what's in your makeup?

Currently watching Dr. Oz, who just did an entire segment on the dangerous things that could be hiding out in your makeup. So, just in case you missed it, I outlined all the main points he talked about. Here's the entire overview of Dr. Oz's segment. Makeup is really interesting because companies are only required to list intended ingredients, which basically means they can omit toxic ingredients from the ingredient list, but can leave them in the actual product. There are no guidelines for makeup to be certified 'natural' or 'organic.'

These are the top three most dangerous products you may have in your makeup bag (starting with the deadliest product):

1. Mineral Powder: The particles in mineral powder are so incredibly small (and that's why they work so well!) that they can actually seep into your lungs and scar them. These same kind of particles are present on constructions sites and workers are required to wear face masks so they don't ingest these dangerous particles. Although there has been no correlation between the particles in our makeup and sickness, the same particles present on construction sites take 10 to 30 years to show damage within the body.

Better options: Liquid based foundation with shimmer, cream blush and bronzer, and pressed powder.

2. Anti-Wrinkle Cream: Anti-Wrinkle Cream is dangerous because it penetrates very quickly into the skin. It goes into the blood vessels and is absorbed by them, which can be really dangerous. The most dangerous ingredients in anti-wrinkle creams are irritants. These are often scents such as lavender and peppermint. And the products that say they reduce wrinkles could actually be encouraging them. Finally, makeup that claims to work like botox or say they remove wrinkles immediately are completely untrue.

Better options: Make sure your new wrinkle cream is fragrance free and color free. Also look for creams that contain vitamin A (often called retinol/retinois on ingredient labels), vitamin C, and alpha hydroxy acid.

3. Lip Gloss: Lip gloss contains petroleum jelly, which is not safe for eating. In the course of a decade, women who wear lip gloss will consume 7 pounds of petroleum jelly. The scariest part is that petroleum jelly could possibly cause cancer. In women who have had breast cancer, there are twice the amount of these chemicals in their breast tissue than in women who have not had breast cancer. In the European Union, petroleum jelly has been banned unless it is super pure. **To clarify, doctors and scientists are still testing the link between lip gloss and cancer, but they did say that lip gloss is definitely unhealthy.**

Better options: Look for lip gloss with zinc oxide, try gloss made from beeswax, and always put sunscreen on your lips before applying any kind of lip gloss.

Of course, I wrote most of these notes while watching the show, so there are little tidbits that I missed, but I was totally shocked by all of this. I actually was planning to buy mineral powder because I thought it would be better for me, but as it turns out, it's really not.

*And I'm pretty sure this is the book that was mentioned during his segment. It talks more extensively about the things that should and shouldn't be in your makeup.

I really hope this was helpful!

xo, R.

tips & tricks.

I am not a beauty expert. In fact, I'm the exact opposite. I'm sure I commit numerous fashion/beauty faux-pas throughout the day. However, I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve that I've learned throughout the years. These could be obvious to the rest of the human population, but I remember being extremely excited/thrilled/awe struck when I came across these. Starting today, I'd like to post a beauty tip that I know (and love) so that you, too, can use it.

(I'll probably post these about twice a month.)

If it's one you already know, then maybe you can laugh at how uninformed/unoriginal I am and then continue on with your daily life. If it's one you like (and had never heard of) — great! So glad I could help. And if you have one, leave it in the comment section or email me here: xosimplyR [AT] gmail [DOT] com and I'd be more than happy to post it here!

...

Does anyone else have really tired/puffy/awful looking eyes in the morning?
I do.
And for the longest time I didn't know how to cure it. Sure, concealer does the trick, but I'm not always into applying a bunch of makeup just to cover a dark circle that can be combated in other ways. Plus, I don't always wear makeup and so I like to have other [makeup-less] options.

All you need to do is freeze two spoons. I always, always keep two in my freezer. No matter what. In the morning upon waking up, walk to the kitchen and slap them over your closed eyeballs with the spoons facing outward. In other words: apply the spoons so that the rest of the world can see the side that you eat from. Does that make sense?

(Concentrate exclusively on the actual puffy/dark/tired section if you're only trying to get rid of the circles. Concentrate on the entire eye if you're using this tip as a I-need-some-energy-right-now tactic.)

I usually let them rest there for about 20 seconds and that does the trick. If I'm super tired sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes I even do it, leave, and then come back and do it again, but I'm telling you, this really works. Not to mention, the burst of energy it gives you. Seriously, try it. And let me know what you think.

Hope your weekends are filled with love! xo, R.

*image via flickr.