photocredit:  inhabitots.com

Little girls love playing with makeup.   Add glitter and it could possible be the best gift ever for the holidays. 

This holidays, however, a mother in Rhode Island decided to send her six year old daughter's gifted makeup to an independent lab (the mother works for a law Firm, which specializes in asbestos class-action lawsuits.)... and it tested positive for Tremolite asbestos.  Yes, asbestos.  Tremolite asbestos has been linked to the cancer mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related cancers.

The makeup products, that had been purchased at Claire's stores, have been pulled from store shelves until Claire's conducts their own investigation.  The items included are( please check the Claire’s website for more information):

• Ultimate Mega Makeup Set (code 71844)

• Metallic Hot Pink Glitter 48 Piece Makeup Set (code 76094)

• Pink Glitter Cellphone Makeup Compact (code 26556)

• Bedazzled Rainbow Heart Makeup Set (code 11767)

• Rainbow Bedazzled Star Makeup Set (code 20926)

• Rainbow Glitter Heart Shaped Makeup Set (code 97275)

• Mint Glitter Makeup Set (code 74769)

• Rainbow Bedazzled Rectangle Makeup Set (code 21044)

• Pink Glitter Palette with Eyeshadow & Lip Gloss (code 97276)

Makeup - for adults or those marketed towards little girls, are not regulated by any governing body. Cosmetic companies do not have to disclose the ingredients they are using in their products and, furthermore, they don't even have to test the ingredients they use in their products for safety.  

Even worse?  The European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals from beauty products, while the US has only banned 11.

So when we use makeup, or when we allow our daughters to use makeup we are, essentially, guinea pigs because  no one has ever tested most of these ingredients we are putting on our largest organ, our skin.  Think about it: 

• You and your young daughters might be using hundreds of untested chemicals on your face and body for decades.

• Your skin is absorbing hundreds of untested chemicals every single day that you use makeup.

• If you are pregnant? Your unborn baby is absorbing hundreds of untested chemicals every single day for its first 40 weeks of development.

• Young children are especially at risk of any and all chemical exposures: they have thinner, less protective skin, and thus absorb some chemicals more readily than adults. Additionally their brains and bodies are still developing, which mean that chemicals' impact on them is even greater than it is for adults.

Some more bad news?  Some of the most common chemicals used in cosmetics have been tested and can be really bad for you.  According to EWG  some common ones you should avoid: 

• Formaldehyde releasers: Some cosmetics chemicals are designed to react with water in the bottle to generate formaldehyde, to keep the product from growing mold and bacteria. But formaldehyde is a potent allergen and carcinogenic. This can be found in: shampoos, conditioners, bubble bath and other personal care products—even those intended for children.

• Parabens: Parabens are used as preservatives in some cosmetic products and can act as estrogens and disrupt hormone signaling. They have been linked to impaired fertility, cancer.

• Retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid: Retinoic acid is used in anti-aging skin creams. Retinyl palmitate, a related chemical, is added to roughly one-quarter of the sunscreens. These chemicals speed the development of cancerous lesions on sun-exposed skin.

• Phthalates: Commonly found in anything that contains synthetic fragrance, scientific studies link phthalate exposure to reproductive abnormalities in baby boys, reduced testosterone and sperm quality in men and early puberty in girls.

• Heavy Metals: Including cadmium, lead and mercury can build up in our bodies and lead to lower IQ, heart, kidney and lung damage and cancer. They can contaminate ingredients that are used to color cosmetics (common in lipstick, blush, eyeshadow etc

And, as we just read, asbestos.

The bottom line?   IT is time to switch to safer products- especially if you are pregnant.   Today there are many safe non-toxic makeup products available for women.   Even more important ?  If your young daughters need to use makeup- make sure they are using non-toxic makeup too!  

Here are some of my favorite trusted brands for non-toxic makeup that I personally use or have researched

Ilia Beauty

ILIA Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner, Nobody's Baby, 0.14 Ounce

Lily lolo

Lily Lolo Eye Palette (Laid Bare)

WELL PEOPLE

W3LL PEOPLE - Nudist ColorBalm Stick (Cherry (3))

RMS Beauty

RMS Beauty Signature Set (Pop). Organic Makeup Palette for Natural Skincare.

RMS Beauty Wild With Desire Lipstick (RMS Red)

TATA HARPER

Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint - Very Charming

BEautycounter