In With the NEW: Blush
Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at your blush!
I’m always fielding questions from clients and friends about how they can swap out some of their favorite products for safer, toxin-free options without a loss in quality, taste, or performance (depending on the product). Every week, I cover food, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning and laundry products, and even behavior, so if you enjoy these Clean Swap features, please follow me on Instagram and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (⬅️by clicking on this link to the left) so that you never miss a new one.
LET’S TALK BLUSH 😊🌸🌷
A little blush goes a long way. It has the ability and the power to brighten up your entire face and highlight your visage with just a few strategically placed swipes.
It can be a gorgeous finishing touch to a full face of makeup, or it can be the only thing you wear on those lazy days. If you are tired (or you overslept), disinterested in rocking a full face of product on a super hot or humid day, or in the mood to just let your skin breathe, grab a fluffy brush, sweep a pink or red blush on your cheeks, and it will instantly wake up your entire face.
You can do a lot with just a little blush. The product can warm up cool-toned, fair skin. It can also brighten sallow or tired skin. It even adds depth to darker skin tones.
A few swipes of blush can replicate the look of love and lust. Psychology Today even reported that blush mimics the pink and red tones and vascularization of a woman's most sexually fertile time. It's not as out there of a theory as it might seem on the surface. When we blush in romantic settings, we are aroused, flirtatious, and likely happy. Blush simulates that look and can make you even more physically appealing to others.
Blush is also super easy. You don't need six brushes, eight products, and a dozen YouTube or Instagram tutorials to figure out how to properly apply blush. All you have to do is pick a universal pink or peach shade — NARS' iconic Orgasm looks good on every skin tone, light, medium, or dark — and sweep it onto the apples of your checks, blending upwards toward the temples.
SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT BLUSH? 💁♀️
While everyone loves a good Orgasm, the iconic NARS blush, which I’ve used for YEARS, contains a lot of ingredients that I now avoid, because I know better! In fact, you won’t believe some of the horrible chemicals that most brands contain. Remember, our skin absorbs what we apply to it and the toxins in our products get absorbed into our bloodstream to accumulate in our bodies until one day they make us sick. So your seemingly innocent blush may not be so innocent after all. It may be slowly adding to your total body toxic burden every day. So let’s take a look at some of the most egregious toxins in your blush!
🚫 TEFLON - Yup, you read that right. While those of us who are really heath conscious got rid of our Teflon cookware long ago, most women have no idea that they are wearing it on their face all day.
🚫 POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE (PTFE) - the same chemical used to make Teflon, the non-stick surface in cookware and has been linked with osteoarthritis, heart disease, early-onset menopause, and breast cancer.
🚫 FORMALDEHYDE RELEASERS - In personal care products, formaldehyde can be added directly, or more often, it can be released from preservatives, such as quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, bromopol and glyoxal. These chemicals, which help prevent microbes from growing in water-based products, can be absorbed through the skin and have been linked to cancer and allergic skin reactions. They also release small amounts of formaldehyde over time. Since even the lowest levels of formaldehyde can cause health concerns, the slow release of small amounts of formaldehyde are cause for concern. A 2015 study determined that longer storage time and higher temperature increase the amount of formaldehyde released from FRPs and could ultimately lead to more severe health concerns.
🚫 ALUMINUM POWDER - byproduct from aluminum manufacturing and is generally used as colorant. Since it’s a toxic substance, lip products should never contain it. Therefore, if you ever manage to find a lip-gloss or a lipstick with aluminum powder in it put it back immediately, and switch it for a natural lip product. The effects of aluminum powder can be quite harmful. This is especially true when it’s being used in hair, skin and food products. Aluminum powder can accumulate in the body over time and has also been linked to organ-system toxicity and neuro-toxicity. There are also claims that it can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
🚫 PARABENS (e.g. Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, etc.) - preservatives found in almost every personal care product on the market and known to interfere with hormone function, which can lead to early puberty in children & an increased risk of hormonal cancer. It has been linked to male reproductive issues, an increased risk of breast cancer, birth defects, and organ toxicity.
🚫 PROPYLENE GLYCOL - a glycol frequently found in antifreeze and brake fluid. Helps the skin retain and absorb moisture. Linked with dry skin, rashes, and dermatitis, and high levels may contribute to blood and kidney disorders.
🚫 FRAGRANCE or PARFUM (which should just be listed on the ingredients label as “hidden toxins”) is packed with dangerous, synthetic chemicals, such as phthalates, which are powerful hormone disruptors linked to pre-term births, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, reduced female fertility, and a worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms. However, this innocuous but misleading term is meant to hide hundreds of these ingredients because they are considered “trade secrets” in the eyes of the government, which seems to place the interests of the corporation above the safety of us, the consumers.
🚫 BHA and BHT (Butylated Compounds) are toluene-based ingredients (toluene was rated 37th most toxic chemical by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 1992). They are used as a preservative in personal care products. They are possible carcinogens and are linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity. There’s evidence that suggests that BHT mimics estrogen, which can throw off hormonal function in both men and women, and in some situations, BHT can promote the growth of tumors. The EU prohibits the use of BHA as a fragrance and the European Commission on Endocrine Disruption lists it as a Category 1 priority substance due to evidence that it interferes with hormonal function. The worst part is that both BHT and BHA bioaccumulate. Given the wide variety of food and cosmetic products they are used in, accumulation over time could lead to serious health consequences.
🚫 RETINYL PALMITATE (VITAMIN A PALMITATE) may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight (so why in the world would they put this in sunscreen???!!!). Vitamin A can spur excess skin growth (a.k.a. hyperplasia), and retinyl palmitate can form free radicals that damage DNA when exposed to sunlight.
🚫 PETROLATUM (or PetroleumJelly or mineral oil) - made from petroleum (yes, like what's in your car). It's refined (by using toxic compounds) & can end up contaminated during manufacturing, which allows carcinogenic agents to get in. It creates an airtight barrier on the skin which can enhance penetration & absorption of toxic chemicals.
🚫 MINERAL OIL - byproduct of petroleum (Yes, that's right, gasoline!). Mineral oils clog pores, increase skin irritation, and can be carcinogenic. Unlike other oils such as jojoba which have nutrients that benefit the skin, mineral oils actually encourage skin to close up, impairing the skin’s ability to release toxins This can lead to increased infections and acne breakouts. It’s used because it's a cheap carrier, which means that it creates “slip” thereby assisting with “spreadability.”
🚫 BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE - a common 'filler' ingredient that companies use because it is cheap. It is synthetically manufactured from bismuth (a metal), oxygen and chlorine a natural product. It is used by mineral makeup brands because it provides a 'silky' texture, so it feels nice on the skin and it reflects light so it provides that glowing, high shine effect. Some people react badly to this ingredient, resulting in itchy, irritated skin that can show up as little red bumps, and develop into full blown cystic acne with continued use. If you have sensitive skin, you should be extra wary of this ingredient. As mineral makeup is applied by buffing the powder into the skin, this constant buffing can cause irritation and inflammation. This could cause rosacea to flare up or worsen acne.
🚫 UNETHICALLY SOURCED MICA - Mica is a naturally occurring mineral dust often used in makeup. The composition of Mica allows it to be ground down into a fine powder-like dust, making it versatile and mutable. Mica has many uses including extending and brightening pigmentation paint and adding a shimmery effect to cosmetics and beauty products, among other industrial uses. Almost every single brightly colored bath bomb on the market that advertises being natural has Mica listed as the colorant. The main health concern for Mica exposure is pneumoconiosis, or disease of the lungs caused by inhalation of dust, and characterized by coughing, inflammation, and fibrosis. Since Mica is ground into a nanoparticle, its composition allows it to penetrate through layers of skin and even seep into the lungs. Currently, the FDA does not have legal means to require testing for the amount of Mica we can “safely” be in contact with. So when it comes to answering the question “is Mica safe for skin?” The answer is - we don’t know. In addition, when using a natural mineral like Mica, one big concern is the presence of other minerals like lead, arsenic & mercury, which can be very harmful to your health. In addition, to the potential health issues with mica, the Mica mining industry in the “Mica Belt” (impoverished areas in the northeastern part of India, which house the world’s largest mica deposit) is supported by illegal child labor and the working conditions are dangerous and even fatal. Children as young as 5 are put to work deep into the crevices of the earth, hammering at unstable rock and exposing themselves to poisonous scorpions and snakes. The smallest children are sent into dark, narrow shafts up to 300 meters deep to mine the mica that adults can’t reach. They risk cuts, broken bones, and if debris falls or the tunnel caves in, they can die. In “Transparency: The Truth About Mica,” a new documentary from Beautycounter, the brand filmed an in-person audit of their mica supply chain, from beginning to end — the first company to do so. They visited mines worldwide to learn more about the conditions, and partnered with Sourcemap and Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi (of the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation) to develop a program to support ethical mining. You can watch the moving, 12-minute documentary below.
