask your beauty company how they are testing and controlling for heavy metals. Know that just because a company is using natural colorants, doesn’t mean they are safe. On the other hand, some synthetic chemicals can be perfectly safe. Ask tough questions, here is a guide to 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Cosmetics Company.
At the end of the day I use Beautycounter color cosmetics because I love how the products work and look on my skin (easy to apply and natural!) and I can trust that the products are being screened for heavy metals.
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I am getting to that point (40!) where I might want to wear makeup again occasionally. I am so glad to know about this brand and know that you are working with them (b/c that means they must be awesome!). It’s disturbing the stuff women are putting on their bodies everyday.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Betsy :) As I age, I’m wearing more product and creating more of a beauty routine too!
Well crap! Why is everything we want to use or eat contaminated with toxins. Thank you for the information. I will keep an eye out for this and give BeautyCounter a look. Where are they sold?
Beautycounter is sold online (links above) and via a team of independent consultants. You get to pick which way to shop is best for you :)
This is fascinating research, and I’d love to see all the other cosmetics companies share their heavy metal testing policies. The more I hear about this company, the more I like it.
That’s how I feel Anne :)
Very eye opening to learn that even “natural” brands can be contaminated with heavy metals. I’m looking forward to checking out Beautycounter – so glad they are going the extra mile to do that testing!
Truth in transparency!
Thank you for this information Lindsay. So frightening to think that some of my “natural” makeup products contain toxins. I’m thrilled to have Beautycounter on my radar and am looking forward to learning more about their process. Here’s to transparency!
I know, I was using mineral based cosmetics for years… I’m glad to have someone that’s paying attention to heavy metal contamination as well!
I have almost completely stopped using makeup. It took some time getting used to but now (especially when I’m pregnant) I would not put anything on my face. I even make my own anti stretch-mark and moisturizing cream. That’s the only way to be sure you don’t apply heavy metals on your skin. But if you want some makeup now and then, here’s a great book by my Eco Etsy friend and natural makeup guru Myra on making your own vegan makeup: https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Vegan-Makeup-Foundation-Lipstick-ebook/dp/B00OHWH2E4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414049123&sr=1-1&keywords=crafting+vegan+makeup
Do you know if this resource talks about properly preserving one’s home made products? With anything that involves water, there must be proper preservation to avoid mold, yeast and bacteria growth. I have concerns about buying some products via Etsy for that reason. Thanks for sharing this info! I too wasn’t wearing any makeup until Beautycounter came out with this line!
What scares me the most is the high amount of lead in lipstick! You are ingesting it all day. It’s crazy that this is allowed.
Not only is it allowed, but companies aren’t screening for heavy metals (with the exception of Beautycounter). It’s very alarming!