Toxic-Free Foundation & Concealer
BACKGROUND
Let’s cut to the chase: this post is going to be introducing to you the science behind some of your favorite liquid foundation and concealer products, discuss how several active ingredients can potentially bring adverse effects, and list some recommendations on alternative beauty choices you can pick that will not compromise your health.
Parabens: According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), methylparaben (MP) is generally recognized as a safe preservative compound, and it is also metabolized by common soil bacteria, making it biodegradable. However, studies have found several potential safety red flags concerning these p-hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters. Parabens have been shown to possess oestrogenic activity and to be present in human breast tumor tissue, which is an oestrogen-responsive tissue (Soni et. al., 2002). Due to its remaining intact within breast cancer tissues, parabens may be linked to an increase in risk of breast cancer or an acceleration in the growth of breast cancer tumors (Pugazhendhi et. al., 2005). Furthermore, other studies show that MP may have harmful effects on human skin when exposed to sunlight. A recent study compared MP-free skin to MP-treated skin in the presence of UVB light. In low-dosed exposure to Ultraviolet-B (UVB), human skin keratinocytes displayed no deviation from normal development. MP-treated keratinocytes show significantly increased cell death, oxidative stress, nitric oxide production, and lipid peroxidation (Handa et. al., 2006). Upon light irradiation and skin esterases, MP is also shown to cause oxidative skin DNA damage involving carcinogenesis and skin aging (Okamoto et. al., 2008). These findings raise some concerns about the health values of adding paraben ingredients to personal-care items.
Titanium Oxide: Several findings have raised concerns about potential health hazards associated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles exposure. In vivo experiments in mice show that TiO2 nanoparticles induce DNA damage and genetic instability (Trouiller et. al., 2009). Subsequently, inflammation and oxidative stress were also present as characterized by a moderate inflammatory response (Trouiller et. al., 2009). Furthermore, inhalation of TiO2 dust has been reported by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B carcinogen (IARC, 2006). In other words, this indicates that TiO2 could possibly be carcinogenic to humans through nasal contact. In experiments with mice, high concentrations of TiO2 dust resulted in respiratory tract cancer and intra-tracheal instillation (Serpone and Kutal, 1993). Overall, although smaller titanium dioxide particles are more likely to pose carcinogenic risk than the larger titanium dioxide particles, prolonged exposure to TiO2 does indicate significant adverse effects.
Although the exact impact of paraben and titanium dioxide on human health remains questionable and requires further research, it is important for manufacturers to keep in mind consumers’ interest and innovate their products to be paraben-free or titanium dioxide-free. However, many cosmetic brands continue to include parabens in the production, and a large majority of them still uses titanium dioxide as the main pigmenting agent. Therefore, it remains up to buyers to be aware and gauge the safety of using foundations/concealers with these chemicals. For folks out there who choose to go the paraben-free or titanium dioxide-free route, below are some alternatives to conventional brands’ foundations and concealers from all different price points.
“Imagine a world where make up is hydrating, soothing & healing just like your skin care, not loaded with petro chemicals, potential carcinogens, free radicals & nasty fillers. A world where your make up doesn’t cover up your imperfections, but actually works on healing & soothing, to reveal your best skin ever.”
BEAUTY-ON-A-BUDGET
SHANY® Perfect Canvas Liquid Foundation
SHANY® is an indie company that advertises itself on affordability and cruelty-free practices. Founded in 2006 in response to the rising prices of major brands, SHANY® became the first to develop a makeup line completely without animal testing, paraben or talc.
True to SHANY®’s promise of affordability while remaining healthy for human application, their Perfect Canvas Liquid Foundation costs only about $18 for a bottle of 1.0 oz (~30 mL) product. As with SHANY®’s concealer stick, the liquid foundation is also paraben-free, talc-free and cruelty-free. The water-based product is advertised to give a matte finish without cakiness, and builds up a medium coverage. This is potentially great for people who prefer a more natural look, but others who wish for flawless complete coverage can also build up the product through layering.
· Drawback #1: Limited shade range, albeit better than the concealer sticks due to its coming in 8 shades. However, compared to major brands with 25–40 shades, SHANY® still lags behind in shade inclusivity.
· Drawback #2: It is NOT titanium dioxide-free.
Burt’s Bees® Goodness Glows Full Coverage Liquid Foundation
Most people may know of Burt’s Bees® for their amazingly effective and all-natural moisturizing chapsticks. However, the company recently also expanded to create a makeup line that hopefully would revolutionize the cosmetic industry toward a greener future. Their model of business is “people, profit, planet”, so Burt’s Bees® doesn’t do animal testing, uses natural ingredients like coconut oil to substitute for synthetic chemicals like silicone, and ethically sources their raw materials. Burt’s Bees® liquid foundation is “98.9% natural, full coverage, …smoothes skin for a radiant, natural-looking finish” and includes “moisturizing benefits”. NO parabens, phthalates, SLS, petrolatum or synthetic fragrances. The price point is great, at only $17 for a bottle of 1.0 oz (~30 mL), and it comes in 18 SHADES! That’s the widest shade range for a natural, paraben-free makeup line we’ve seen thus far.
· Only drawback: It is NOT titanium dioxide-free.
MID-RANGE BEAUTY
MG Naturals’ Airbrush Miracle Liquid Vegan Foundation
MG Naturals is an indie company based in Queensland, Australia, which also means that all your products will have to be shipped to you from across the world. However, good news is that MG Naturals might be worth checking out, as it is kicking up some momentum in that part of the world. They are one of the few brands in the world who don’t use titanium dioxide, boron nitride or magnesium stearate in their make up lines. Full disclosure of the ingredients can be found under the product description.
