1. The US FDA does not regulate the cosmetic industry.
2. The EU has banned approximately 1,100 ingredients found in personal care products, while the US has
only banned 10 ingredients.
3. Due to the lack of regulation in the USA, the words “natural,” “pure,” and “organic” do not guarantee
the products have these characteristics.
4. Cosmetic companies are now manufacturing products with particle sizes so small (“micronized” and “nano” sized) they can penetrate the layers of your skin and settle into the fatty tissues of your body.
5. The average woman ingests an average of four pounds of lipstick over a lifetime.
6. Most mineral makeup contains an ingredient called Bismuth Oxychloride, which is a bio-cumulative metal
and a well known irritant to the skin.
7. The most toxic cosmetic product is mascara; this product may contain mercury.
8. Many makeup products, including lipstick, contain the ingredient carmine, which is a bright red pigment
obtained from the exoskeleton of a beetle.
9. Many cosmetic products contain parabens. Parabens are broad-band preservatives which have been found in breast cancer tumors during research biopsies.
10. Resources like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the EWG’s Skin Deep Database can help you
make more informed purchasing decisions. You have the power to “shop your cosmetic label” and green
your makeup routine!
From a scientist, Inorganic Chemist:
ReplyDeleteBismuth Oxychloride (BiOCl) is an inorganic compound of bismuth with the formula BiOCl. It is a lustrous white solid, found naturally in the rare mineral bismoclite.
It is a component of some cosmetics, and has been used as such since antiquity, notably in ancient Egypt. Light wave interference from its plate-like structure of alternating layers of bismuth, oxygen, and chlorine atoms gives its suspensions a pearly iridescent light reflectivity similar to nacre.
Synthesis and Reactions:
BiOCl is formed during the reaction of bismuth chloride with water, i.e. the hydrolysis:
BiCl3 + H2O → BiOCl + 2 HCl
When heated above 600 °C, BiOCl converts to the Bi24O31Cl10, called the "Arppe compound" which has a complex layer structure.
Bismuth Oxychloride is a synthetically prepared white or nearly white amorphous or finely crystalline powder. In cosmetics and personal care products, Bismuth Oxychloride is used in the formulation of many products, including make-up, nail products, cleansing products, fragrances and hair coloring products.
Scientific Facts:
Bismuth is a naturally occurring, brittle metal. Bismuth-containing compounds can be found in a number of applications: as a pigment (Bismuth Oxychloride) in cosmetics and personal care products, and in Over-The-Counter (OTC) medicines (bismuth subnitrate) such as some used to treat gastrointestinal problems. Because bismuth compounds come from the earth they may contain trace amounts of heavy metals. The levels of heavy metals in Bismuth Oxychloride are regulated by the FDA, and the small amounts that may eventually be in cosmetic or personal care products do not pose a risk to human health.