If, big "IF" the FDA works for the common people and the good of the people, should we have to get the FDA to make companies test the products that we eat or that go on our skin???? Simple answer... They do not work for us, they work for big business... If you want these companies to listen there is only one way to make them... What do they value??? Money... Stop buying any of their products...

This is true about nano-sized particles in most mineral based makeup. However, Shaklee "Minerals" is the safe exception. Shaklee has done millions of dollars in double blind research and has been in the leader in natrual nutrition and cosmetics for over 50 years. Anyone who has a question about their research can visit their web sight. They will answer any questions one may have on this topic.

Jeff
Why use this site as free advertising space? If you have data to help our limited understanding of the ingredients titanium dioxide, silica, and iron, as used in cosmetics, why not post it. Shaklee is not the leader in the natural products industry, mostly they are a MLM that greenwashes their products like so many ohters. Stop the propaganda and give real data to support your claims

My question is: How would these products be tested?? On animals? Because I wouldn't buy them then either.

Thanks, Shannon. While Enviroblog has a liberal policy regarding the posting of comments we don't endorse products, and the appearance of a comment/sales pitch like that of Mr. vanderHeidjde above is NOT a sign of our approval.

Thanks for looking out.

Another great resource for information on ingredients is a book by Dr. Samuel S. Epstein titled Unreasonable Risk, How to Avoid Cancer and Other Toxic Effects From Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Oh My, people can be testy!

I use the mineral based cosmetics mentioned in the earlier post and I enjoy them immensely because I believe they are safer than standard cosmetics sold in the marketplace today. I think the poster's point was that there's a lot of research done in this area by the company mentioned. They have been around for 50 years and have a very STRONG history of safety in their products. They have never had to recall a product and to my knowledge, they have never had a product mentioned on this site as unsafe.

I only know of one other mineral based product line and it is sold on QVC quite extensively. Does that make it better than buying it from an MLM company??

There are a lot of good products out there that do not contain mineral oil. I use Arbonne, who's products do not contain mineral oil or lanolin and they never test on animals.

When you find something good and the integrity of their "safe" certified organic skin care products are in a class of their own, why not share ones experience. I buy from One Group, Miessence Certified Organics, here is the site for anyone interested www.tgorganics.mionegroup.com

Laurie,

I use to sell Arbonne and was very happy with the product until I went to safercosmetics.org and found out that Arbonne has not signed the safer cosmetics compact. When I called Arbonne and the marketing dept., they had no response. This is false advertising on their part and I can't sell a product and still have my integrity, by saying pure, safe, beneficial - when they can't sign a compact to promote safer cosmetics. I'm now selling for ONE Group's product line (Miessence), which is 100% organic, USDA certified and feel that I'm being true to myself and to my clients.

Ree

I have to agree with Shannon here. There are so many companies jumping on the "natural" and "organic" bandwagon that the words have become nothing more than a marketing tool. Please feel free to visit my website (http://www.greenmaureenorganics.com) and click on the "Education" tab in the menu bar. There you will find some excellent guidelines for deciphering product labels and understanding the semantics behind the use of the words "natural" and "organic" in the cosmetic industry.

Jeff, you need only read the label of some of the Shaklee products to know that calling the cocktail of chemicals in their products "safe" is a bit of a stretch!!!

I also use Arbonne. It is botanically based.

http://essentials.myarbonne.com

I read this article with much interest as I am in business with a company which bases their whole philosophy around their products being pure, safe, beneficial, never tested on animals with absolutely no animal or human by products - they are completely vegan. Why? Because what you put on your skin in absorbed into your body therefore it matters what you use - many consumers are unaware of this. This is not a shameless plug for my company but rather a sharing of very important info. If you have this and don't share it you are denying people essential information. We do have a mineral powder foundation which is heavily researched and expertly produced, like all our products, to be very pure and safe. Thank goodness there is a company which takes this very seriously and addresses your very concerns. It would be remiss of me not to let you know this - I speak of course of Arbonne International, a company with high ethics and integrity. Use with confidence and peace of mind!

