Let's talk makeup toxicity!
... or not. What a downer, right?
A very smart friend of mine passed along this link to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database, a fasci
nating assessment of over 60,000 beauty products and cosmetics. The premise is that the FDA isn't reviewing or approving a majority of products before they go on the shelves and eventually onto our bodies and faces, so someone's got to do it. The site claims to have about a million page views per month, so I'm surprised this is the first I've heard of it.
Warning: The site is downright scary, and you'll be hard-pressed to find any product with the rating of "Totally safe! You can practically eat it!" Take, for example, the Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleanser that I've been using since college. A quick search shows that it poses a "moderate health concern," which includes possible neurotoxicity, 
organ system toxicity and "occupational hazards." (?) My Almay eyeliner could cause "endocrine disruption." Revlon Colorsilk hair color, forget it. You will die.
Still, I appreciate that someone's looking into this stuff, whether I follow the well-meaning advice or not. It kind of reminds me of that Debbie Downer of the cosmetics world, Paula Begoun, who basically inspects the ingredients of skin creams and cosmetics and tells you that it's all lies and none of them work. And then she pitches her own line of cosmetics, which seems a tad conflict of interest-y.
Anyway, check out the database. It does say some stuff is safe, like Vaseline. So. There's that.
Deal Diva Emily
Photos: Getty and iStockphoto
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