From their contents to packaging, cosmetics have quite an impact on the environment. Many cosmetic products also contain ingredients that are made of synthetic chemicals, some which are known to be carcinogenic and hormone disrupting. In fact, one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are harmful to you and the environment.1 Some of the harmful ingredients are things like parabens which are absorbed through the skin and have been found in breast tumor samples, SLS/SLES known to become carcinogenic when mixed with other chemicals which can also lead to kidney and respiratory damage, propylene glycol a skin irritant and penetrator associated with causing dermatitis and hives, and plenty more.2 There may also be things like lead that are not listed because they are considered to be contaminants not ingredients.3 Making your own cosmetics can be fun and provides the benefit of knowing exactly what goes into your final product and eliminates the environmental impact from the packaging used by the cosmetic industry!
BENEFITS for the Environment:
Making your own cosmetic products is the best way to know that no controversial chemicals or animal products are being used. For a listing of some of the toxic chemicals found in cosmetic products, check out this toxic chemical ingredients directory To find out how a specific product impacts the environment, check out ewg.org where you can search over 69,000 products.
BENEFITS for You:
It can be very difficult to find just the right shade of lipstick. If you make your own, this should be no trouble. Also, according to National Geographic’s Green Guide, “The average adult uses nine personal care products a day, with roughly 120 chemicals spread among them, many of which are incompletely tested for toxicity.”4. Most of these chemicals will not cause harm in a single use, but daily exposure over a lifetime may cause problems.
Plus, you save money and it’s easy!
Cost: Low
This kit can be found on Amazon.comMinerals can be bought in small packets for under $2, or in large kits for $50. How much you buy depends on how much makeup you want to make. Containers are also quite cheap, or you can use small kitchen bowls. All the special oils and waxes are also typically quite inexpensive.
Time and effort: Moderate
It takes some effort to find the right materials to make your own beauty supplies, but the product is worth it! You can generally run an internet search to find stores to order the ingredients if you can’t find them in local stores. In terms of time, most recipes only take a few minutes and last for a very long time.
Making Your Own Makeup
Blush
Materials:
Two parts Bordeaux mica
One part Oriental beige mica
One-half part Splendid blue mica
Spoon
Coffee-grinder (optional)
Note: generally one part = one cup, two parts = 2 cups, etc., depending on how large you plan on making your supply.
Instructions:
1. You can break the mica into small pieces by using a coffee grinder.
2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl with the spoon. Remove all lumps of unblended colors.
3. Put in a small jar and label. You can use a cotton ball or brush to apply.
4. Different minerals can be added to make lighter/darker blush. Sienna fine mica replaces Bordeaux mica for a lighter color and Blackstar red mica replaces Splendid blue mica for a darker blush.
Powder
This powder can be used as blush or eye shadow. It can also be used with clear gloss to make nail polish, or even to color bath and body products.
Materials:
One part Splendid Red mica
One part Bordeaux mica
One-half part Gold Fine mica
Coffee grinder
Instructions:
1. Measure the mica into the coffee grinder and blend for one minute. You can shake the grinder to see if any pigments are stuck under the blades and then grind again for a minute.
2. When everything is blended put in a small container and label.
Lipstick
Materials:
Beeswax or canuba wax for base
Castor oil
Mica pigments for color
Grapefruit seed oil
Vitamin E acetate
Vaseline
Plant oil
Instructions:
1. Combine a tablespoon of Castor oil with a half-teaspoon of desired mica pigments in a heat-resistant container and stir.
2. Combine one-half teaspoon of white beeswax, one-half teaspoon of canuba wax, one-fourth teaspoon of vitamin E acetate, and one-eighth teaspoon of Vaseline.
3. Combine the two mixtures together and heat to no higher than 170 degrees using hot water or the microwave.
4. Add a drop of grapefruit seed oil.
5. Pour mixture into lipstick molds coated with plant oil.
6. If the lipstick becomes sticky, melt again. Let the mixture harden for a minute and then store in the fridge for two hours.
7. You can make this into lip gloss by adding more Vaseline and sunflower oil. Let everything melt together and then store.
If you are interested in more recipes and resources for buying/exploring ingredients, check out this website.