I know this is not an advertisement site, but I sell Arbonne products and just want to say that I know they do spend lots of time & money on researching and safety testing their products on HUMAN volunteers in blind tests. I agree with the previous post, it is very rare that any of the big companies do anything that is not required so I think we should applaud & support the few that do.
I do not have their scientific info on hand but I am sure they'd be happy to give it to you if you asked.
I was horrified when I found out what was in the expensive department store cosmetics I had been using. I was paying $45 for a bottle that was mainly water, rubbing alcohol & acetone.
The FDA should be doing a lot more to educate & protect the public. But since they are not we need to do everything we can. I commend EWG & love what you are doing!

Hi Trudy

i second that! I use Miessence too! Though the website is different...
http://naturallyintended.mionegroup.com

Why arent Miessence in the Skin Deep thing? Does anyone know.

Nic.

I am confused about the Arbonne user,Laurie thinking that it is a good line of products. I looked at the benefits and ingredients list and some of the ingredients I found were Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, methyparaben, propylparaben, lactic acid. Some of these ingredients help the products to absorb deep into the skin. And who whats chemicals deep in our body?

Singing the praises of a company, and blatant advertising by its owner are two diffreent things. EWG which is behind skin deep is not a place for grenwashing or deception of its readers. Presently there are very few products that can legally claim to be organic in the US, Miessence is not one of them. I have been formulating cosmetic products for 15 years, and worked on Shaklee's first natural personal care product, which was 3 years ago. So seeing the owner come on here and claim 50 years of experience,nad testing upset me. I ignored it, but suported the first who called him out. Seeing products that are illegally labeled where i live ,Miessence, also upset me. I believe in Organic products, and companies that truly support sustainable living. We must be vigilant to avoid these scammers, and those who market pseudo green products.

titanium dioxide, in Australia the OFC the organic food chain and a certifying board for cosmetic skincare standards does not permit this ingredient as a safe substance. As the owner of the largest range of Organic and certified organic skincare in Australia I will NOT allow this ingredient into any of my ranges. I have make-up and skincare and sunscreen everthing you can think of, formulated by people that understand high vibrational ingredeints. All of the amazing formula that mother earth provided us that WORK in a healing way do not include this ingredient, titanium dioxide is a quick fix method for a lazy or ignorant formulator.. Just because titanium dioxide works at reflecting sunlight on the roof of a home does NOT mean our skin is of the vibration to sustain the toxic effect this ingredient has to the skin and the lungs. I SAY HUMANS IT'S TIME TO USE YOUR INTUITION!!!!

I've sought out good quality foods and cosmetics for over thirty years. Please remember to check your products for endocrine disruptors such as parabens and other harmful chemicals, which happen to be in both Arbonne and Miessence products. You might try plain olive oil or coconut oil for a moisturizer, and diluted white vinegar for an astringent if necessary. Funny, huh? Works well, though:)

Shaklee mineral makeup contains parabens, and I won't use anything that contains parabens. I looked into Arbonne too, but it's really hard to find their ingredient list without signing up to sell their product...so I'm still unsure about them. I use Larenim mineral makeup and it comes in a pressed version, so there is less chance of inhaling it, as mentioned in the article above. Just thought that might be helpful to someone.

For the past year I had used and sold Arbonne products until I realized some of the ingredients in Arbonne products are on the list of the top worst ingredients to be on the look out for. Alcohol,aluminum,talc, sodium laurly sulfate,Q-15, parabens, diazolidinyl urea, and cocamide DEA are all included in Arbonne's ingredients. They promote their products as being pure, safe, and beneficial, but this is false advertising. They tell you their products are great because they do not contain mineral oil, but they contain all of these other ingredients. If you enter Arbonne products into the skin deep section, it will tell you they have a medium to high risk rating based on the ingredients. I've been to the training and they never mention any of the above questionable ingredients. The consultants are just told of the positives and are therefore misrepresenting the truth of the product. On the Arbonne website when you click on these ingredients, they tell you they are included because several other companies use them and they are not regulated. I have questioned Arbonne about their ingredients and they have either responded without an answer or not responded at all.

I have been using Miessence products for the past 6 months. I have not read that they use parabens in their cosmetics or skin care. Where did you get that info?

I am an esthetician with biochemistry background. I am too much into holistic approach towards skin and body care. Since and I have worked in a lab surrounded by carcinogens and other highly toxic chemiclas. I was appalled to see that the same chemicals we used to be very very careful working with have found places in our skin care products. I researched and I found that there are many european lines that are actually purely organic and there's one line which is my favourite which is Dr haushka. They grow the plants to be used as ingredients biodynamically. I use their produts myself and for my kids. I am very satified with this product line and truly endorse it.

