• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Whole New Mom

Research-Based Healthy Living You Can Trust

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Advertise
  • Recipes
  • Essential Oils
  • Resources
  • Safer Beauty
    • Beautycounter
    • Beauty & Personal Care
You are here: Home / Health Concerns / Heavy Metals in Your Beauty Products? How to Protect Yourself

Heavy Metals in Your Beauty Products? How to Protect Yourself

by Adrienne 50 Comments Updated: February 16, 2019

1.7Kshares
  • Facebook995
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest684

Did you know that there can be dangerous levels of heavy metals in cosmetics? It's a real concern that you should be aware of. Here's what you need to know about this serious problem and what you can do about it.

Are there Heavy Metals in your cosmetics? I had no idea about this until recently. Here's what you need to know and what you can do about it.

I've been concerned about heavy metal toxicity for a long time, but I never thought about heavy metals in cosmetics. I mean, I've know about mercury in fish and in fluorescent light bulbs, and lead in paint, but heavy metals in makeup?

It's true.

For years I have seen different natural practitioners for things like candida, thyroid disease, adrenal fatigue.  And several times a practitioner would mention mercury or other heavy metals as being an issue.  I didn't really know what to think.

I got my mercury fillings removed (even though I didn't have many and they were really small), and took zeolite which for sure showed that I had some kind of heavy metal problem (when I took it, my urine smelled like metals for two weeks), and later did a program that was supposed to help my body release the metals on its own.  I'd also heard about chelating metals via an IV, but was pretty concerned about the safety of that method.

One thing kept bothering me…..

Where was all of this metal coming from?

Heavy Metals

Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Mercury are the metals that are of the greatest concern and they are linked to all kinds of health problems.

When you think about heavy metals, typically you think about their presence in water, soil (we got our soil tested when we planted our gardens), cigarette smoke, paint (lead), vaccines, and fluorescent bulbs.

One thing I never thought of was my foundation or my mascara.

Would you believe that heavy metals might be lurking in your beauty products?

I wouldn't have thought so either, but it's true.

Heavy Metals in Makeup

Mercury has been found in skin whitening creams (1 woman apparently had 100 times the average amount of mercury in her urine!) (Source [1]. Lead, cadmium, chromium, manganese, and aluminum have been found in lipstick and lip glosses (some in very unsafe levels). Basically, in all kinds of color cosmetics, heavy metal contamination has been discovered. (Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4])

Regulation of the beauty industry is basically non existent.  In fact, here in the U.S., the federal government hasn't passed a law to regulate ingredients in beauty products since 1937 (yes, you read that right). (Source)

Even if there were “safe” levels determined for these products, when you add up the exposures that most women get between multiple beauty products and other exposures (think the air, water, food, bulbs, etc. listed above), then toxic levels can be more easily reached.

Are there Heavy Metals in your cosmetics? I had no idea about this until recently.. Here's what you need to know and what you can do about it.

Changing My Cosmetics

Now, I'm not a big makeup kind of gal, but I've worn a little throughout the years, and as I've gotten older I've worn a bit more –some foundation, an eye pencil and some mascara.

About 3 years ago I started switching over to more natural, organic products, and even tinkered with a few DIY versions.

It's been a long road, trying many brands.  And revisiting some again and again to really figure out what I like.

I'm glad that I have found some products that work for me, without sacrificing my health.

What You Can Do

Basically, you need to get informed.

Know what's in your products and know your manufacturer.

And what about DIY / Natural / Organic Cosmetic companies?

If you've been around Whole New Mom for awhile, you know that I LOVE making almost anything from scratch, from coconut milk to weed killer. Well, I love the idea of DIY personal care products too.  I make my own Eye Makeup Remover, Body Wash, and Hair Rinse, and even bought the ingredients to make my own face powder and foundation this past year.

But now I am not so sure I'll be using it.  In fact, I just sent the manufacturer an email asking about heavy metals in the iron oxides, etc. that I purchased to see what they have to say.

Because mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and more–they're all natural products.  So even if your products are “natural” or “organic” or DIY, if they have metals in them, they can still harbor dangerous heavy metals inside at unsafe levels.

1.  Skip the Color Cosmetics – well, maybe.

If you want to completely avoid heavy metals, you just might have to avoid color cosmetics completely and skip the whitening creams too.  Whitening toothpastes have also been known to have heavy metal contamination / ingredients too.

To be as safe as possible, skip the foundation, the blush, the eye pencil, the lipstick, the lip gloss, the mascara, and the eye shadow.  Unless you can find a line of products that uses only plant-based colors.  Keep reading…..

But if you, like me, want a little color on your face, then you need to do your homework.

2.  Check Your Products for Safety

Go to Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep directory to see what is in your products.   Keep in mind, however, that only ingredients are listed — not contaminants.  So what is listed on the label is only part of the picture.

3.  Buy from a Safe Company

Contact different companies and see what they have to say about heavy metals and their products.  Ask if they batch test and what the presence is of heavy metals in their products.

