How Poisonous Metals Sneak Into the Ingredients of Everyday Makeup

It may come as an unsavory surprise to some, but toxic compounds have been used in makeup products for thousands of years. In fact, in 18th century Europe lead poisoning reached almost epidemic proportions – largely because of lead-based materials used in face powders and rouges. Today, there is growing awareness of the sheer extent of poisonous chemicals used in makeup and cosmetics. With the publication of Rachel Carson’s seminal Silent Spring in 1962, more and more research has been carried out on the various toxic materials that can be found in products of every kind – and in every area of day-to-day living. It is with this in mind that inspires True Glue to continually push the boundaries of innovation and create completely organic, all-natural makeup lines. Nonetheless, there are still many women who are – sadly – unaware of the dangers of traditional, conventional makeups. And one of the most disturbing aspects of many makeups today is that they frequently contain poisonous metals. Metals like lead (yikes!), arsenic, and mercury. Now, you might think that you’re safe because – well, c’mon, aren’t there regulatory government agencies that make sure your average store-bought makeup is safe? That’s what you’d imagine, at least, right? But it’s actually a bit more muddled than that. While there is some regulation concerning the ingredients used in makeup – in Europe, Canada, and the United States, anyway – this still doesn’t prevent these toxic metals from sneaking into your beauty products. Here’s why: these sorts of regulations (like the guidelines established by the European Economic Community) only impose a maximum limit to the amount of toxic metals legally allowed in a cosmetic product (for a technical overview of this, see “Toxic metals contained in cosmetics: A status report,” 2014). ...so that means that there are still plenty of makeups out there filled with plenty of toxic metals – which are simply under the established limit. You won’t even see these poisonous metals listed in the ingredients list, precisely because they’re flying under the radar of the legal limit. Here’s where the problem comes in: to a large extent, these limits were established before there was a large amount of scientific research into the long-term effects of these metals as they gradually accumulate in your body (after using makeup daily, for example). For instance, a large number of lipsticks still contain lead because of the leaded paint and lead solder that is found in manufacturing equipment. This, of course, is a rather sucky situation because lead can be absorbed directly by your lip skin and into your body – an especially troubling prospect for pregnant women since lead is highly poisonous to fetuses and babies (who are still developing their immune system). Alarmingly, there is no empirical research which decisively shows what levels of lead in the blood are non-toxic. For example, according to the CDC: “No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body.” Thus, many makeup products still contain lead at dangerous levels, putting children at risk – as well as adults. What can you do about this sordid state of affairs? The answer is surprisingly simple (and easy!): stick with completely organic, vegan beauty products. True Glue’s products, for example, don’t contain the toxic chemicals which contaminate so many conventional cosmetics – keeping you both safe and beautiful. And True Glue has recently launched new makeup lines: an organic eyeliner, mascara and lip glosses, so you can certainly turn your makeup collection into a completely natural, healthy one.