Warning: This is quite possibly my longest blog post ever. So if you reading this on computer monitor or on a tablet then print this out and read it without the glare of a screen. I also put this under a cut to stop taking up so much space on the front page of the blog so do click on -read more-.  One last thing: Just don’t copy this and claim it as your own as I’ve put a LOT of effort into this piece. 

I get down and dirty to investigate if our cosmetic really safe to apply on our skin? Should we trust the cosmetic company and are there any regulation bodies to protect us from harm? How are suppose to know what to apply on skin and what we shouldn’t.

Have you ever thought about what exactly you are applying on your lips, your eyes and your nails? The everyday cosmetics we use; the body cream, the shampoo, the lipstick and not to mention the foundation to finish up the look. The products look so pretty, colourful and seductive you don’t exactly give a glance at what your applying on yourself, as long as you feel pretty and you look beautiful it really doesn’t matter.

Or does it? We wouldn’t dream of applying anything to our body if it has the toxic symbol printed on it.  Have you ever really thought what is in your make-up bag? Where does eye shadow and blusher come from? The aroma of the cosmetic aisle in your local Boots store really does smell amazing, have you ever really thought about where that smell comes from? Does vanilla body lotion really contain vanilla extracts?

Here is a fact for you, did you know that lipstick is made from leads, fish scales and beeswax; it used to be in made from whale blubber until the practise was outlawed. Here is another fact for you; did you also know the main ingredient of moisturisers is oiled-in water emulsions? These are tiny droplets of oil in a watery base, this is use to hydrate your facial skin. For the oiled-in water emulsions to keep in the skin, a substance called humectants is added along with emollients (an ingredient which is to soften and smooth your skin).

Approximately 93% of women in the UK use some form of cosmetics, making us the highest consumer of cosmetic products in Europe, while using an estimated 20 different products throughout their beauty routine. A report published in 2007 by the campaign group Chemical Safe Skincare revealed that on average women will use approximately 12 personal care products a day. With all these statistics, you can understand why the beauty industry is turning an almost blind eye, it is a big money industry.

So the big question here is what exactly is in our cosmetics and does safety always matter? Every cosmetic product that is placed on the market within the EU must be evaluated according to strict guidelines by a qualified safety assessor, without which it is illegal to place a cosmetic product on the market.

All manufacturing and marketing of cosmetics are regulated by the European Cosmetics Directive, the primary purpose of this is that it defines the guidelines, a list of ingredients which may or may not be included into cosmetics. For example only certain classes of ingredients such as colours, UV filters and preservatives are closely controlled and only those ingredients that are pre-approved and listed in the Cosmetic Directive are allowed.

So essentially every cosmetic product is carefully regulated by a legion of governmental bodies, in the UK the enforcement authorities are usually the Trading Standards Institute, but in addition there are independent expert scientific committees such as the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety that advises the European authorities on the safety of individual ingredients.

The authorities and governmental bodies which regulate the ingredients usage in cosmetics do so according to European law. REACH (Registration, Evaluation & Authorisation of Chemicals) is a European law that controls the safety of chemicals in cosmetics and protects people and the environment.

Despite all the governmental bodies and EU law there are still ingredients such preservatives, which are found in 57% of cosmetic products, which have been linked in the past to breast cancer.

While there is no governmental regulation exactly on what preservatives can cause breast cancer, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CPTA) are quick to defend the safety of chemicals used in beauty products.

The European Union Cosmetics Directive states ‘a cosmetic product put on the market within the community must not cause damage to human health when applied under normal or reasonable foreseeable conditions of use.’

When analysing if cosmetics are toxic to your health, a deeper look investigating the ingredients reveals some surprises. Products such as Shampoo, which has always been sold to the public as a safe way to wash your hair, in fact contains detergents, the same ones you use for washing-up liquid.