I buy my cosmetics from several companies, since I don't think that one size really fits all, unless you're talking an umbrella :).

But most of my makeup comes from Beautycounter.

Beautycounter tests every single batch of their products for the presence of heavy metals — they're that serious.

This is the language that appears on their site, describing their standards:

At Beautycounter, we third-party test ALL of our color products for heavy metals before we bring them to market. We strive to achieve undetectable levels of heavy metals in our products (undetectable level ranges from 0.5 to 5 parts ?per million, depending on the metal). We only proceed with shades that do not exceed our extremely low “allowable thresholds” for background heavy metals.

Believe me, in the world of color cosmetics, that's a lot of testing.

And beyond that, not only are their standards high, but their makeup performs fabulously.


beautycounter-makeup

Christy Coleman is a world famous makeup artist, and she is behind all of the cosmetics at Beautycounter. She's done covers for Teen Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and more.  She knows what looks good.

Her goal is to have Beautycounter's makeup to be good enough for the runway, and perfect for every day as well.

And it is.

Beautycounter's mascara is practically waterproof without being toxic!

I once got caught in a downpour while wearing Beautycounter's mascara, and it didn't run one bit!  (That's really something for the Queen of Smudge — that's me :).)

Beautycounter's lipstick is the only one I have ever been able to wear.  My personal faves are Petal and Twig, with Terra being a close third.

Beautycounter also has a fabulous 60 day return policy, so you can buy without risk.  And I bet you'll love your purchase.

Here is a very informational graphic showing the concerns of heavy metals in cosmetics, as well as how you can avoid the dangerous risks.

{Please note that the information about 2 ppm on the infographic should instead read .5 – 5 ppm as noted above.}

Are there Heavy Metals in your cosmetics? Probably. Here's what you need to know and what you can do about it.

 

Read more here about what I love about Beautycounter.

No matter where you shop, make sure you do your homework and keep the heavy metals off of your face — 'cause no one needs that stuff in their makeup.

What brand of cosmetics / beauty products do you use?
What do you think about this?

1.7Kshares
  • Facebook995
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest684

Come join our Healthy Living Community on Facebook

Join our Facebook Group

Related Posts

Cold, sniffles, or allergies got you down? Neti Pots and Saline Sprays are a great way to treat them, but buying those premade salt packets will break the bank. Make your own saline spray--save money--and feel better!
Homemade Saline Nasal Spray (plus usage tips)
Did you know that there are 82,000+ chemicals in use in the US today, and only 1/4 of them have been tested for safety. I try to buy clean personal care products and make as many of them as I can. I tried a bunch of Homemade Eye Makeup Removers and this one worked the best. Ditch the toxins, save money, and make it yourself!
The “Best” Homemade Eye Makeup Remover
100 Reasons Why Breast is Best – Part Two

Filed Under: Beauty & Personal Care, Health Concerns

About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. Nosa Oyemade says

    October 21, 2018 at 7:18 pm

    I just received an email promoting metallic make up and I found it scary, so I googled ‘metals in make up’ and saw this article. There are certain metals needed by your body during the metabolic process and during respiration and they are there by nature. When you start adding these heavy metals they get absorbed into your blood stream and over a period of time, problems ensue. I guess most people don’t realise that the skin has blood vessels and that’s how it gets its nutrients. This explains why a lot of people who use these make up on a regular basis look way older than their age. If the FDA is not involved, maybe it should look into it and protect consumers. People seem to care more about animal products in cosmetics when they should pay more attention to the toxins we put in our system for the sake of looking ‘ beautiful’. Thanks for your article.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      October 21, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      You are so welcome. Yes, you are right about the heavy metal implications on health. Not sure about people using makeup looking older but that’s interesting. Beautycounter is trying to to do what it can. Hard to know how much to have the government do since gov’t oversight can be a problem, but in this case I think it’s needed. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Jane says

        November 2, 2018 at 8:40 am

        Hi Adrianne, have you any updates on 100% pure?

        Reply
        • Adrienne says

          November 2, 2018 at 8:50 am

          Yes I had a lot of back and forth with them. They sent me some products to sample and I signed up as an affiliate. However, the hair products smelled very very strong so I asked why since the label said only “coconut” on it. They initially told me that it was coconut essential oil but that doesn’t exist. Finally, after a long back and forth they said it was heat extracted coconut extract. My understanding, after talking w/ a skincare expert, is that there is no such thing but I can go back and check. She said that there is another extract but it’s very expensive and not that strong so you would have to use a lot of it to have an intense smell.

          I smell the same smell but I think stronger in Shea Moisture and both products make my chemically sensitive son react badly. I can’t use them and I can’t in good conscience recommend them so I removed them from my blog. If you are looking for other options please reach out to me here or via email. Thanks for reading.