I wanted to respond to the reader above who said Miessence was not organic. It's the only skincare/cosmetic company to be certified organic by the USDA and they're also listed as so with Australia. My fiance' who is a Molecular Biologist Ph.D has researched the ingredients in Miessence and has given his approval. He told me not to join Arbonne, but I didn't listen until I found out from Safercosmetics.org that Arbonne has not signed the compact. Miessence has (look up ONE Group - that's what they're listed under). Also, Miessence looks out for the environment. They hired a company called Green Fleet to come in and measure the amount of carbon their company was releasing into the environment due to trucks and the like. They were informed how many trees it would take to counter the effect and they planted them. They also are now using renewable energy at their factory as of August 2006.

Reegan
I am a cosmetic chemist who is very familiar with the organic laws in this country. Look at the Miessence page:
http://www.miessenceproducts.com/product.asp?productid=24
Look at the ingredients they list. Read the paragraph. They claim Polyglucose as a cleanser, but do you see it listed in their graphic ingredients? Polyglucose is not an INCI name, and it is not able to be produced under the current USDA regulations governing Organics. Therefore their products cannot be organic in the US. This is misleading at the least, and illegal if sold in California. THey maty be a great company, they may help the environment, but they are misleading consumers if they continue to claim to be organic.

I am sure i could find many more examples, this was just the first page i looked at

Peace
C

What about Bare Minerals? They state it was created for Cancer patients. Is this safe? I cannot use most makeups so I've taken to using this product when I decide to wear makeup. I can use it but it does irritate my skin at times (yet my skin is very hyper sensitive).

Regarding alcohol and some of the other ingredients mentioned in some of the posts, there are many different kinds of "alcohol" and also several different types of other ingredients. Some of these ingredients natural some are chemical, some are bad and some are not. You need to be careful not to confuse them. Also there is a big difference in the amounts of ingredients or preservatives in different products. American made cosmetics are so full of chemicals & preservative I've heard they have a shelf life of 7 or more YEARS versus other products which use very few preservatives & have a shelf life of 1-2 years. It's importnat to look at where the ingredients are on the ingredient list as well as what the ingredients are.

I agree with Reegan, I too had been an Arbonne Rep until I found out what was contained in their product lines, which included formaldehyde. it is a "natural" gas HCHO and yes, it is great for preserving the skin and keeping it looking younger, don't you agree? I am now a rep for Miessence, as I believe in the products and the company. Miessence products have every ingredient listed on the product containers and in their brochures. We have nothing to hide.

Hi Carl-
I appreciate your concern. But ONE Group is not misleading. They say on their website that all but two of their products have been certified organic - you pointed out one and then there's also the body wash. They are presently working on a certifiable product now. I'll put this link below. Also, here's a link to their USDA certification. Just scroll to bottom of page and click on USDA certificate. Have a great day everyone!
http://stlorganics.mionegroup.com/AboutUs/OrganicCert.aspx#
http://www.miessence.com/Faqs/FAQ_product.aspx

can anyone tell me about the ingrediants in Jane Iredale makeup. I see in endorsed in many Dermatologist offices.Is it all hype?

What about the new line of skin care that has just come in to the US from Mannatech? I was in other countries...but just was approved for US distribution last month.

In response to Nic's question above, Narelle Chenery, the Director of Research and Development, indicated last week via email that they are currently working with EWG to get our products on their web site.

it is not necessary to wear make up... i don't and i am still called beautiful..give it a try

laura b -
There's more than just makeup. That's just part of the problem. There are chemicals in most of the popular brand name hygiene products consumers use - toothpaste, deodorant, shampoos, and the list goes on. I don't use makeup on a daily basis, but I use other products every single day.

does anybody know about eminence organics? how do they fit into that discussion?

If anyone has any information about Bare Minerals, also called bare escentials, I believe, I would like to know about it. It is sold via QVC, infomercials, and their stores. I have been using it for years and had no idea that it could be harmful.

Donna

I use to like Arbonne as well until i found out they have parabens in their cosmetics, now i use mineral makeup. I know mineral makeup may not be perfect, but i'd rather not have parabens in any of my beauty products.

