Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Fossil Fuels in Your Makeup?

I have been thinking about this issue lately when all of a sudden it came to my attention that loads of things I use contain petroleum, and petroleum is a fossil fuel. It's also what we make gasoline from, so using is contributes to the rise in gas prices, the depletion of petroleum and need to find a new source of car fuel, and it's just creepy that I'm putting a gasoline ingredient on my body sometimes. I'm a super hippie and I do what I can to help the environment. Yes, I do use gasoline. I have to drive, and I'm okay with that. I have a Prius though ;). I do, however, think practices that negatively effect the environment should be limited where possible. When it comes to my makeup, I think I can live without petroleum.
What do you think ladies? Do you care that you're using fossil fuels and non-renewable resources in your makeup?

If you think of plain old petroleum jelly that comes in the little tub, you use that as a moisturizer. So I would think in makeup it is mostly used as a moisturizer. Some alternatives that makeup companies can and do sometimes use are parabens, bees wax, lanolin, and glycerine. Some people prefer to stay away from parabens because they are mostly synthetic, but in my opinion so many things are now. I would rather have a safe synthetic ingredient than a fossil fuel. Other ingredients derived from petroleum are petrolatum and mineral oil. Even plastic is made from petroleum, though that's hard to get away from considering makeup packaging.

Here are some products you might use that can contain petroleum: Most Chapstick products, Carmex, CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine, MAC Lip Conditioner, Vaseline, Most Covergirl Mascaras, Aveeno lotions, Dove lotions

Here are some that do not contain petroleum: NYX Lipstick, Yes To products (Carrots, Tomatoes, etc), Burts Bees, EOS, Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm, Chapstick Naturals, CO Bigelow Mentha Organics, MAC Lipsticks, Many Loreal Lipsticks, Many Tarte products, Covergirl Natureluxe Mascara

I'm sure there are many others, but it's quite difficult to find ingredients online and most ingredients of the things I use were on the box I threw away. If you know of anymore to add to the lists let me know!!

Note that I wrote this all myself from research on the internet. I am so not an expert and don't claim that any of this is 100% true and accurate, just that it is to the best of my knowledge. I might have a lipstick from a brand that doesn't contain petroleum, so I add it to the list, but yours in a different shade does.

1 comment:

  1. Hi: It's just not petroleum by-products that cosmetics and make-up are listed ingredients but lead in lipstick, mercury was once used in mascara! There is a Face book page for the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and they have listed under "Info" a data base of over 65,000 listed products with ingredient lists and safety rating from 1-5 called, "Skin Deep." you might find interesting.

    Love,

    Gee :)

    ReplyDelete

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