Natural Organic Mineral Make-Up for healthy, protected & breatheable skin!
Over 90% of all ingredients in commercially available cosmetics are of synthetic origin and directly linked to serious health risks like cancer, infertility, kidney and liver disease and severe skin issues. On September 6, 1997 the Boston Globe reported that “The General Accounting Office (the investigative branch of Congress), has identified more than 125 cosmetic ingredients suspected of causing cancer- and others that may cause birth defects.”! Many of the harmful chemicals still used abundantly in cosmetics in the United States have been long banned in the rest of the world's countries. Think about it! The typical adult uses nine cosmetic/personal-care products a day with an average daily load of around 126 chemicals. Most of these chemicals are absorbed into your body through your skin. Others (like lead), found in lipstick and lip balm, you actually eat and ingest this as is comes off your lips while eating, drinking or licking your lips. Little is known about the long term effects of the petroleum chemicals and synthetic products that we rub into our skin on a daily basis in the form of mineral make-up, lotions, shampoos, etc. At this point scientists and researchers know that these chemicals pose a threat to human health and fertility and have been found in our bodies and breast milk. Chemicals found in cosmetics and personal-care products are linked to birth defects, hormone disruption and reduced fertility not to mention more pervasive cosmetic damage such as rashes, mild to severe acne and eczema. While it would be difficult to list all harmful chemicals in mineral make-up, and beauty product ingredients, here are a few that are extremely common and should be avoided if possible.
SODUIM LAURYL (LAURETH) SULFATE (SLS or SLES): A detergent found in car wash soaps, engine degreasers, toothpastes, bubble baths, cosmetics and about 90% of commercial shampoos (this is baby & pet shampoos too). Concerns about SLS are many and varied. According to the American College of Toxicology, SLS can cause malformation in children’s eyes. It is severely irritating to the skin, and may cause skin layers to separate and inflame due to its protein-denaturing properties. In addition, research has shown that, when combined with other chemicals, SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens which cause the body to absorb nitrates at higher levels than eating nitrate-contaminated foods. (Researchers have estimated that nitrate absorption from washing your hair once with a shampoo containing SLS is equal to eating a pound of bacon!) Corneal damage to pets has also been documented. DEA, MEA and TEA: Hormone-disrupting chemicals that are also known to form carcinogenic nitrates and nitrosamines. They are most commonly found in body care products that foam, including bubble baths, shower gels, shampoos and face cleansers. According to Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois, a study showed that "repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancers." TALC (Magnesium Silicate): a natural mineral found and lung irritant, Talc is a slippery, finely powdered mineral that absorbs moisture. It is widely used in makeup and body powders. Talc has been linked to ovarian and lung cancer. It is NOT biodegradable. Talc has caused babies to severely cough, induced vomiting and pneumonia. TALC (Bismuth Oxichloride ): The majority of mineral make-up and cosmetic manufacturers use this natural ingredient in their formulas. Though natural, it is known to make the skin itch and it also tends to leave the products with a highly silky look and feel which unfortunately gives the the skin an un-natural glow, is heavy absorbing in creases. So if you've tried many of the brands of mineral make-up out there and were disappointed, Bismuth Oxichloride is probably why. Afterglow natural and organic mineral cosmetics is light while giving a good cake-free coverage and a "natural" luminous glow! MINERAL OIL: A commonly used petroleum ingredient that coats the skin like plastic wrap. It disrupts the skin’s natural immune barrier by inhibiting its ability to absorb moisture and nutrition, and it impedes the skin’s ability to release toxins. Mineral oil can promote acne and other disorders, and it slows down normal cell development, causing the skin to age prematurely. FD&C COLOR: Color pigments are often made from coal tar. Many of them cause skin sensitivity and irritation. According to Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Home Safe Home, much controversy surrounds the use of these pigments “because animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.” SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE: A generic term companies use on ingredient lists to represent whatever it is they put in their products to give them a particular scent. Because fragrances are recognized by the FDA as a “trade secret,” companies are not required to list any of the chemicals used to create them. In Home Safe Home, Dadd states, “Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients ... Clinical observations by medical doctors have shown that exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes.” IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA and DIAZOLIDINYL UREA: One of many synthetic preservatives that release formaldehyde. The Mayo Clinic reports that formaldehyde can cause skin reactions, heart palpitations, depression, headaches, chest pains, chronic fatigue and dizziness. More serious effects include a weakened immune system and cancer. Nearly all commercial skin, body and hair care products contain formaldehyde-releasing ingredients. ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: petroleum derived, and is used in antifreeze and shellac. Side effects are headache, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, and coma. It is commonly found in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotion and aftershave lotions. It penetrates the skin easily and is thought to destroy intestinal flora, leaving your body's major organs open to parasites, and thus to cancers. Considered by the petroleum industry as an “industrial byproduct” (read: industrial waste). PARABENS, Butyl-, ethyl-, methyl- and propyl-parabens: Preservatives found in many deodorants and skin-care products and sunscreens, mimic estrogen and may cause reproductive damage. Parabens have been detected in cancerous breast tumors. All natural organic mineral cosmetics from Afterglow has a large enough % of natural "titanium dioxide" giving it an SPF 15. PETROLEUM DISTILLATES: Possible human carcinogen. May contain harmful impurities or "break-down products". Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union. Found in some mascaras, perfumes, foundations, lipsticks and lip balms. Realizing how dangerous your beauty care products may be is frightening, but there are many things you can do to stay safe and choose the right natural mineral make-up and beauty products for YOU and YOUR family and beloved pets. First, make sure you read the list of ingredients on a product before you buy it. Many books, such as Winter's "A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients," are available to help you inform yourself about what ingredients are and how they may affect you. In order to fully avoid dangerous chemicals, look for companies that use only natural ingredients in their products. Keep in mind that use of the word “natural” on a product label does not guarantee anything; many supposedly natural products are rife with chemicals, which is why reading the ingredient list is important no matter what. So for safe, organic mineral make-up without the above mentioned chemicals, make the switch to AFTERGLOW- the natural organic mineral make-up for today! Our mineral make-up is free of the Talc irritant (Bismuth Oxichloride) which can cause itching on the skin even though it's natural. This is found in many mineral make-up lines on the market currently. Enjoy beautiful long lasting wear with our full line of natural organic cosmetics including foundations, bronzers, lip gloss, lipsticks, eyeliners, lip liners, blushes, eye shadows & brushes...also as on going home care and in prepping your skin for the mineral make-up, try the Kimberly Sayer skin care line, this a a powerful, safe duo for beautiful skin and health inside and out! The |