🚫 TALC - used in cosmetics as an absorbent and to smooth and soften products. It may be contaminated with asbestos and has been classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It has been linked to ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.
🚫 HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION - Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum, zinc, chromium and iron are found in a wide variety of personal care products. The FDA found that Eye Shadows, Blushes and Compact Powders contain more heavy metals than other cosmetics. Some metals are intentionally added as ingredients, while others are contaminants (which means that you won’t find them on any ingredient labels). Exposure to metals has been linked to health concerns including reproductive toxicity, immune and nervous system toxicity, developmental toxicity, organ toxicity, cancer, biooaccumulation, and allergies.
In addition, most brands still test on animals. Check your brand to make sure it’s Leaping Bunny Certified to ensure that no animals were harmed during the testing process.
As I was researching the different brands and ingredients, I took note of any that had at least one of the above ingredients, so here are just a few that I came across: Avon, Bare Minerals, Benefit, Charlotte Tilbury, Clinique, Covergirl, E.L.F, Farmasi, Glossier, Honest Beauty, ITCosmetics, Jane Iredale, L ‘Oreal, Lancome, Limelife, Loreal, Luminess, MAC, Mary Kay, Maybelline, Milani, NARS, Physicians Formula, Revlon, Sephora, Stargazer, Tarte, Too Faced, Thrive Causmetics, Urban Decay, Wet ‘n Wild, Younique, Yves Saint Laurents, and countless others. If you currently use any of these brands, this may be a sign that you should “ditch-and-switch” and try something new.
READY FOR THE CLEAN SWAP?🙋♀️
Check Beautycounter’s Satin Powder Blush and the perfect, cruelty-free, Angled Blush Brush that was specifically designed to work best with this product.
The Satin Powder Blush comes in seven stunning, universally flattering, highly pigmented, long wearing shades that last all day. If you love NARS Orgasm, try the Nectar shade, which boasts a similar pink hue with a hint of gold.
But most importantly, Beautycounter’s products are safer! The company has the most stringent ingredient selection process in the beauty industry, and tests their powder blushes for heavy metals and asbestos.
While Beautycounter does use mica as one of its ingredients, the company went to extraordinary lengths and spent an entire year tracking the sketchy supply chain to ultimately pave the way for transparent global sourcing. They even made a documentary about it. Watch it above or click here.
And here’s the company’s statement on the certified asbestos-free talc in their products:
“Yes, some makeup powders contain talc, as its silk feel provides a smooth finish and even laydown that contributes to the product’s performance. We do not believe that the talc we use in our products poses a potential health risk, based on our own safety assessments and the existing body of research, when used as directed. Research does suggest, however, that talc can sometimes be contaminated with asbestos, which is a known carcinogen. To mitigate the risk of contamination in our talc, Beautycounter requires that our supplier certify the quality of our talc. But we don’t just take their word for it. We also conduct additional, third-party testing on each batch of our talc supply, using what we currently understand to be the most sensitive testing method and instrument. While we are confident in the safety of the talc we use in our formulations, at the request of our clients our objective is to reformulate our products without talc while meeting our high performance objectives and strict heavy metal limits. Since we first launched color cosmetics in 2014, we have been trying to create cosmetic formulas without talc. When doing so, however, the heavy metal tests failed our limits due to using other minerals as ingredients in place of talc. After several years we are making progress on color formulations without talc that also meet our strict heavy metal limits.”
Want some other reasons to use Beautycounter’s gorgeous blush? Not only is it gorgeous, go on like a dream, and last all day, but it’s also:
✔️Toxin-Free
✔️Cruelty-Free and Leaping Bunny Certified
✔️Vegan
✔️Non-GMO
✔️Certified Organic Ingredients
✔️Made in the USA
✔️Third party tested for heavy metals
✔️Ethically sourced
✔️Eco Cert minerals
✔️Consciously Packaged in Plastic-free, eco-friendly paperboard packaging which is recyclable and biodegradable
When you have a choice between a product that is full of toxic chemicals and another one that is clean and performs just as well as (if not better), why wouldn’t you choose the latter?
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CLEAN BRAND?
Send me a message or leave a comment below and share what it is. If I feature it, I’ll give you credit and may even send you a free gift!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.