RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—It appears women’s love affair with lipstick is petering out, at least now that times are tough. The Financial Times of London reported earlier this week that the “Lipstick Index,” a financial marker showing that lipstick sales go up during recessions as women turn to less-expensive indulgences, has been replaced by what is now being referred to as the “Foundation Index.” Which means more women then ever are coating their skin with questionable chemicals.
THE DETAILS: The paper cites sales statistics from Estée Lauder (whose chairman Leonard Lauder first coined the phrase “lipstick index”) and L’Oreal showing that foundation sales rose 2.5 percent in 2005, while lipstick sales dropped 5.8 percent.
WHAT IT MEANS: Most of us like to spend a little cash to make ourselves feel better, even in hard times. So if you hit the stores for some mood-lifting makeup, whether it’s foundation or lipstick, keep in mind that many cosmetics are filled with a grab bag of chemicals, most of which have never been tested for safety, according to research performed by the Environmental Working Group. So you, in effect, become the guinea pig.
Here are a few ways to keep unhealthy chemicals off your skin:
• Avoid the worst offenders. EWG has compiled a list of chemicals to avoid on their site, but a few others to keep an eye out for include:
‣ Parabens (“methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-,” and “isopropyl-”), preservatives that have been found to interfere with hormones and cause skin irritation.
‣ Preservatives with “urea,” “quaternium,” and “bronopol” in the name, which can emit formaldehyde as they break down and may also cause allergic reactions.
‣ Ingredients with “-eth” in the name, such as sodium laureth sulfate or polyethylene glycol; they may be contaminated with low levels of 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. There’s little scientific evidence regarding how much of the chemical is needed to cause harm to ordinary consumers, but it never hurts to exert the precautionary principle, especially when you can find products without those ingredients.
• Look for third-party certifications. There isn’t one single “certified organic” standard for cosmetics as there is for food, but quite a few have been created over the past few years. Some of the most common are:
‣ Natural Products Associations’ Natural Standard
‣ USDA Organic
‣ BDIH, a German certification for products made with biodynamically grown plants that you’ll see more often on cosmetics sold at natural foods stores like Whole Foods Market
‣ EcoCert, a French certification used on at least one brand of drugstore makeup here in the U.S.
(OrganicWear by Physician’s Formula)
‣ NSF/ANSI 305: Made with Organic Personal Care Products seal
• Know that most claims are meaningless. Words like “natural,” “organic,” and even “hypoallergenic” aren’t defined by government agencies or by independent third parties (unless accompanied by one of the certifications listed above). Most of the time, the terms mean whatever a manufacturer wants you to think they mean. Look for the certifications listed above, and check ingredients lists for suspect chemicals.