What about BARE MINERALS, please?

I love their products.

What about BARE ESCENTUALS?

I love their products.

[I called them Bare Minerals, earlier. Sorry. Please disregard that.]

Hi, someone mentioned olive oil and coconut oil for moisturizer. These oils do not penetrate my skin and for some reason it gives me eye allergy , irritates my eyes. Why is it ? Should I discontinue? I appreciate your answer.

Bare Escentuals contains Bismuth, which many on the web claim can be irritating. The B.E. Mineral Veil product contains Parabens, most likely to preserve the cornstarch- why pay their price for cornstarch???

I have found other mineral makeup companies on the web which seem to offer more pure products, and much less expensive- many offer free samples (but for a few dollars for shipping. I do not know how we would know of their honesty or safetly/purity, but I do like these companies products: EverydayMinerals.com, TLMineralMakeup.com, MeowCosmetics.com

Why not just stop wearing make-up? Judy

Thereis a new mineral line from Sweden I believe, that is now available in the USA and sold only in the WALGREENS drug store chain called ISADORA. Their cosmetics line is extensive and while they hyped their mineral line-they offer other cosmetic products as well.A NY Newspaper gave them a higher safety review than the more expensive brands(Iredale-Bare Minerals etc). It is affordable for sure-but just how safe is it really?

Hi,
To all you Miessence fans. I am also an Independent Rep and you may know that there are 66 Miessence products on the EWG website now. for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=miessence

This is a great discussion going on here. I love how everyone makes the claim that their product is the best, the cleanest, the safest, etc.

In all reality, everyone is not going to want and use the same products. People will be interested in each product for their own reasons.

I think it is great to have the information to allow us to make an informed choice about what products we use.

In order to do this you must have a complete ingredients list and then you can start to figure out if the product is for you.

The EWG site is a great place to start. There are other sites that you can use also.
Debra Lynn Dadd's website is a great resource: http://www.dld123.com
she has extensive information on so much stuff there.

Another site DyingToLookGood:
http://www.dyingtolookgood.net

Greener Choices by the people who publish Consumer Reports has good information on choosing organic products.

and the Organic Consumers Association website and their campaign called coming clean:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm

Keep up the good work everyone, it's best to have many choices for the products we want to use.

Regards,
Erin
http://www.elyorganics.com

I've read the ingredient list for Larenim Mineral Makeup when I was shopping at Wild Oats and it seems to be Paraben, Bismuth, and Cornstarch FREE.
In addition, they state directly on their website that they DO NOT use any NANO Materials in their makeup either.
Larenim is sold at Wild Oats in the Beauty Department. Also you can check out their website at www.larenim.com
Larenim seems like a great alternative to Bare Escentuals and others. They have fabulous color variety and product variety which rivals the Bare Escentuals line.
Hope that helps!

Good discussion. I've been using Bare Minerals for a while now -- it's been a godsend because I have super oily skin and desperately need SPF. I love the powder and the coverage, although I do try to avoid breathing the dust. I know there are better mineral products out there, but so expensive!

I really hope mineral makeups are not found to be dangerous.

Regarding Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide.

The old fashioned, non-nano versions were regarded as very safe. It was only when they began to break these minerals down into nano-sized particles that they became dangerous.

One way to tell with lotions and sunscreens (not cosmetics) is rub some on your skin. If it disappears, bad sign, because these white minerals have been nano-sized, but if a light whitish film remains, good. That means larger particles.

Or so I believe. Am I in error here?

do most of you people really know what "nano" means?

most mineral makeup would not use nanoparticles. the reason is that mineral makeup actually needs pigment to show up! it's about coverage and color! if it were milled to "nano", what would be the point?

I love the helpful information here. I was using Bare Minerals at one point, but the itching after each applic started to un-nerve me. I'm using Valana Minerals now-no itchy sensation. It's really good to have sites like this. I do pay more attn to ingredient labels now, even if the product claims to be safe and all natural.

This is a great discussion. Sorry I am only now finding it. Miessence products seems great. I became a rep after trying samples of their products and was impressed with the results. Like was said before, good things are meant to be shared www.OrganicSkinDeep.com

Good luck to all!

