If you wear makeup then you may be putting on average over 100 chemicals a day on your skin.

Makeup & skincare has so many toxic chemicals that often are not regulated. Then we apply them to our skin - the largest organ in our body - where 60% are absorbed into our system. When we have hypothyroidism and often Leaky Gut as well these can stall our healing and make us sicker. 

10 years ago In-Cosmetics magazine reported that the average woman absorbs a whopping 4lb 6oz (2kgs) of chemicals from toiletries, skincare, and make-up every year. 

Luckily these days there are many brands that offer natural beauty products. Just remember just because a brand says they have organic ingredients - it does not mean they are chemical-free.

I have done all the research for you don't worry!

Below I have a list of the best brands with only natural ingredients which are safe for us to use with hypothyroidism. 

I went chemical-free in 2008 when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism. I went on an all-out mission to get rid of chemicals as much as I could from my day-to-day life. I had allergy hair testing soon after and I found out I was actually allergic to chemicals and fumes as well as fragrances (which are really just a bunch of fake smelling chemical concoctions). 

You can transform your house cleaning items to natural alternatives quite simply and every day it's getting easier.

Dazz in New Zealand is a great example of a company that thought about not only the chemical load but the environmental impact - they sell glass bottles to which you add their tablets for window, multi-purpose, and bathroom cleaning liquids. Genius!

I grew up in a time where we didn't have plastic bottles or this use once and throw-away culture so it's so cool to see this type of business doing well. It warms my heart. 

Anyway back to makeup!

A chemical burden does affect our life quite a lot with Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism. So it makes sense to seek out chemical-free skincare and basically anything we put on our body and skin - including makeup. 

One out of every five American adults are exposed to all seven of the common carcinogens found in personal care products — hydroquinone, ethylene dioxide, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide — on a daily basis.

Toxic makeup is nothing new! The ancient Greeks used heavy metals on their skin, and Egyptian queens wore black kohl eye makeup that was made with lead.

Phthalates are used in hair spray, nail polish, perfume, lotion, shampoo, and aftershave.

The FDA says on its website that diethylphthalate (DEP) is “the only phthalate still commonly used in cosmetics.”

Phthalates can cause cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. There’s also evidence that the chemicals can also mess with reproduction and child development.

Parabens are also common in shampoo, shaving cream, moisturizers, and other makeup.

Preservatives like methylchloroisothiazolinone are used in lotions which is a known sensitizing allergen.

A chemical called 1,4 dioxane is not purposefully put in cosmetics, but it can show up as part of the makeup manufacturing process, and it is dangerous. According to the FDA, 1,4 dioxane “is a potential human carcinogen.” It sometimes shows up in beauty products that contain detergents, foams, stabilizers or solvents.

Talc and asbestos are commonly found in makeup in trace amounts. Asbestos, a known cancer-causer, was found in makeup sold at Claire’s twice in 2019.

Coal tar dyes are sometimes in eyeshadow and hair colour because they’re great at tinting. Coal tar dyes can irritate the skin, and in severe cases, make people go blind.

“There are no colour additives approved by FDA for permanent dyeing or tinting of eyelashes and eyebrows,” the FDA says in its warning on eye cosmetic safety.

Most coal tar hair dyes today are made with petroleum, but they can still cause harm. The FDA suggests keeping hair dye away from your eyes, and says “do not dye your eyebrows or eyelashes.”

Nail hardeners and nail polishes can include formaldehyde, and some hair-smoothing products release formaldehyde gas into the air when heated.

Beauty companies are now making and selling products that they claim do not contain formaldehyde in the solution so definitely look for this.

Triclosan is another ingredient meant to prevent bacterial growth. It’s in some toothpastes, antibacterial soaps, and body washes. Scientists are still learning about triclosan, but some evidence suggests it can mess with our thyroid hormone.

Lead is sometimes found in trace amounts in lipstick, and it’s also in certain traditional eyeliners.

PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds are petroleum-based and used to make cosmetics absorb more quickly into the skin.

Sulfates — are harsh soaps that are common shampoo ingredients.

I could go on but you get the idea!

A really quick way to check on an ingredient, brand or product, is to type it into this database and find out if it's safe or not: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Actually eating these chemicals would be less dangerous than having your skin absorb them directly - because our saliva and stomach have enzymes that help break down some of the harmful chemicals - but skincare and makeup goes straight into your system via your skin. 

Now for the list of actually natural makeup brands!

RMS Beauty

Rose-Marie Swift, CEO of RMS Beauty, founded her company in 2008. She traveled the world as a makeup artist but one day, she began to experience some health issues, and after a few lab tests and doctors visits they figured out that it was the chemicals in makeup that caused her insomnia, panic attacks, and a weak immune system. She then decided to build a new natural makeup brand which are 100% chemical-free. All of her products are made with raw, food-grade, and organic ingredients in their natural state. 

Concealer | Face Makeup

100% Pure

100% Pure is a truly natural line of makeup made only with the highest quality ingredients and free of toxic, harsh chemicals. 

BB Cream | Foundation | Bronzer | Eye Cream

Vapour

Vapour products are natural makeup products made from minimally processed, organic food-grade ingredients.

Foundation | Eyeshadow | Eye Definer | Lipstick | Mascara

Au Naturale

All of Ashley's products are made by hand daily, in her private lab in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Every product is entirely non-toxic; every single ingredient is pure, ready to apply on the skin safely.

Bronzer | Lipstick | Lipgloss

New Zealand beauty companies such as Karen Murrell, Living Nature, and Antipodes all produce cruelty-free cosmetic ranges with naturally-sourced, non-toxic ingredients that are safer for your skin.

Some safe New Zealand and Australian natural makeup brands are:

• Living Nature
• Karen Murrell
• Antipodes
• Hanam (Australian)
• Trilogy
• LUK BEAUTIFOOD (Australian)
• LILY LOLO
• Inika (Australian)
• Crop Natural (Australian)
• Eco Minerals (Australian)
• Nude by Nature (Australian)

So we don't have to go makeup-free - just choose your brands wisely.

What steps will you take to replace your chemical makeup tomorrow? 

Let me know in the comments. 

Vicki 💗