Do you feel great about the mascara you use? Or have you read those stories about mercury and other toxic chemicals in mascara and wondered whether you should have shifted to an all natural mascara a long time ago?

Worry no more! Kris Carr, the fabulous blogger who calls herself the “Chief Unicorn” at Crazy Sexy Wellness, pulled together this incredibly useful infographic to help make it easier to buy the best, safest, non-toxic-est mascara available on the market today. This was no mild undertaking! Over a year, Kris polled her social media community, reviewed many different brands, then evaluated products through four different lenses: the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep ratings for toxicity in personal care products; the Leaping Bunny and PETA analyses of cruelty-free products; whether ingredients included animal products; and how they performed. The result? The “Ultimate Crazy Sexy Mascara Smackdown,” captured in the chart below.

The good news is, there are plenty of all natural mascara options to choose from. So if you haven’t made the shift yet, now’s as good a time as any to get going. If you can’t wait to go shopping at the mall, drop by our Amazon store, where we sell several of the brands Kris recommends.

To see what else Kris has to offer, visit her website here.

To make the shift to all natural mascara, start here.

The post All Natural Mascara – Non-Toxic, Safe, Lead-Free appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Smart move! Most women (myself included) use at least twelve (12) personal care products every day. (Count ’em – hand soap, body wash, body lotion, face lotion or moisturizer, toner, foundation and/or concealer, blush, mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, deodorant, tooth paste, mouthwash…).

Plus, we may color our hair, shave our legs, use sun block, and more. Even if we only use a little bit of any of these, together they all add up. Research shows that conventional personal care products may contain as many as 168 chemical ingredients, including those that can harm growing babies.

Take a look at this helpful infographic from the non-profit Healthy Child, Healthy World. It offers lots of useful suggestions on how you can avoid toxic chemicals in make-up and shift to cleaner, greener safer personal care products.

And get more information from these helpful posts:

Is There Mercury in Your Mascara? Probably.

Lead-Free Lipstick? Well…duh!

The post How to Avoid Toxic Chemicals in Make-up When Pregnant appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 But your eyes? That’s another story, at least according to the United Nations Minamata Convention, so named because thousands of people in Minamata, Japan suffered mercury poisoning from contaminated industrial wastewater.

The UN convention last week decided that companies can use mercury in mascara and other make-up until safer alternatives can be found. B why use mercury in the first place? Evidently it’s an effective preservative and germ-killer. However, it’s also a powerful neurotoxicant that can cause kidney damage and serious neurological effects. If you’re pregnant and exposed to mercury, your baby’s brain could be affected.

To date, no scientific studies have researched the impact that the levels of mercury found in eye make-up could have on human health. Still, Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the consumer watch-dog group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, says (quoted here in Scientific American) there’s no reason “a known neurotoxin should be allowed in any of these products” because alternatives exist. Most manufacturers just aren’t using them.

Fortunately, several cosmetics companies committed to public health and safety as well as beauty do exist, and they’re producing mercury-free mascara as well as other non-toxic make-up options. Here are the ones I know about. If you have other recommendations, please leave them in the comments below.

Suncoat Sugar Based Natural Mascara

Afterglow Pure Soul Mascara

100% Pure  Fruit Pigmented Mascara

Tarte

By the way, for added safety:

* Store mascara in a cool, dry place.

* Toss it after about three months, whether the tube is used up or not. Bacteria can multiply in older tubes and cause eye infections.

* Don’t apply when you’re driving (duh!). Many optometrists report treating women who scratched their corneas while trying to apply mascara in a moving car!

RELATED POSTS

Lead-Free Lipstick? Well…duh!

Beauty … or the Beast? Depends on the Safe Chemicals Act

The post Is There Mercury in Your Mascara? Probably. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

We’ve gotten it out of paint and gasoline because of its links to birth defects and mental retardation. Says Health Canada, “Exposure to lead may have subtle effects on the intellectual development of infants and children. Infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead because they are undergoing a period of rapid development; furthermore, their growing bodies absorb lead more easily and excrete lead less efficiently than adults. In addition, infants and young children are more likely to ingest lead because of their natural habit of putting objects into their mouths.

“Once in the body, lead circulates in the blood and either builds up in bone or is eliminated from the body, mostly in urine. Lead can stay in the body for over 30 years following exposure.”

So the message should be: don’t use lead, and especially don’t eat it.

Yet updated research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found noticeable amounts of lead in over 400 brands of lipstick, including Revlon, Clinique, L’Oreal, Maybelline, Cover Girl, and Estee Lauder.  FDA says that it is not concerned because lipstick is a “topical” product that is not intended to be “ingested.” In other words, the agency is acting as if lipstick stays on lips.

But if you wear lipstick, you know that’s not true. We lick our lips all day long, which means that we’re eating lipstick all day long, and applying it all day long, too.

Besides, says Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, the policy advisor of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice and co-chair of the Environmental Health Task Force for the National Medical Association, lead “builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels.”