          Reply
          • Jane says

            November 2, 2018 at 9:20 am

            Hello again and thank you so much for your quick answer. I have started to read, the gather and check a huge ammount of info with hope to find a 100% natural, non-toxic and not harmful cosmetics.its all started after I’ve been pregnant and since than Im really struggling to find a company I can trust. I’ve been cheking every single ingridient in order to find something i can you with no worries and the only one that seems to use only natural ingridients Was 100% pure.
            I really dont know har to do at this point ‘ cause not to use make-up it isreally NOT A OPTION, cant immagine to go out with no make-up ?
            Serious company should take its clients seriously and what you experienced it si really dissapointing me…. is it possible you have been taking to somebody who doesnt have that kind of knowledges and is just responsable of communicatin etc?
            Anyway, do you have any advices for me? Please tell me the company who really cares and produces a 100% natural (no chemicals, synth.stuff and so on) exists ?? A

          • Adrienne says

            November 2, 2018 at 9:59 am

            Hi there.

            No I was talking to customer service and then the affiliate manager who got the information right from the company. I have a few options for you. Here is one: https://wholenewmom.com/araza

            I haven’t tried their products yet, but they are very clean. They haven’t assured me of batch heavy metal testing so in that sense I would lean towards Beautycounter.

            Here is another. https://wholenewmom.com/credobeauty

            This one has a LOT of brands and many are not as clean as you seem to want, but the RMS brand would meet your needs I think. Again, I don’t know of any company that batch tests for heavy metals but I think these would be good options to consider.

            Hope that helps!

          • jane says

            November 2, 2018 at 10:15 am

            thank you one more time, I will check these links
            I have tried to quickly check some of the products on beautycounter , so far cant find something I can cosider really clean ((

          • Adrienne says

            November 2, 2018 at 10:29 am

            You are very welcome. I understand your thoughts about Beautycounter. They do not purport to be organic or all natural. Their aim is to be much safer than mainstream skincare and beauty products while performing at a high level. Their head of creative design, Christy Coleman, is well known for her talent and her contribution to the company yields color cosmetics that are simply lovely.

            I hope that clarifies :).

      • jane says

        November 2, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Sorry to disturb you that much, but would you be so kind to answer just one more question about 100 % pure? Do you know something about their certifications for heavy metals of if they ? There is a long story on their site about how they test for this and that but no word about heavy metals. Thank you and sorry for taking your time.
        So greatfull for your help and happy to know someone is doing such a great job as you do

        Reply
        • Adrienne says

          November 2, 2018 at 11:20 am

          I have no knowledge that they do any of that kind of testing. They state on their site that they don’t have synthetic colorants and mention that they can contain heavy metals. However, iron oxides, etc can as well and they do mention that their products do / might contain those. They have a lot of products so I haven’t gone through all of them. Thanks for the kind words!

          Reply
  2. Lily says

    May 11, 2016 at 7:41 pm

    Hi, what do you think about the 100% Pure makeup company?

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:47 am

      I am trying them out soon. I used their eye cream in the past and that didn’t work well for me, but trying other things next. Have you tried them? Thoughts?

      UPDATE 5/18/17 I will not be recommending their company for various reasons.

      Reply
    • Adrienne says

      October 13, 2016 at 2:51 am

      Hello there. Update – I am digging into them and am having issues with their fragrances. I can’t get the answers that I need about them. I hope to have more information but they are saying that they have a heat extracted coconut extract in their hair products and I can’t find such a product anywhere on the internet so I’m stumped. I have talked to a soap company that didn’t understand either as well as another extract company so I want to talk to one more. It’s a puzzle and I’m not comfortable yet. I am happy to help with other companies but so far can’t recommend this one.

      Reply
« Older Comments
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Nice to Meet You!

Welcome, I’m Adrienne! Mother of 2, wife of 1. Frugal Special Diet & Non-Toxic Mama, Addicted to Essential Oils, Natural Stuff, DIYing and Researching Everything. Read More Here—->

POPULAR POSTS

Homemade Taco Seasoning! Ditch the overpriced teensy packets with all kinds of chemical nasties--whip up this simple yummy seasoning instead!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Gluten-free Sourdough Starter

Gluten-Free & Grain-Free Sourdough Starter Recipes

Homemade Protein Bars - low carb, vegan, gluten free, keto

Grain-Free No-Bake Protein Bars – low carb, vegan, gluten free

Did you know that freezing avocados really works? Here are 4 Ways to Freeze Avocados so you can grab a bunch when they're on sale!

4 Ways to Freeze Avocados

Trying to make your own home care products to save money and get the toxins out of your home? This No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner works great and costs pennies to make. I love not using that blue-dyed stuff - better for you and better for the earth - better for your pocketbook.

No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

This Egg Roll in a Bowl has all of the great flavor of Egg Rolls, but it's an Easy One Pan Meal without the grain wrapper!

Egg Roll in a Bowl – low carb, whole30, keto, paleo, AIP

Copyright © 2019 · Whole New Mom · Log in

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube