Morning routine: Wake up. Take a shower. Do your hair. Smear some lead and formaldehyde on your face. Wait what?? Yup. Your makeup and beauty products might contain some really gross ingredients that you don’t know about, including chemicals and toxins linked to an increased breast cancer risk. Even products labeled “natural” or “organic” may contain carcinogens and harmful synthetic ingredients, so what seems pretty on the outside might be doing some damage on the inside.
So what is a girl to do? Read your labels. Avoid certain ingredients including:
Parabens, found in lotions and other cosmetics, which mimic estrogen.
Phthalalates, found in nail polish, linked to later-life breast cancer.
Ethylene oxide, found in fragrances, which are a mammary carcinogen.
Nonylphenols, found in cleansers, which may disrupt hormones.
Check out Pure Prevention and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for more information about companies that use harmful ingredients in their products, and visit Skin Deep to search thousands of products and see how your makeup bag measures up, and learn about healthier alternatives to clean up your beauty routine.
