First off, I am so annoyed that every time I post a photograph I take on vacation, it comes out upside down.  I swear, when I proofread and test the blog post, everything looks normal and I even press “save” after rotating it the pic, and it still winds up screwy.  Very embarrassing, I am sorry.  Does anyone know how to avoid this?  On to more important things…

Are you addicted to lip gloss or lip balm?  Not sure?  Do you reach for it more than twice a day?  Can you leave the house without it stashed in your bag?  Personally, I am one of these people.  And honestly, that is fine, as long as what we are reaching for is Clean.

Sadly, conventional lip glosses are the most toxic cosmetic out there.  Why?  They are loaded with ingredients like lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, chromium and cadmium, not to mention parabens and phthalates galore.  Not only are these toxins absorbed through our skin, but we ingest them constantly.  You won’t see most of these ingredients on labels, because they are “unintentional” or byproducts of other ingredients.

Just so you know, cadmium and chromium are known human carcinogens; these heavy metals are linked to lung cancer and stomach tumors via inhaling or swallowing them.  We have already discussed the effects of lead and mercury here and I am quite sure none of us find depression, aggressive behavior, mental deterioration, learning disabilities, or miscarriage desirable.

The FDA and conventional cosmetic companies will tell you that the amounts of heavy metals found in cosmetics are trivial and we need not worry.  However, if we are applying the same cosmetic ten times per day and eating and drinking it with every meal, shouldn’t we be concerned that it all adds up?

There have been many studies over the years that validate this concern.  Recently, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health found that many of the lip glosses and lipsticks they tested had more lead in them than the FDA allows in candy – yes, the FDA allows lead in candy, because it is an “unintentional” ingredient.  Will you allow me a quick rant?  Why on earth is lead allowed in any amount in anything we consume???  We determined years ago that heavy metals are neurotoxins and carcinogens!!!  By the way, the findings in this study aren’t exactly new; the FDA did its own study in 2009 and came to the same conclusion and did nothing about it.

There is hope.  Thankfully, there lots of Clean options available from trustworthy companies that conduct rigorous product testing.

Tomorrow’s post will feature a handful of my personal favorites.

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