Ditch Your Concealer Make-Up

The last post I did was on ditching your foundation. I know, getting out of old routines, especially make-up, is soooo hard. We fall in love with textures and smells and commercials and packaging… even when the products are slowly killing us. So, are you ready for me to keep giving you suggestions and information?! Good Choice! The second item up: Ditch Your Concealer Make-Up.

Detox Your Life: Ditch Your Make-Up Day 2

In the last post, I told you about why I personally don’t love face foundation make-up (watched my mom slather herself in it every. single. morning… hate the feeling of it on my face… don’t want to cover my freckles, etc.). Concealer ranks right up there with it, in my opinion.

In addition, I can’t figure out how to use it properly to cover pimples. LOL. (It’s sad to admit that… considering that I’m 33 years old). When I apply it, the “concealed” spot always looks like a chunky, crackled mini volcano. I definitely do NOT look like one of these YouTube make-up guru beauties.

So I say screw it. Let the pimples hang out, air out, and dry out. I dab them with my healing salve and embrace my pimply beauty.

Why You Should Ditch Your Concealer

Here are 5 common ingredients in most major name brand concealers, why they are used, and how they are detrimental to your health.

Please note that each brand of concealer has different formulations.

Not all of these ingredients are found in every concealer.

Additionally, there are other questionable ingredients in concealers.

In an effort to spare my sanity and not inundate you with TOO much information, I decided to pull out 5 of the most commonly found ingredients and explain those.

Please feel free to do additional research on the other ingredients in your products.

Talc

Talc is a type of magnesium silicate that even at cosmetic grade can be toxic and carcinogenic, especially for the ovaries.
It’s usually used as an abrasive, absorbent, anti-caking, bulking ,and/or skin protecting ingredient in cosmetics.
Scientists have found this ingredient to be extremely dangerous to children when inhaled, but it can be detrimental to everyone that comes in contact with it as it causes respiratory and skin irritations.
Additionally, talc is dangerous because it can be contaminated with asbestos fibers.

Fragrance

If you joined me on my last Ditch It Challenge, you’ll know how much I talked about fragrances (in scented candles, air fresheners, deodorants, skin and hair products, etc.) and how dangerous they are in our homes and on our bodies.
Fragrance is allergenic for most people.
Additionally, it’s an irritant for lungs, skin, and eyes and can cause respiratory distress.
Most often, fragrance is an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients that manufacturers do not need to disclose.
Fragrances may cause organ system toxicity and even cancer.

PEG/PPG-18/ 18 Dimethicone

This ingredient is a synthetic chemical which is a blend of Dimethicone, PEG and PPG polymers.
It can be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities ( the reactant- ethylene oxide or the byproduct- 1,4 dioxane – both of which are carcinogenic).
It’s typically used as a blending ingredient and used a product thickener, solvent, softener, and/or a moisture-carrier.
There are concerns that it may cause organ system toxicity and irritation with skin and eyes including itchiness and redness.

Propylparaben*

Propylparaben is commonly used as a preservative and as a fragrance ingredient.
It’s considered harmful because people can be allergic to it (which can cause skin and respiratory issues).
Science has also found that propylparaben is a possible “endocrine disruptor.”
Endocrine disruptors mess with the bodies hormones and can potentially cause a slew of health effects like birth defects, cancer, and even developmental defects.

Methylparaben*

Methylparaben is also a commonly used preservative and fragrance ingredient.
Like propylparaben, science says that methylparaben alters our cellular composition and can disrupt hormones as well.
Methylparaben can actually mimic estrogen in the body and may play a role in breast cancer as some studies show methylparaben build up in breast tissues of breast tumors.

*All parabens (propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, etc.) are frequently used in cosmetics and deodorants because they are anti-fungal and anti-microbial. This is great for killing fungus, yeast, and germs, but the health consequences are far too great.

What to Use Instead

There are safer alternatives than those major name brands we are all accustomed to.

Check out:

Mad Hippie Concealer
W3LL People Bio Brightener Luminizer Stick
ZAO Organic Makeup-Organic Concealer
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented 2nd Skin Concealer
Suki Correct Coverage Concealer

Extra Challenge

Go without!

Oy. I know I’ve probably struck a cord there.

But… you. are. beautiful. with or without concealer.

I promise.

**The information on the ingredients in this blog post come largely from the Think Dirty App. If you don’t already have the Think Dirty App (where I check the safety of all my products), you really need to.

Please know that the products I recommend at rated at a 0/10 in terms of toxicity. They are as safe as they can ever be. To me, if it’s not a zero, it’s a definite no-go.

If you want to check out my last challenge, you can find the links here.

Ditching:

Plastic Cooking Utensils

Dryer Sheets

Did you enjoy this post? Please pin this image ↓ Happy Homesteading! (: