7 Scary Facts About Cosmetics You Find in Stores

Here's something that, sadly, a lot of women don't seem to know: that most of the cosmetics and makeup products you see in stores (from big name brands) are filled with junk chemicals that can harm your skin – making you age faster and ultimately defeating the purpose of makeup in the first place. And this is something that women should know. Why should we have to buy makeup that's loaded with toxic chemicals? Why aren't big companies trying to educate consumers about the dangers of many makeup products? Anyways...if you're interested in just why you should consider steering clear of non-organic makeup – here are 7 scary facts about non-natural cosmetics for you do ponder: (1) What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they say, but unfortunately non-natural makeup has killed people in the past. Let's wind the clock back to 1930. Back then, hair removal products contained a chemical known as thallium. Bad stuff, actually, because lethal intoxications occurred – giving a very sinister side to a product that undoubtedly many women thought would make their lives better. (2) Hair dying. A lot of women love changing up the color of their hair, and having that option is certainly a good thing. However...in 1975, a study showed that a shocking 90% of hair dye ingredients caused mutations, which meant they posed a cancer risk! (3) Ready to wind the clock back a bit again? It's the 1960s. People were about to land on the moon. Meanwhile, people in the U.K. were putting on deodorant – deodorant that contained zirconium. The result was a nasty outbreak of skin inflammation that lasted a good while. Goes to show that no matter how convincing ads might be...the stuff you're putting on your body can still be dangerous. (4) Here's something else that'll make you nervous the next time you go to your hair dresser and she uses a chemical-laden hair dye. A recent study came out that pointed to an increase in urinary bladder cancer in women who frequently used hair dye. Hmm – think about it. What kind of chemicals are you allowing on your head and hair? (5) This one's pretty scary: use of underarm deodorant has been linked to breast cancer. Non-organic deodorants contain chemicals that seep through the skin, and these chemicals can make their way to your breasts...eventually causing cancer. (6) We're talking about hair dye a lot, and that's because it's often not discussed as often as other cosmetics when it comes to safety. There are some studies that show non-natural hair dyes have an effect on pregnancies. Specifically, a survey of hair dressers showed that their newborns were more likely to weigh less than the control group. So it's possible that the chemicals in hair dye affect babies in the womb, too! (7) Where do your eye cosmetics come from? It's a question worth asking yourself, because it's been demonstrated that many eye cosmetics from Pakistan produce unsafe lead levels in the bloodstream. And once in the bloodstream of a child or young adult, in particular, lead can negatively affect academic performance and overall quality of life.