Ralph, you are correct about the nano particles and the prior versions of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are still in use and conidered safe. Nano technology came around to eliminate the 'white look' in products like mineral cosmetics, though I never really noticed it anyway! I used to buy Bare Escentuals, but they use bismuth oxide in Warmth (makes my face itch) and Parabens in Mineral Veil, so they are out. I once wrote Arbonne about the questionable substances they use after a rep gave me the 100% natural speech and an Arbonne Exec responded to me, defending the use of Parabens etc as a NECESSITY. As to Miessence, they really do use good ingredients, but they are not the only USDA certified company and quite costly. To me, it's about reading labels and, in case of doubt, I contact the companies I buy from. My family and I have been using jasco organics for almost a year now. We are confident about the safety of their products and appreciate their environmental and animal welfare commitment. My point is, if you want to be sure, you have to invest the time to educate yourselves.

What about Micabella Cosmetics? Are they safe?

Emma makes a good point. You must take the time to investigate and educate yourself. That is how I became aware of what was going on with these kinds of products.

Yes There are other certified organic products on the market:
Terressentials, Vermont Soap, Dr. Bronner, and now Origins (owned by Estee Lauder) has a small line of certified organic products. And you will pay for them.

Dr. Hauska is not certified organic but they are biodynamic and you will also pay for the quality of ingredients that they have in their products.

The issue here is when a product is certified, it costs money. It is far beyond just having organic ingredients. It means the manufacturing plant is certified, each and every ingredient must have a documented paper trail back to it's source so that when the certifier comes to your plant to make a surprise inspection you MUST be able to verify where each organic ingredient came from and verify that is it is organic. It is a huge thing for a product like this because one product can have 12 plus organic herbs in it and each ingredient must be verifiable back to it's source. This costs, time and money to the company that has made the commitment to have their products certified.

In the case of the Miessence products, they have something like 25 products that are certified organic.

Products that they make that are not certified organic are things like mineral cosmetics, toothpaste with salt and baking soda, deodorant with baking soda. These types of products cannot be certified organic because they are not agriculture ingredient based products.

The term certified organic is only for agricultural ingredients and it excludes water, salt, mineral.

The issue with mineral make-ups, many companies coat their minerals with dimethecone (a from of silicone), and you can see here that many of them add parabens and other synthetic ingredients and most of them use titanium dioxide.

Miessence minerals do not use titanium dioxide and they do not use nano particles. Titanium dioxide is an unstable ingredient which produces free radicals when it is exposed to UV light, ie when it is exposed to sunlight.

I have not seen any other mineral powders on the market that do not use Titanium Dioxide in their formulations.

As for the "the quite costly" Miessence products:
I looked at Jasco organics and I'm not saying they don't have nice ingredients but
1) they are not certified organic
2) their Therapy Facial Cleanser is $25.00 for a 4.06 oz bottle ($6.16/oz)
Miessence cleansers are $40.95 for an 8.50 oz bottle ($4.82/oz)

this actually makes Miessence a better value. You get a larger bottle and you are paying less per ounce and you are comparing apples to oranges when you try to price compare a non certified organic product to a certified organic product, you will see the same issue with food at your natural foods store.

All Miessence cleansers are certified organic by ACO and USDA.

Miessence products are not tested on animals, the company is completely carbon neutral using wind and solar for their manufacturing plant and offices, and carbon offsetting for all of their shipping world wide, most of the products are vegan except our lip products which have bees wax in them.

The only way to know if a product is actually what it says it is, you HAVE to see the ingredients lists, unless you can see the ingredients list any "claims" of organic, natural, etc are pretty much meaningless unless there is an organic certification to verify the organic claim.

All the best.
Erin

Erin, that was a very detailed and educational post. The cleanser you mentioned is actually a product I have used. You will notice, in reading the ingredients, that it contains no water, whereas the miessence cleanser contains water as the secondary ingredient, so much of the product is water. My cleanser lasts me weeks, as it only takes a tiny drop to generously lather my entire face. I appreciate your argument for organic certification and I respect the ACO, but I really don't care much about USDA. In my opinion, it's a fraud and I'd rather support a small ethical company than a large one who has given a considerable sum of money to the USDA. Except maybe someone like Eden Foods, who are certified, but clearly state their dismay with the current lenient guidelines of the USDA and choose not to tout that certification anymore.
Like I said, I don't dispute that miessence uses good ingredients and most likely is a good company, too. I also understand that you are probably a miessence distributor. One of my best friends sells their products, too and often runs into price issues. I guess I don't really feel it necessary for you to critique my choice of companies when we are really on the same side. I was merely talking about my personal experiences and my choice was not only influenced by price, but also by the environmental commitment and the charitable work of the company, right here in my home State. I do my homework and not just when it comes to skin care and I believe in supporting US companies. After all, I live here.