The Airbrush Miracle Liquid Foundation is, first of all, vegan. It is also ultra light, hydrating, replenishing, & gives a nice medium coverage for a fresh, silky flawless finish that won’t settle into fine lines or leave your skin dry & cakey. At USD$24, it is actually not that expensive, more like belonging to a mid-range of the spectrum. And it is definitely without TiO2 or parabens.
· Only drawback: limited shade availability (only 8 shades)
“My goal is to make products that look good, feel good and are good for the skin.”
BEAUTY FOR THE BALLERS
RMS Beauty’s Uncover Up Concealer
According to the company’s philosophy, “RMS Beauty is dedicated to transforming the way women use makeup, and it’s about more than simply using organic ingredients”. The founder of this startup wishes for her products to be as clean and chemical-free as possible. RMS Beauty products are formulated with raw, food grade and organic ingredients in their natural state, allowing their living, healing attributes to penetrate and rejuvenate the skin. RMS Beauty has also taken extreme care in the use of minimal heat in the manufacturing process of this product in order to keep all nutrients and healing properties alive. All products are “free of harmful chemicals, synthetic preservatives, synthetic vitamins, and genetically altered ingredients (GMO) etc.” The RMS Uncover Up concealer is advertised to be lightweight & hydrating, reveal more youthful and radiant skin, minimize the appearance of pores and rejuvenate. At $36, this concealer is definitely on a higher end, being retailed in departmental stores such as Sephora and Nordstrom. However, this is among some of the clean vegan and organic makeup lines that have more shade coverage; in fact, this particular concealer comes in 16 shades.
· Only drawback: this product is NOT guaranteed titanium dioxide free.
jane iredale’s Liquid Minerals® Foundation
The founder of the same name, Jane, was familiar with the makeup industry after working for many years with actresses, and wanted to create “a makeup that’s good for the skin.” Founded in 1994, the brand was quickly embraced by dermatologists and plastic surgeons because of its ability to cover, soothe and protect. “Patients loved it because it didn’t feel like makeup; it just resulted in beautiful, flawless skin.” True to this principle, all of jane iredale’s products are cruelty free and made with natural ingredients. The Liquid Minerals foundation provides sheer to medium coverage, also provides hydration, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes the appearance pores, evens out skin tone and adheres so well, there is minimal transference. Coming in 18 shades, for the price of $52, this product is on the upper end in terms of cost. However, if luxurious chemical-free makeup is something you can afford, this is definitely worth checking out.
· Only drawback: this product is NOT guaranteed titanium dioxide free.
Omiana’s Liquid Foundation Mousse
Omiana is an indie makeup company that’s exclusively online right now (although they are currently working on expansion to retail stores). They cater quite specifically to sensitive consumers with skincare & makeup allergies. Omiana, compared to other organic, toxic chemical-free cosmetics companies, goes the extra mile with their transparency principle. Omiana has a completely clear policy with regards to its ingredients, and their website has a search wizard that allows you to filter their products based on the ingredients you want to avoid, both natural and synthetic: parabens, mica, titanium dioxide, propylene glycol, boron nitrides, etc. They also give free sample sizes for any item since they know that consumers can’t try the products in-store.
Coming at 1 oz per item, the Liquid Foundation Mousse is without paraben, mica, titanium dioxide, boron nitride, nanoparticles, and even clay. This is one of the only few products found that excludes both TiO2 and parabens, which does come at a higher cost: $49.99 per bottle.
· Only drawback: limited shade range (only comes in 8 shades)
Note: OMIANA’S INTENSE LIQUID FOUNDATION HAS 16 SHADES, BUT CONTAINS TITANIUM DIOXIDE (If shade variability is something of more importance, check that product out.)
Sources Cited
Handa, O., Kokura, S., Adachi, S., Takagi, T., Naito, Y., Tanigawa, T., . . . Yoshikawa, T. (2006). Methylparaben potentiates UV-induced damage of skin keratinocytes. Toxicology, 227(1–2), 62–72. doi:10.1016/j.tox.2006.07.018
Lesley Adkins, Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to life in Ancient Greece, Oxford University Press, 1998
Manniche, Lise. Sacred Luxuries. 1999 Cornell University Press, New York. 127–143.
Okamoto, Y., Hayashi, T., Matsunami, S., Ueda, K., & Kojima, N. (2008). Combined Activation of Methyl Paraben by Light Irradiation and Esterase Metabolism toward Oxidative DNA Damage. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 21(8), 1594–1599. doi:10.1021/tx800066u
Pugazhendhi, D., Pope, G. S., & Darbre, P. D. (2005). Oestrogenic activity ofp-hydroxybenzoic acid (common metabolite of paraben esters) and methylparaben in human breast cancer cell lines. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 25(4), 301–309. doi:10.1002/jat.1066
Sadrieh, N., Wokovich, A. M., Gopee, N. V., Zheng, J., Haines, D., Parmiter, D., . . . Buhse, L. F. (2010). Lack of Significant Dermal Penetration of Titanium Dioxide from Sunscreen Formulations Containing Nano- and Submicron-Size TiO2 Particles. Toxicological Sciences, 115(1), 156–166. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfq041
Serpone, Nick; Kutal, Charles (1993). Photosensitive metal-organic systems: mechanistic principles and applications. Columbus, OH: American Chemical Society. ISBN 978–0–8412–2527–5
Soni, M., Taylor, S., Greenberg, N., & Burdock, G. (2002). Evaluation of the health aspects of methyl paraben: A review of the published literature. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 40(10), 1335–1373. doi:10.1016/s0278–6915(02)00107–2
Trouiller, B., Reliene, R., Westbrook, A., Solaimani, P., & Schiestl, R. H. (2009). Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce DNA Damage and Genetic Instability In vivo in Mice. Cancer Research, 69(22), 8784–8789. doi:10.1158/0008–5472.can-09–2496
