Mascara, Pressed Powder, Face Lotion with SPF

It's been over 2 months since I've posted. Blame the fact that I have 4 toddlers or perhaps that my bathroom is being remodeled. Or the holidays for that matter. Whatever the case may be, I have still been working hard to change the way we live, but I haven't been good about blogging about all our changes. I am making a concerted effort to catch up this week.

I am slowly switching over my make-up as I weed out all the parabens in our house. I use the following things daily: concealer, pressed powder, blush, and mascara. I do use eyeliner and eyeshadow if I'm going out or something, but it's so rare that I'm not worrying about those things yet. So far I've tackled mascara and pressed powder.

Mascara
I used to use whatever was on sale. Often it was Maybelline or Cover Girl. On EWG's database I see mascaras that I've used ranging from a rating of 4 to as high as 8. Not good. A quick summary of the concerns (copied from this article):

• Parabens. Mimic the hormone estrogen, which can play a role in the development of breast cancer.
• Phthalates. Chemicals that could damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system.
• Diazolidinyl urea. This chemical releases formaldehyde and acts as a preservative. It could contain carcinogenic impurities and is associated with other significant health problems.
• Ethyl acetate. Prolonged exposure can cause damage to the lungs, heart, kidney and liver.
• Petrolatum. May contain harmful impurities that break down into chemicals linked to cancer.
• Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulfate. SLS can penetrate into the eyes, as well as brain, heart and liver, and show long-term retention in the tissues.

These ingredients aren't all found in all mascaras. As usual check your specific brand on the EWG database to find out for sure. That being said, I just hadn't paid attention at all, so I decided to upgrade to something safer.

I switched to Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara. It scores a 3 (low yellow zone) in the EWG database, due to one ingredient, magnesium aluminum silicate (scores a 4). Everything else scores in the green zone (0-2). I really like this mascara, and it's affordable, too. Technically the entire container is recyclable, but again, that depends on what your neighborhood actually recycles.

The only issue I have is that the brush is plastic and every so often I am an idiot and slip and hit my eye -- the plastic wand HURTS! So just don't be a klutz like me and you should be fine. Other than that I find this mascara to be equally as good as any other brand I've used. I'm not too picky about my mascara though. This mascara is a bit of a compromise because it does fall in EWG's yellow zone (4), but it is only due to one ingredient and to get in the green zone you have to shell out more money. I feel okay with my decision. I'm especially happy to get rid of the parabens!

Pressed Powder
I typically used Cover Girl pressed powder. Sometimes I used Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, but even though that ranks as safe in the EWG database there are concerns about loose powders and inhaling them, so I prefer a pressed powder. The Cover Girl powder I used scores a 5 in the EWG database. There are four ingredients rating a 5 or 6 and two rating a 3.

I switched to Physicians Formula Organic Wear Pressed Powder. It scores a 1 in the EWG database which is comfortably in the green zone. There are no parabens, synthetic preservatives or fragrances. The compact is made of cardboard and can be recycled. It comes with a little brush and when applied feels very light on my face and lasts all day (better than Cover Girl). It was maybe a dollar or two more than Cover Girl, and I did have to purchase it on Amazon because I couldn't find it at the store.

Daily Face Lotion with SPF
I was using Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer with SPF 15. It scores a 5 in the EWG database, and if you click the link you'll see a very long list of ingredients in the red and yellow zones. Yikes.

I actually had a lot of difficulty locating an affordable day cream with SPF in the green zone. I finally settled on Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing Day Cream, SPF 15 for Dry and Sensitive Skin. It scores a 2 in the EWG database. The SPF protection comes from zinc oxide (mineral sunscreen) only. There are no parabens, artificial fragrances/dyes, SLS, PEGs, phthalates, etc.

This lotion has a drawbacks. It is thicker because it is a mineral sunscreen, so it is harder to spread and you use more because of that. It doesn't moisturize as well although it's not horrible. The major issue is that it's expensive! It is double the cost of Oil of Olay and you have to buy it on Amazon.

I know there are plenty of cheaper yet safe options without sunscreen that I can explore. I also know that sun exposure has a lot of health benefits in moderation. Once I use this tube up I think I will switch to a day cream without SPF but keep Desert Essence around for days I know I'll spend a lot of time in the sun.

Here's a helpful link to non-toxic beauty products that's worth examining. I like the way it's divided into lists of "Best" and "Good" options. I often choose from the "Good" options because I like to strike a balance between safety and affordability. My goal is to lower our family's exposure to these potentially unsafe ingredients but within reason.

Next time I will update on our adventures in shampoo and conditioner. Other topics to tackle: paper towels/napkins, hand and dish soaps. So much to talk about, so little time!

Face wash + a note about face/body scrubs

We switched back and forth between different face washes, but a typical example (the last one we used) is Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power Scrub. It scores a 6 in the EWG database.

There are 7 ingredients in the red and yellow zones including:
Fragrance - scores an 8 (red zone) since this is a blanket term for any number of ingredients
Salicylic acid - scores a 6 (yellow zone), can cause skin burns among other things, no studies on its effects during pregnancy, just makes me think it should be used with caution

We switched to Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash. It fights acne with 3 essential oils (some essential oils have antimicrobial properties). This face wash scores a 1 in EWG's database.

I really like this face wash. It smells good and seems to work well. If you've got massive acne maybe it isn't for you ... I don't so I can't really review how effective it would be at controlling more than the occasional pimple here and there. It is a thinner liquid than most face washes, but that doesn't matter to me. It leaves your face with a "squeaky clean" sensation for a minute or two -- I don't like that feeling when it lingers, but it goes away almost immediately so it's okay.

Cost comparison on Amazon:
Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power Scrub: $6.97 for 4.2 ounces ($1.66/oz)
Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash: $9.52 for 8.5 ounces ($1.12/oz)

Convenient access:
Obviously Neutrogena is easier to get at any store. However, I've seen Desert Essence at our grocery store in the organic aisle and at several natural stores. I bought a bottle for $7.99 at the grocery store. I plan on buying the refill on Amazon ($12.65 for 32 ounces), making it even cheaper in the future and also decreasing plastic waste!

This was an overall win, pretty easy to change.


**One other thing that should make you steer away from face/body scrubs/exfoliators. Those little plastic beads do not get filtered by sewage systems because they're too small and they're ending up in our oceans. Just another good reason to switch! Even switching to a face wash without those beads is a step in the right direction, no matter what its EWG rating.