Does Makeup Have an Effect on Health?

Rae Turberfield, 28

There is a lot of speculation around makeup with several people wondering if makeup has an effect on people's health. I’m sure we’ve all heard that makeup can ruin your skin or that eye products can cause vision loss, but are these claims true? It really depends on what products you're using, when you're using them, and how you're applying them.

Be aware of what's in your products:

A big cause of people ruining their skin with makeup is not knowing what their products are made of. There are some chemicals and formulas that should be avoided at all costs when buying products.

Parabens: Parabens are known as a double-edged sword with their abilities to be both beneficial and harmful. Parabens have become popular in recent years, being used as a perseverer in cosmetics, as well as food and medicine. Extensive use of parabens leads to ground and surface water contamination. Studies have shown that parabens can change the hormonal and immune systems of the body. Recent studies have shown excessive paraben use with hypersensitivity, obesity, infertility, altered endocrine activity, and physiological effects. A new term being created in the 1990s, “Xenoestrogen”, was given to parabens, because these chemicals disrupted estrogen by mimicking hormones in the body. Parabens are in cosmetics for preservation and a longer shelf life, though because they are so toxic, you may want to look for vitamin E, different plant extracts, essential oils, and beeswax. 

Alcohol and Fragrances: Ethyl alcohols, also known as “drying alcohols”, are known for being harmful in formulas while emollients, also known as “Fatty alcohols” and “beneficial alcohols”, are not. Drying alcohols have been proven in the past to cause dryness, rosacea flare ups, irritations. These alcohols damage the skin's microbiome (an area where microorganisms live) and natural barriers of one's skin, as well as increase oil production and inflammation. These alcohols can prevent the skin's absorption of healthy ingredients. They will be labeled as “alcohol denat”, “ethanol”, or “ethyl alcohol”. On the other hand, the alcohols that you do want to look for will be labeled as “cetyl”, “stearyl”, “cetearyl alcohols”. These beneficial alcohols are safe for all skin types, even dryer skin. 

Metals: Metals found in cosmetics can be a major health risk. Metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury are the ones most commonly found in cosmetics. Though these metals are rare, they have made an appearance before. Lead can lead to developmental problems and neurotoxicity, which is when the nervous system doesn’t function properly, due to its harmful effects. Cadmium is a contaminant linked that is known to cause kidney damage, bone problems, and it is a potential carcinogen. Mercury and arsenic are also very toxic in cosmetics and possible carcinogens. 

Altogether, makeup and cosmetics won’t have any major impact on your health. Scientists go through long processes to make sure the products that you put on your skin are safe, and a lot of makeup products are tested by third-party companies. If you are worried about how different products can affect you, then I would recommend using skin-care infused makeup, such as BB and CC creams to give yourself a well put-together look while not having the feeling of a full face.