I have been using Bare Minerals for about 6 months on and off. I truly love the results of my skin from this product, but I notice that my respiratory system is a mess. Any mucus produced from my body is saturated with this product, and I seem to have a continuous bronchial infection. I started using the Bare Minerals "Mineral Veil" instead of Arbonne's pressed powder, and now I notice that pain produced with coughing has severely increased. I have been telling my co-workers jokingly that I think my Bare Minerals is killing me, and they laugh at me. My respiratory system has been persistently irritated for the past 4 months, and now I am starting to really worry about the side effects that I have been experiencing from the products of the Bare Minerals line. Does anyone know of any cases that turned severe from using this product?

I would appreciate any information that is truthfully shared...Thanks!

If you think you can trust USDA-certified, read about the ingredients that will NOT be listed in the new Monsanto beef product--made entirely of chemicals. The USDA has been paid lofty amounts, to keep these ingedients UNLISTED> Hope this info helps your decision-making in cosmetics.

I think it is really important to also consider HOW a product is manufactured. Although a company may list their ingredients, for all we know, the products are heated in the microwave in a plastic container that releases BPAs into the product. If there are nano particles and/or penetration enhancers in a cream, these toxins may very well be absorbed at the cellular level. I don't know where to find this info but I figured it would be worth mentioning.
It is imperative that we continue to question the products we use. As a company grows, it may be more difficult to find certified organic ingredients in the quantities needed to satisfy the demands for volume, so ingredient lists may change over time. This can go both ways though-ie if a higher quality, more effective ingredient is found. As we all know, skin care and cosmetics is a billion dollar industry and yet, we may have the ingredients in our homes to make facial masks (yogurt, honey, oats) or deep conditioning hair treatments (fresh ripe avocado) that make us feel as though we have just visited the spa for a fraction of the cost. Using homemade treatments allows one to know EXACTLY what ingredients they are using.
I figure if you ask a skin care rep a question about a skin care product or makeup and they don't know the answer or avoid giving full disclosure, it is best to avoid that product.

Most of these products also contain mica, which is considered to be "safe" by the makers, but actually causes allergic reactions in some people. When I feel I want to wear makeup-- and sometimes I do--I will go with a "mineral" one, larenim or one of the others within the "1" category, and mix it with my moisturizer (extra virgin olive or jojoba oil, in my case) to avoid the dust. Plus, larenim does have a compact. Bare Escentuals has some really "iffy" ingredients, as do all of the drugstore brands. I try to make sure there is full disclosure and if I'm not, I ask...and you usually have to go to an outside source, since everybody claims the products they endorse are "safe". Many of these products can be found at natural products stores--but that does not make them safe (I have noticed parabens and other really bad ingredients on the shelves with the "good" stuff, so asking the clerk for help is, most of the time, useless). I had the same problem with BE--the dust was terrible, but if you want to use what you've got, maybe mixing it with your moisturizer will help you not waste the money (it IS expensive). Still, I'm always on the lookout for the "mineral makeup" alternative, since all the studies aren't in yet. And at this point, I try to stick with smaller companies and will research for weeks or even months before trying something new--Rachel is absolutely right on! The bigger the company, the more iffy things get due to volume!

I used to use Zuzu Luxe powder foundation. Does anyone know about that line's safety, or Gabriel? I actually switched to L'Oreal's QuickStick foundation because it was rated reasonably "safe" on the EWG site. But I really wanted a compact/powder foundation, so most recently I've been using Clinique's Perfectly Real Compact Foundation. I must admit I've been feeling guilty/worried about doing so, though. I sort of justified it because it at least doesn't have parabens, and I had sort of picked that out as the "worst" thing that I should be avoiding. But maybe it's not! I'm having the hardest time finding a foundation that is 1)safe, 2) a powder, 3) long-lasting and 4) doesn't break me out (my skin turned to "oily" for the first time at 37 years old after I had a baby, about a year and half ago).