In January, reports Forbes, an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared there is no safe level of lead for children and stressed the importance of preventing lead exposure for kids and pregnant women. While lipstick is not sold to children, if you’re a mother, aunt, grandmother, or babysitter, you know how hard it can be to keep kids away from make-up, especially lipstick.

To be clear, the cosmetics companies are not intentionally adding lead to their product forumulations. But because lead is so prevalent in air, water, and minerals, it can appear as a trace contaminant in the raw ingredients companies use in manufacturing.

If you want to buy lipstick, here are 11 brands that tested lead-free in 2007. Note that many are made by companies you’ll recognize, like Avon, and are very affordable.

The post Lead-Free Lipstick? Well…duh! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

With your participation and some determined work on Capitol Hill, it will be. Several members of Congress recently introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act, legislation that would phase out toxic ingredients in our make-up and other personal care products that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm. The act would also create a health-based safety standard to protect not only us adults, but kids, the elderly, and people who work in salons and the cosmetics industries.

Plus, the legislation would require companies to fully disclose all the ingredients their products contain so we consumers can read the labels and decide what we want to be exposed to. Finally, the new law would boost funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors so it can effectively oversee the cosmetics industry and better protect consumers.

The Safe Cosmetics Act is long overdue. Laws governing the ingredients in cosmetics haven’t been updated since 1938 – we know a lot more about toxic chemicals and safe levels of exposure these days than we did then.

“The growing number of reports of serious health problems arising from the use of dangerous chemicals in personal care products shows a need to update our laws and protect men, women, and children from harmful exposure,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D, IL), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “Currently, manufacturers are not required to disclose all their ingredients on labels, and the FDA has no power to supervise the use of toxic chemicals in cosmetics. Americans are left in the dark about harmful mystery ingredients in personal care products; consumers deserve confidence that the products that they use will not hurt them.”

“When there are cancer-causing chemicals in popular hair-straighteners and baby shampoos and neurotoxins like lead in makeup, you know the regulatory system is broken,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Industry self-regulation just isn’t working. This bill recognizes that consumers have a right to safe personal care products and that companies have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe.”

Please – take a minute right now to urge your Member of Congress to support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

For more background, here’s why we need phthalate-free cosmetics, safer shampoos, and lead-free lipstick.

Don’t miss this related post, “Beauty…or the Beast? Depends on the Safe Chemicals Act.”

You can buy safer cosmetics in our online store here along with non-toxic shampoos, soap, and face and body lotion.

The post Putting on Lipstick Shouldn’t be so Risky. It Won’t Be – if You Support the Safe Cosmetics Act appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Considering how many times you lick them each day, maybe you should. Many conventional lip products are made from ingredients you’d never DREAM of wiping your tongue on, like pesticides, dyes, and parabens. Lipstick may even contain lead. Ewww!

Good news: Conventional cosmetic companies like Softlips are extending their product lines to include pure organic lip conditioners in a variety of flavors.

About the Product: Pure Softlips is USDA Organic Certified. It’s made of 100% natural ingredients, 95% of which are organic. You can get it in five different flavors, including Acai Berry, Honeydew, Papaya, Pomegranate, and Peppermint.

What We Like: In addition to the fact that Softlips uses certified ingredients, its price is comparable to conventional products (see below) and it’s easy to buy in many retail outlets. Pure Softlips is cruelty free (animal testing is not conducted). In addition, the balm is sold in recyclable materials that include a minimum of plastic and are printed with vegetable-based ink. It’s not too greasy but still leaves lips feeling soothed. The flavors are pleasant, and the fragrance is not overwhelming.

There are no dyes or tints in Softlips, so don’t expect it to impart anything more than a subtle shine – which is just fine if you’re planning to pucker up and don’t want to leave any evidence behind.

Are you are allergic to gluten? Softlips pure organic lip conditioner is gluten-free (other lip glosses may list wheat as an ingredient).

What We Don’t Like: Softlips’ entire product line needs the same make-over it’s given to its “Pure” brand. The company’s standard products contain nasty compounds like petroleum, toluene and parabens. That’s a no-no for Big Green Purse fans. We hope the company will raise its entire product line to “Pure” standards.

Plus, five of us in the office tried different Pure Softlips flavors. We all liked the tastes – but we found the applicator tube itself way too small…and not because we have big lips! Softlips could double the size of the applicator, make the product last twice as long, and reduce packaging that comes from having to buy two applicators rather than one.

Product Comparison:

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm:
“Earth Friendly Natural Personal Care for The Greater Good”
The ingredients are 95.29% natural, and include ultra-emollient lanolin, coconut and sunflower oil, and beeswax. TThe tube is made of recycled plastic.

Herbal Choice  Herbal Choice uses natural herbs and oils to moisturize lips; the color from the tinted lip balms derives from natural fruit powders to provide sheer color.
• Paraben Free, Preservative Free, Mineral Oil Free.
• No Synthetic Additives, Fragrance Free.
• Pure & Natural Formula.
• Organic Ingredients.
• Allergen Free, Non Sticky.
• No Animal Testing, Vegan.
• Earth & Skin Friendly.

