Organic Cosmetics: 3 Reasons To Consider Using Them

Over the past few years, organic cosmetics have become more prevalent on the makeup market and in turn, have been more accessible to consumers. But despite all that, there is a hefty price tag that comes with organic makeup which naturally raises the question: Are they worth it? If you're considering switching over to natural and organic products, then consider these five reasons to make the switch:

1. Reduced exposure to parabens.
Truly organic cosmetics won't have any parabens—the controversial preservative that is used in cosmetics and personal care products ranging from your soap and moisturizer to your shaving cream and deodorant. Scientifically speaking, they are a compound of p-hydroxybenzoic acid; the most common ones are ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben.

While it's great that the chemical increases the shelf life of beauty products, this added benefit does not come without risks. The chemical has become increasingly controversial since it have been linked to immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, skin irritation, and hormone disruption—which, in turn, causes breast cancer and fertility issues. The chemical can be absorbed by our bodies through the skin, blood, and digestive system.

What's more, a 2004 study by Dr. Philippa Darbre, published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, found this chemical in breast tumors of 19 out of the 20 women studied. For full disclosure, the FDA's official stance is that this study did not show that the preservative causes cancer.

2. Many traditional cosmetic ingredients are linked to cancer.
Many cosmetics contain nitrosamines and according to The President's Cancer Panel, the ingredient can potentially cause brain cancer and kidney cancer. What's more, many personal care products (e.g. makeup, fragrances, hair products) also contain pthalates, which have been linked to breast cancer and testicular cancer. Other statistics show that roughly 22% of all personal care products contain 1,4-dioxane, which has been linked to cancer.

3. No regulations or safety tests
Unfortunately, there is little to no regulation on the cosmetics. In fact, according to The Story of Cosmetics, a documentary focusing on the dangers of personal care products, less than 20% of all chemicals in cosmetics have been assessed for safety by the industry's safety panel. The documentary shares: "Major loopholes in U.S. federal law allow the $50 billion beauty industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no monitoring of health effects and inadequate labeling requirements—making cosmetics among the least-regulated consumer products on the market."