How To Detox Your Beauty Bag: 5 Tips

January is a great time to detox your body. But why not also detox your beauty bag from harmful chemicals this year?

By Elise Rutterford

New to natural and organic beauty? Want to change the products you use but not quite sure where to start? We don’t blame you. Sure, with skincare, it’s not hard to find some really great natural alternatives – beautiful face serums, floral toners, natural shampoos and hair oils abound, for example. But when it comes to makeup, it can definitely be trickier to navigate which products are most toxic and should be organic, and of course, it’s also tricky knowing how you can test organic makeup colours in the flesh.

There are some makeup products that most certainly should be organic or natural, whilst others aren’t too bad if they’re drugstore brands. There are also some natural brands that are far superior than others. To help you navigate the makeup maze, we’ve given you our top tips on how to detox your beauty bag from some of the most harmful chemicals in makeup.

How To Detox Your Beauty Bag From Harmful Chemicals

Most Harmful Chemicals in Makeup

1. First, know which ingredients to avoid

There are loads of chemicals in most beauty brands, with some being more harmful than others. For example, Carbon Black is a dark pigment used in eye makeup that has been linked to cancer, while mica, which is found in shimmery eyeshadows, blushers, lipsticks and powders, is only harmful if it’s inhaled.

It’s hard to make a short list of the most harmful chemicals in makeup, but the most damaging ingredients to your health include: lead, parabens, mineral oil, CI+ a number (artificial colourings), DEA, Parfum, PEG, coal tar, lake dyes and more. Find out more about which ingredients to avoid here and here. In short, if there are loads of ingredients you can barely pronounce or that you’ve never heard of, toss it in the bin.

detox your beauty bag

2. Learn what to ditch first to detox your beauty bag fast

It’s hard to part with your favourite products, and let’s face it – we all get pretty comfortable in our beauty routines. But consider this: you literally eat about 7 pounds of lipstick over a lifetime! Of course, it’s not by gnawing on the product, but by having traces of it smeared onto our food. Ever eat an apple whilst wearing lippy? Look at the skin after your first bite and you’ll see what I mean! Lipstick is usually full of not only all those CI+number artificial colourings that can cause cancer, but lead and even parfum too! So it’s definitely one of the first organic products you should buy.

Secondly, anything that covers a large surface area, like foundation, BB cream, primer or tinted SPF cream, should be all natural, since the skin absorbs a lot of what is put onto it. These products often include parabens, which have been linked to cancer, as well as parfum and other nasties that can lead to all kinds of health issues.

Finally, know that ALL major brands – including the well-known ones like Tom Ford, YSL, Chanel, Lancome, MAC, Smashbox and the likes – contain nasty chemicals. Ever wondered why you get a major headache when you spend too much time in the cosmetics section of a department store? That would be why. Sure, their colours and packaging are gorgeous, but is it really worth risking your health to have a posh lippy in your bag? And besides, equally gorgeous alternatives are available. Just read on to see!

Most Harmful Chemicals in Makeup

3. Discover the best clean beauty brands

After working in the realm of sustainable beauty for several years, one thing’s become clear to me: some natural makeup brands are better than others. The truth is, it’s not easy to make makeup from natural sources that mimic the shades we love. But some brands have done a fabulous job, and are gaining fame for it, too. Here’s a list of some of the best – and the easiest to find online, too.

RMS Beauty

An amazing range of cosmetics founded by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift who, after discovering her blood contained high levels of heavy metals from years of continual exposure to beauty products rich in things like lead and aluminium, decided to switch to all natural alternatives. RMS is filled with creamy foundations, amazing concealers, lipsticks, cheek balms and their all new ‘master mixer’ which will make you look like a shining, golden goddess.

Lavera

One of the biggest brands is also one of the best. Lavera ensures all of its European made cosmetics are not only fully natural, but gorgeously functional too. Whatever your beauty needs, Lavera caters to it. And best of all, Lavera is highly available! You can find it at Whole Foods, Amazon, Planet Organic and just about any decent health shop.

Juice Beauty

The Gwyneth Paltrow approved brand has a great range of makeup. It includes lip glosses and lipsticks, powder and liquid foundations, mascara, eye liners and more. Just about anything you need to look a bit prettier!

Dr Hauschka

Gorgeous packaging, dense colours and all natural ingredients. No wonder celebs and beauty addicts rate Dr. Hauschka’s makeup line super high. This German-based company certainly knows what it’s doing when it comes to making women look beautiful in the most natural  way. Born from a passion for natural medicine and a commitment to sustainability, this all natural line of makeup and beauty products is loved by women all over the globe.

Sephora Natural & Organic Range

As one of the largest and most well-known makeup companies, Sephora has an  amazing line of natural and organic makeup. Yes, it’s sold alongside all the chemical crap they carry too. But hey, it’s a start!

 

How To Detox Your Beauty Bag

4. Forget patriotism, for now

So you’ve tossed out your nasty old foundation and lippy and…now what? Where can you buy something new? This isn’t only about stores, it’s about countries – the same brands may have different formulations depending on where they’re made. For example, many harsh chemical ingredients that are permitted in the USA are banned in Europe and Japan. So if you live in the United States, it’s best to order your makeup online from Europe. Even if it’s the same brand you buy in the USA!

Also, if you’ve bought something in China or even a local brand that’s sold in China, you should know that it has been tested on animals to gain market entry in that country. In short: be aware that makeup regulations change from nation to nation. And shop in the healthiest place you can. Because  you’re worth it, right?

detox your beauty bag

5. Test drive before you buy

There’s a load of great online clean beauty retailers. The obvious issue, however, is that you can’t test a shade of a lippie when it’s on a computer screen. And it is important to test! Especially when you’re investing money and planning on wearing this stuff all over your face, every day.

Requesting samples is a great idea. Most natural brands or online retailers are still small enough to provide awesome customer care. Most are happy to send you a little smidgen of what you’re looking for. Our favourite online shops all have samples available across many of their makeup brands. So why not select a few of each product before you decide to invest in a full size product?

detox your beauty bag

So there you have it: the best way to attack your makeup bag. Focus on one product at a time, familiarise yourself with the brands that are available and always try before you buy. Once you’ve found the products that work for you, you’ll be delighted with the results. They honestly make such a difference to your skin! And you can be safe in the knowledge that they’re doing your looks and your health a whole lot of good.

About the author: Elsie is one of the head honchos at CleanBeautyCo.com.

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17 thoughts on “How To Detox Your Beauty Bag: 5 Tips”

  1. I really like reading an article that will make people think about the cosmetics they use.
    Also, thank you for permitting me to comment! Not many blogs or mags allow for that these days.

  2. Thanks for finally writing about >How To Detox Your Beauty Bag from the Most Harmful Chemicals
    in Makeup – Eluxe Magazine <Loved it!

  3. I am confused because the first one you mention as a good product is rms, but in their product ingredientes it says “may contain mica, CI… and other stuff that I can’t remember the names of.

  4. Amazing post, Elise. The toxic beauty ingredient mentioned Parabens is really a reason for concern. They are widely used preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast in cosmetic products. Parabens possess estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. They can be found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. If you’re looking for an alternative to parabens go for the ones that use ingredients such as Ethylhexyl glycerin (which is plant-derived) or phenoxyethanol, another alternative to parabens, a naturally derived ether alcohol.

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