Eco Lips – Uses high concentrations of certified organic ingredients like green tea and kiwi.

Dr. Bronner’s All-One Organic Lip Balm: Dr. Bronner’s lip balms are USDA Certified Organic, and are made of natural oils and beeswax. The product is not animal tested; ingredients include natural organic hemp, pure organic oils and beeswax free of petrochemically modified ingredients. Organic essential oils infuse the balms with fragrance.

Price Comparison:
Pure Softlips – Lip Conditioners priced at $3.69

Burt’s Bees: Beeswax Lip Balm $3.00

Herbal Choice: Vitamin E lip balm $3.95

Eco Lips: Free shipping with orders over $15
Eco Lips Organic Lip Balm- $1.99
Eco Tint Line $3.99
Eco Energy lip balm3.49

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm
Lip Balms priced at $ 2.99

How Many Purses for Softlips? Two. We love the ingredients in Pure Softlips. But the applicator is too small, forcing us to buy two when one larger one would last longer. We also want to see Softlips raise the bar for its entire product line. Softlips should be “pure,” through and through.

by Sophia Bambalis

The post Environmental In-Box: Softlips Pure Organic Lip Conditioner appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Plus: Not only does buying eco-friendly nail polish save you money, it reduces your exposure to harmful chemicals.  A recent study by The National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance  reports 74% of popular nail care companies no longer use the “toxic trio” of toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate, dangerous compounds linked to health problems such as asthma, cancer, and reproductive problems.

The good news is that you will likely find your favorite drug store brand among the 18 options that are “three free.”  L’Oreal, Orly, Revlon, and Sally Hansen all have eliminated these harmful chemicals from their ingredients.  Where does the cost savings come into play?  The safer, widely available brands retail for an average of about $5 per bottle.  The five brands that were not yet “three free” or did not respond to the survey, including Essie and Yves Saint Laurent, average closer to $9 per bottle.

While exposure to toxins in nail polish may vary, it is both safer and more environmentally friendly to avoid products containing these harmful chemicals.  In fact, many companies are already producing organic and phthalate free cosmetics.  If safer options exist AND are more wallet-friendly, why buy the harmful brands?

For those of you who have already joined our One in a Million campaign, add nail polish to your list of products to look for.  Interested in becoming involved?  Sign up today

Don’t stop there – contact Essie  and Creative Nail Design and ask them why in the world they’re still producing toxic nail polishes when they are aware of the harm they’re potentially causing their consumers.

(Thanks to Katie Kelleher for researching and writing this post!)

The post Think you can’t afford ‘green’ nail polish? Wrong! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Toxic chemicals keep turning up

Previously, I reported on dangerous lead levels in lipstick.

Now, according to research done in Canada, two other chemicals used in lipstick and other personal care products pose a significant threat to human health. The chemicals, known as D4 and D5 siloxanes, have been linked to uterine tumors and reproductive damage in various animals. In addition to being added to lipstick, the siloxanes are found in body lotion, hair care products, baby bottle nipples, cookware and home cleaning products. Because the chemicals persist in the environment and resist degrading, health officials worry they pose long-term risk to people and the planet.

As Canada moves forward to assess actions needed to reduce the use of these toxic chemicals under its Chemical Management Plan program,  Environmental Working Group says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to publish a single study or assessment on D4 and D5 under their parallel program, the High Production Volume (HPV) chemical challenge.

Canada’s findings “underscore the need for real reforms within the EPA’s failed programs to regulate toxins in the U.S.,” said Environmental Working Group VP for Research Jane Houlihan. “Congress and President Obama need to overhaul broken toxics laws, and establish a policy that forces the chemical companies to first prove their products are safe before being used.”

Clearly, a new mindset is needed focusing on preventing hazards like this from occurring. EPA needs to expedite its process on regulating proven toxic chemicals like D4 and D5 siloxanes.

Just as importantly, the Obama Administration needs to adopt a “prevention agenda” to protect human health and the environment from toxic hazards – not just clean up after them.

The post Lipstick Takes a Toxic Turn; Prevention Agenda Needed appeared first on Big Green Purse.

More than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). None of these lipsticks listed lead, a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities, as an ingredient.

“Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure,” said Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.

According to the tests, which were conducted by an independent laboratory during the month of September, one-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body. Nevertheless, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick, “which fits with the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight and enforcement capacity for the $50 billion personal care products industry,” said the Campaign.

Fortunately, the tests also identified lead-free lipstick brands: 39 percent of lipsticks tested had no detectable levels of lead. In fact, some less expensive brands such as Revlon Superlustrous Bed of Roses ($7.49) had no detectable lead levels.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell from product labeling which brands contain lead and which do not. Review complete test results in the full report, “A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick,” posted at www.SafeCosmetics.org. Then Use Your Purse to buy the safest possible brand.

The following lipstick brands had higher lead levels than others tested:

-L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
-L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
-Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
-Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm

The post Get the Lead Out … of Your Lipstick! appeared first on Big Green Purse.