It is important to understand that the largest organ on the body is your skin and anything we put on it rapidly get absorbed and this does include any cosmetics we apply to ourselves. Your dry skin does play a part in this as it does absorb anything you put on it but it might just have a reaction and you might come up in a rash or dry eyes. This is the body way of saying you are particularly sensitive and it wants to get rid of the toxic chemicals.

 A survey commissioned by the CTPA and
published by YouGov in 2010,
revealed that 84% of consumers do have concerns about chemicals in everyday health.

Why should we look after our skin and why is it important to discuss cosmetics on skin? Jamie from the site inwithskin.com explains. “The skin may look simple, but it performs a number of complex functions that keep us protected from environmental risks. It helps regulate temperature, protects us from sunlight, and creates a barrier between our body and potentially harmful chemicals and bacteria. It’s also packed with nerves that allow us to experience our surroundings and manufactures vitamin D, which is essential to building strong bones and emotional well-being.”

So can chemicals within cosmetics really affect the skin and your overall health? There does seem to be a misconstrued notion where if the word ‘chemical’ is used, consumers browsing the cosmetic product won’t buy it. A survey commissioned by the CTPA and published by YouGov in 2010, revealed that 84% of consumers do have concerns about chemicals in everyday health.

There is a theory that if a product says ‘cosmetic-free’ it could fuel consumers’ fear factor and lead to people buying a more ‘natural’ based cosmetic products.

Although there is a widely held misconception in the idea that ‘natural’ based cosmetics are in fact chemical free, when in factual terms ingredients being either natural or synthetic has no bearing on how safe they really are. It all depends on how we use the key properties of ingredients, as any chemical substance can be too much for the skin and body.

Jamie from inwithskin.com explains his take on why using too much cosmetics can be bad for the skin, “Over using products can certainly do damage to your skin. For example, washing too excessively can strip you skin of its natural oils which are essential to keeping your skin moisturized and protected. Exfoliating too much and using expired products can cause damage to skin cells. These factors will make your skin more susceptible to environmental damage and bacterial infections which can lead to irritation, redness, acne and possible exacerbation of existing skin conditions. Using too many cosmetics can also clog pores, hindering your skin’s self-cleaning mechanism and causing blemishes.”

Despite all this, how does the average consumer make any sense of the a basic ingredients list on bottles of everyday products such as deodorants, it’s a complex list and a lot of cosmetic products such as cream and shampoo simply add water which they bind together with a preservative.

Cris, from the natural cosmetic skin company Skin Blossom, explains, “It is very hard to know what is in the ingredients list, I often read lists and am not clear what is in it. (..)The best thing to do is research all the ingredients on a list to make sure you are happy using them.”

 Approximately 93% of women in the UK use some form of
cosmetics, making us the highest
consumer of cosmetic products in
Europe, while using an estimated 20
different products
throughout their beauty routine.

Thefactsabout.co.uk is run by the CPTA with its main role being to educate and to inform the general public about the ingredients in cosmetics and everyday grooming products, and has detailed information about the way in which cosmetic packaging must be labelled. Every product’s packaging must be clear and concise with certain information such as storage, brand owner, instructions on how to apply the cosmetic product onto the skin and if it suitable for recycling, as well as the ingredient list, which must be labelled as ‘ingredients’. Every cosmetic product’s packaging must strike a balance and make sure that they don’t have too much information to confuse the consumer or too little and are breaking regulation. There is also other important information concerning cosmetic packaging. By law they must state the net contents of the product in a pack, i.e. the quantity of the product within the package at time of being filled. A use by date or a lifespan date label helps consumers to know when to use it by, this is when the products remain in good condition until, although products such as aerosols do not need to have a lifespan date on them as they contain high alcohol content and as such do not perish as quickly.

Unfortunately, with regards to the composition of products, it is up to the general public to be self-educated on the cosmetic ingredients listed and what chemicals are used. There may be safe guards to help us but in the end it is all down to you feeling your skin and knowing what it wants or don’t want.