Recently my 10-year-old niece asked me "Why do you wear makeup?" I've come along way from my self-conscious days of middle and high school when I felt the need to hide behind my makeup, so I thought for a moment before I responded to her question.
See I wanted to answer her question honestly while preserving and protecting her own self-imagine as a woman and image-bearer of God. I said something to the effect of "I wear makeup not because I feel like I HAVE to or NEED to, but because it is fun to put on. I prefer to put very little makeup on and have it look natural." Do I feel prettier with my makeup on? Yes, but I've reached a place where I love myself regardless. I don't NEED to wear makeup to the grocery store, but I do feel a bit more comfortable with it on. Hey, I'm a work in progress :)
Anyway, in my pursuit to remove unnecessary and harmful chemicals in my life, I discovered one daily routine that needed serious attention...my makeup. Have you ever looked into what is in your makeup?
According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), "In general, except for color additives and those ingredients that are prohibited or restricted by regulation, a manufacturer may use any ingredient in the formulation of a cosmetic, provided that--
- the ingredient and the finished cosmetic are safe under labeled or customary conditions of use,
- the product is properly labeled, and
- the use of the ingredient does not otherwise cause the cosmetic to be adulterated or misbranded under the laws that FDA enforces." Click here for further details.
I don't know about you but allowing a manufacture to use ANY ingredient (with some minimal safety guidelines) that is not approved by some third party sounds a bit terrifying. What's a girl to do? Don't panic! Here's some advice of where to start. And for our male readers, keep reading! Even though you may not wear makeup, you can share this information lovingly with the ladies in your life.
I use the Environmental Work Group's (EWG) website Skin Deep to assess all of my beauty products. I learned about the brand Alima Pure from this website. All of Alima Pure's products fall within the 1-2 range on the EWG's rating scale which places them in the "low hazard" category. Since I like to wear makeup and don't want to lose my sanity researching every ingredient, I'm choosing to trust that the EWG has done their research demonstrating that Alima Pure is legit. You have to decide for yourself where you draw the sanity line.
So where do you start retouching your makeup routine? In future blog posts, I will give you a few tips on how I've slowly transitioned my makeup collection to Alima Pure. See below for blog post topics and links!
***Please do not see this post as a call to trash all your makeup and spend a ton of money to replace everything. Over the past two years I've slowly replaced my makeup as I've run out or when I had a little extra money in my personal fun budget. The featured image above shows my collection I've accumulated over THREE years.
Alima Pure is just one brand of makeup that's working to change the face (pun intended) of the beauty industry through clean products and transparency. I'd love to learn about other products. Comment below (scroll to the bottom of the page) which products you are using and how you found them!
Check out Touching-Up Your Makeup Routine: Part Two here!
You are worth more than mediocre. You are worth exceptional health!
Caitlyn J. Hanson
© 2016 Living Wellness, LLC Revolutionizing health, one community at a time.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any illnesses or disease. Please always check with your doctor before beginning any new nutritional or fitness program or before making any nutritional/fitness changes.