Your Mascara Might Contain these Toxic Chemicals
And why they are damaging to your body
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Many mascaras contain toxic chemicals that can affect your health
It’s no secret that many beauty products contain harmful toxins and chemicals that can cause issues to your health with long-term exposure. Mascara is today’s second most commonly worn beauty product, and yours might contain these toxic chemicals.
Toxic Chemicals in the beauty industry
Unfortunately, most beauty products contain chemicals that disrupt our body’s natural functions. For example, these chemicals often disrupt our hormones or endocrine systems. The purpose of these chemicals is most often to either preserve the product longer or to enhance the colour of the products.
There is only one perfect solution to this issue. Not wearing makeup at all. Still, if you know me, that is just not possible. I love makeup, but I also care about my body and what goes on my skin. So, my search for a toxin-free alternative began.
Why does it matter if your mascara contains toxic chemicals?
First off, all makeup products go on your skin. Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Everything you put on your skin, to some degree, your body will absorb through your skin. In fact, the thinnest skin on your body is found on your face and your eyelids. It is imperative to be cautious of the products you put on your eyes.
Secondly, mascara goes explicitly right around your eyes. When mascara contains these harsh chemicals, eye irritation is much more likely.
Common toxic chemicals used in Mascara
I’ve compiled a list of commonly used toxic chemicals in mascara:
- Parabens (specifically Butylparaben, Ethylparaben and Propylparaben): Parabens, in general, are just not good for your hormones. Nevertheless, they are all too often found in many beauty products. You can find some type of paraben from makeup to body washes and shampoo. Used to preserve the shelf life of products is parabens’ main use. They are preservatives.
- Thimerosal: Thimerosal is a mercury-based element used as a preservative in mascara. It is also an antiseptic to prevent bacteria from growing in your mascara. You can help prevent bacteria from entering your mascara by gently twirling the wand in the tube to pick up the product instead of pumping the wand in and out of the tube. This aggressive pumping not only introduces potential bacteria into your mascara but also drys out your product, shortening its shelf life.
- Synthetic Dyes and Coal Dyes: These chemicals achieve that deep black most of us look for in mascara. Coal Dyes, specifically, contain heavy metals and can include a mix of artificial dyes, Blue 1, Yellow 5 and Red 33, to name a few.
- Aluminum Powder: Another metallic powder used to enhance the colour of mascara.
- Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Nonetheless, this chemical, found in many beauty products, can cause irritation to the eyes and skin. This chemical is to preserve the life of your tube of mascara.
- Imidazolidinyl Urea: This is an antimicrobial preservative. Although imidazolidinyl urea has another job, releasing the formaldehyde into your mascara further.
What are the alternatives toxic Mascaras?
My favourite mascara is an excellent alternative to the chemical-filled options prominent in the beauty industry, try it HERE. This mascara is free of this list of chemicals and many others since it is EU-Certified. EU-Certification means there are 1300 toxic chemicals banned in the formulation of certified products. This mascara is 100% plant-based and is never tested on animals.
Let me be honest. The volume and length I get from this product surpass any other mascara I’ve tried.
You can check out my in-depth tutorial and review of this mascara HERE.
Being intentional with products with no harsh chemicals is a must.
