I decided it’s time for me to start really making the switch to more ingredient-conscious makeup and this is round one: pink, coral/peach, and neutral lip products. Keep reading to find out what had to go and why, and what made the cut.
I used EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and painstakingly searched for ingredients in each product until I came to one that was a 3 or above or until I ran through the entire list for a product.
I started out with 81 products, yes, 81, and just from the shades I mentioned. I haven’t even gotten to the reds, berries, and purples yet! Anyway, I started out with 81 and of those 29 made the cut. There were 47 that didn’t make the cut and I’ll be finding new homes for those or saving a few of them for use during photo shoots and such, but not for this blog or for regular use. The remaining 7 are being trashed as most of those are really old and likely expired.
What Had to Go & Why
I thought you might be interested to know what I’m having to let go and what some of the common ingredients were that sent these products into the “sorry, but you have to leave” pile.
One of the most common chemicals that ended up getting products the boot was Phenoxyethanol. The EWG database puts phenoxyethanol at a 4 citing reasons including it being an irritant and as being toxic or harmful for use on the lips. I could see some people, particularly those without sensitive skin, choosing not to cut this out, but I think it’s best I don’t use products containing it for looks and reviews here on DelilaSophia.
What contained it? My beloved NYX Butter Glosses, Soft Matte Lip Creams, and a couple other NYX products, Moi Cosmetics lip sticks, Urban Decay 24/7 lip liner, Stila lip glazes, Pur Minerals lipstick, Kat Von D lipsticks
One I usually catch right away is anything with the word paraben in it such as methylparaben or propylparaben. With only a couple exceptions such as calcium paraben, these rank a 4 or higher on the EWG scale.
What contained it? The only two I noticed were a couple E.L.F. products that I haven’t used in a while anyway.
What really surprised me were my Bare Minerals Moxie lipsticks and Buxom Full On Lip Polish which contain an ingredient call Retinyl Palmitate which ranks an 8 on the EWG scale and is a known human reproductive toxicant by the FDA. I’m sad to these go, but I’m happy I’m looking all of this up now!
What Made the Cut
I’m actually pleasantly surprised by the number of products that made the cut, though most of the brands don’t surprise me as I chose them specifically. Here is a list of the brands that made the cut:
Alba Botanica – lip gloss
Bite Beauty – lipstick
Burt’s Bees – lip gloss and lip crayons
Brazen Cosmetics – lip gloss and lip butter
Canfield Crafts – lip balm
Erzulie Cosmetics – lip glosses and lip/cheek sticks
Etherealle – lip stick samples
Juice Beauty – lip gloss
My Beauty Addiction – lipsticks and lip paints
Pacifica Beauty – lip tint
Rainbow Honey – lip balm
Sheri’s Soap Opera – lip balm
Smashbox – lipstick
Stila – luxe gloss
Ulta – lip gloss
Yes To Carrots – lip gloss
I have to say that Stila and Smashbox both surprised me, particularly since the Stila lip glazes were a no go. Also, do note that just because a company has a few products that are ingredient-conscious, that does not mean they all are. Always check those labels and ingredient lists!
Have you ever gone through your collection to cut out some ingredients? What ingredients are you most concerned about in your makeup?