Happy Hormones : Day 2 Makeup and Skincare
When starting the journey to minimize contact with endocrine disruptors and maximize gut and hormone health it did not take long to become aware that many daily use products were contributing to the problem. This was not an easy task as my skin looked great at the time and I was very happy with my makeup products I had been using for years. In addition, I cannot say that I immediately fell in love with every product I switched out for a less toxic alternative , but over time as I kept trying different lower toxic options I finally found products that worked for me and aligned with my personal goals for hormone health. Today we are going to talk about current laws and banned products in women’s cosmetics and skincare as well as share some tools that can help you to personally evaluate your own products that you currently use.
Let me first start by saying if you have a skin condition or skin concerns please talk to your dermatologist before changing anything that comes in contact with your skin!
Your skin is the largest organ on your body and according to the Journal of the American Medical Association what we put on our skin is absorbed systemically (into our bloodstream). This was a jarring thought at first. Many of us hold the belief that internal hormone health and external makeup, lotions, perfumes, and skincare are completely separate entities that do not impact one another. However, that is far from the truth. There are countless endocrine disruptors hiding in cosmetics, and daily use products. That is why it is so important to understand the impact of EDCs first before diving into all the places that we come in contact with daily.
The FDA published in 2019 that the active ingredients in chemical based sunscreens: avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate can remain in the bloodstream and build up as reapplication occurs. A quote directly from the FDA website explains “Without further testing, the FDA does not know what levels of absorption can be considered safe”. In addition a secondary peer reviewed study conducted in 2018 explains “systemic absorption can be substantial, and evaluation of the systemic exposure of sunscreen ingredients is warranted to better assess any long-term risks of use”. All of this to say, we still have a long way to go toward setting limits on what concentration of chemical active ingredients in sunscreens are unharmful and need additional long term studies to evaluate the risk associated with them. This means that at this time there is not enough data to suggest what could or could not happen from long term usage of these chemicals and what concentration threshold is safe for long term usage. Many common chemical sunscreens include Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Hawaiian Tropic.
However, you should be wearing sunscreen! I have a family history of skin cancer, and wear sunscreen every single day. Instead of using a chemical based sunscreen, a less toxic alternative would be to use a mineral based sunscreen with active ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (FDA agrees these are safe). I personally only use zinc oxide because I find that I am extremely sensitive to heavy metals, and few studies recently have found the link between titanium dioxide particles and increased heavy metals. This is a personal choice, and at the time both of these ingredients are deemed as safe and are generally found in a mineral based sunscreen. I will link below my favorite daily mineral sunscreen.
In 1938 the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was signed which placed minimal restrictions on what could be put into cosmetics. From 1938- 2022 there was very little done to regulate what could be put into cosmetics in the United States . Meanwhile, the European Union has banned over 1300 ingredients and has set concentration limits on over 250 ingredients for their cosmetic regulations. Versus the United States that has just 11 banned ingredients. This means that there are currently 1,289 ingredients allowed to be placed into women’s cosmetics in the U.S. that are banned in Europe. This means that the safety of what you choose to put in your makeup bag and use daily ultimately falls on the consumer. Each person has the right to determine what ingredients they feel comfortable putting on their skin, but you should be informed about what they are and any potential harm that could be associated with using it. In 2022, The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act was passed. While this is a step in the right direction there is still a long way to go and at this time the responsibility for safe product usage is still ultimately on the consumer.
This can lead many to once again feel overwhelmed. The best place to start is by looking at your current products that you use on a daily basis and becoming more informed about what is inside them. My favorite website that I use is the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database (I will link this below). This is a large database that houses skincare and cosmetics products and then rates their ingredients on a scale of 0-10. In addition, they provide a breakdown of each ingredient and cite research studies for all ingredients so you can personally read the research and make informed decisions. When I started most of my products were a 7-10 on the EWG scoring scale so I was using really harmful ingredients daily. I was very hesitant to make changes, but when I did I saw a big change in my female hormone balance and a reduction in my overall inflammation levels in my body (finally said goodbye to a constantly puffy face).
Get ready, tomorrow we are talking about all things fragrance !
EWG Skin Deep Database:
Swap Recommendations:
Native Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30, Unscented- https://amzn.to/483nRq7
Ilia Mascara- https://amzn.to/3NhYmIg you can also purchase this at Sephora
La Roche- Posay Toleriane Foaming Facial Cleanser - https://amzn.to/4eDpRYS
Oatmeal and Honey Goat Soap- https://www.temarketsc.com/shop-qRp21/p/goat-milk-soap. This is great for dry or sensitive skin
Honest Beauty Translucent Powder- https://amzn.to/4dCy2Dq
Research Links:
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/shedding-more-light-sunscreen-absorption
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312469/
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr2617/BILLS-117hr2617enr.pdf
https://csw.ucla.edu/2018/06/27/fewer-chemicals-more-regulation/