Apr 19, 2012 Parabens are one of many xenoestrogens found in the environment. Because they are referred to by many different names, it is not always easy to know if a product contains parabens. This article gives guidelines on how to easily recognise parabens in an ingredients list, and suggests where to shop for paraben-free cosmetics.
- Bare Minerals Equivalent
- List Of Paraben Free Makeup
- Paraben Free Shampoo
- Mac Water Based Foundation
- Paraben And Phthalate Free Makeup
- Is Mac Cosmetics Paraben Free
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MAC Cosmetics are one of the most popular makeup brands around. A dupe of their famous lipsticks is still one of the most requested things on my local cruelty free Facebook groups! Unfortunately, MAC Cosmetics are not cruelty free – they allow animal testing to occur on their products, and they are owned by a non-cruelty free parent company.
- Free shipping and returns on Paraben Free Lipstick, Lip Gloss & Lip Liner at Nordstrom.com. Lime Crime MAC Cosmetics nailmatic NARS NUDESTIX Patchology RMS Beauty.
- It is phthalate and paraben-free. For all this goodness, it is reasonably priced at $26 and can be found online. MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment. This oil free primer controls the appearance of oily skin with lightweight silicones to blur the appearance of pores (3).
Are MAC Cosmetics Cruelty Free?
Mac Cosmetics are not cruelty free. MAC Cosmetics state on their website:
Along with many other popular brands, although MAC Cosmetics state that they have never tested on animals, you can see from the quote that they allow their products to be tested on animals by ‘some governments’. As we all know, true cruelty free brands do not sell their products under governments that conduct animal testing.
In addition to this, MAC Cosmetics are owned by Estée Lauder. This leads to a fairly complicated debate on whether or not an animal testing parent company can own a cruelty free brand. (Get more info here). I always say that it’s up to an individual to decide whether or not they want to buy from brands with animal testing parent companies, but either way it’s worth noting.
Do MAC Cosmetics have Vegan Products?
No MAC products can be classed as vegan because they are all subject to animal testing. Makeup Academy (MUA) is a great alternative brand that is 100% cruelty free and vegan.
Are MAC Cosmetics a Sustainable Brand?
Bare Minerals Equivalent
Hidden away on their website is a link to MAC Cosmetics’ “Back to MAC” scheme, which gives you a free lipstick for every six empty MAC containers returned to store for recycling. This can only be done in-store and doesn’t seem to be particularly well advertised on their website, but at least it’s something.
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Interesting fact: Your skin absorbs at least 60% of the chemicals into your body through the skin!! THAT is why it matters WHAT you put on your skin!!
Does your make up company provide ingredients?
Look at the containers in your cabinets, and see what they tell you! Then go to the manufactures website and take a look at the list of ingredients! STILL can’t find ingredients? I wonder why?!?!
Does your eyeshadow, concealer or blusher use Talc? How about anything that ends with the word “paraben”? If they do you may want to throw them in the trash where they belong….Here is why:
Parabens are used as a preservative in many cosmetics. According tosafecosmetics.org ” Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as anti-microbial preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products, including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and through the gastrointestinal tract and blood. U.K. researchers found measurable concentrations of six different parabens in 20 human breast tumors. The study highlights the need for more research on the potential link between products containing parabens and increased breast cancer risk. ”
SO are Paraben’s really bad?
Well – you decide for yourself: Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Researchers have found parabens in breast tumors and believe there is a relationship between parabens and tumors. And in the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.” If a causal link between a chemical and cancer is not enough to avoid a product that can easily be avoided, I don’t know what is. There are a lot of other reports available all over the internet, but most of them are all related to reproductive health in some way or another.
The jury is still out on how and why parabens might affect development and growth of both babies and adults. But I decided a while ago to get rid of any products that have it and replace them with products that don’t. There is no harm being more careful with this kind of stuff – remember, things that were deemed safe in the past then came back to haunt us all when we were told that they actually caused all sorts of diseases. There ARE safe alternative’s available.
So back to the initial question – what are parabens? They are chemicals we need to work hard to avoid, period. Be sure to shop for paraben-free products and foods whenever possible, and always read the labels on the things you buy.
All Younique Products are Paraben Free!
MAC and Mary Kay (and the list goes on) CONTAIN (many of the products do) PARABENS!!
What about Talc?
Talc is commonly used in loose powders, blushes and eye shadows, in fact some use up to 50% talc because it is a cheap filler. The bad part is not that you are spending good money on cheap filler AND talc has been linked to respiratory damage with long-term use.
All Younique Products are Talc Free! Youngblood, MAC, and Mary Kay CONTAIN (many of them) TALC!
List Of Paraben Free Makeup
So we’re down to Younique and Bare Minerals! Both of these:
- Use Pure Minerals
- Paraben Free
- Talc or Starch Free
- Preservative Free
- Oil Free
Paraben Free Shampoo
Now price comparison!!…
This comparison uses Eye Shadows:
Mac Water Based Foundation
- Younique = $2.00 per gram
- Bare Minerals = $24.56 per gram
Paraben And Phthalate Free Makeup
You owe it to yourself and all that you care about to spread the word about a SAFER and MORE COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION!! YOUNIQUE!!
Check out the Collections and Sets to save money when you bundle!
Is Mac Cosmetics Paraben Free
I didn’t receive compensation for this review but am a registered Presenter for Younique Products.