Any suggestions for something safe that meets those requirements? Thanks!

Where do you purchase Bare Minerals? Do you know anything about Yes To Carrots?

Hi All
I am a founder of Harmony Harvest who had develop organic skincare in 20 years...I reserch almost big mineral cosmetics, they had uses so many chemical, no organic bodies allowed. Also I was a potter, I knew all mineral is not safe in body.Talk dry up skin.. all know this.Also I found almost mineral cosmetic company use chemical preserve in their cakes which need to keep long shelf life...I am thinking to develop plant base make up in organics. That will be really safe on body and skin
without any chemical preserve. That is easy for us..but I believe if our skin looks good as me( I never use make up, because our organic skincare take care skin very well, do not need...)it would be much safe to not use any foundation. I am not sugest to use any foundation because cover up our pore and block our skin brething...I believe healthy skin show beautiful already. I answer one question, oil never penetrate skin, it stay on top of skin.our moisture cream bring all ingredients into skin, because skin never allowed to get in the substance which not existed inside body...our cream is very similler to our body compornate also organic, that way penetrate into skin. please see more info.at www.harmonyharvest.com

Hi. I too am wondering about BareEssentuals or BareMinerals. I have $200 worth of product ordered and now am unsure whether to send it back. They claim that only titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxide and bismuth oxychloride are used. Skindeep rates them quite highly. Am confused. Help!

Dear Rachel & Emma
I appreicate your in-depth statements. It broadens the scope. I am concerned about the MANUFACTURING process as well as the ingredients. Do either of you have any personal information you care to share with us on MyChelle Dermaceuticals or Larenim minerals? I use both & have been happy with the ingredient list for the Mychelle SkinCare products but now question the manufacturing process since I am not educated in that. Also, Larenim Mineral make-up seemed to be for the most part, "NATURAL" but I cannot decipher the good from the bad. I have enjoyed using their mascara but found the dusting from the foundation & eye colour to affect my breathing and eyes. Is the application wrong? Do people not realize they might need to mix the minerals with jojoba oil or a cream based lotion for application? I am not sure. Any info would help from anyone with experience & knowledge of these two manufacturers. THANK YOU all!

I have been using Miessence Products for 5 years now and they are amazing.
Check out their new site at WWW.MIORGANICPRODUCTS.COM this used to be www.miessenceproducts.com
They have two types of products those that are Certified Organic (i.e. BFA Food grade certified to food grade standards) and Organic products,(like the make-ups and Hair conditioner and shampoos) where they either contain minerals and therefore can't be food certified or (in case of Shampoo & conditioner- the product isn't 100% as they haven't yet been able to create a 100% certified product that actually works) All their other 50-70 products are certified and now they are moving to new enviro-friendly packaging as well as launching a fully certified organic Baby Range... I think they are great and wouldn't use anything else..

Does anyone know anything about Nicole Miller Cosmetics from Melaleuca? I am researching this for my wife as she would like to use safer product and thats what they appear to be doing.

HI, I use Jane Iredale. Does anyone know the safety of their ingredients? Thanks.

for those of you who have questions about your specific brand of products, go over to the EWG cosmetic database and look up your brand names.

You will find ratings for the products by brand.
www.cosmeticdatabase.com

I just looked and at this date, I did not see any ratings for the Nicole Miller products created by Melaleuca.

It says that Melaleuca is NOT a signer of the compact for safe cosmetics,
it says that Melaleuca conducts tests on animals

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/company.php?comp_id=919

Jane Iredale is a signer of the compact and they do not test on animals. their products rate from 0 to 6 (moderate hazard)

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/brand.php?brand_id=1124

head on over to the cosmetic data base and look up your products if you have questions about the ingredients.

That’s great, I never thought about Is mineral-based make-up safer? like that before.

Audrey,
I just found the ewg website. Just wanted to let you know Shaklee has reformulated their product to remove parabens.

Heads up - Glimpse Intuitive Skin Care from Xango is 100% chemical and toxin-free.
Xango has signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and Stacy Malkan (author of Not Just a Pretty Face) has stepped up and endorsed Glimpse for it's safe formulation.

It contains no synthetic chemicals, it's cold processed using only botanicals.

Glimpse will be lauching Mineral Makeup (pure and safe) this summer and (I'm hoping) eventually a whole line of head-to-toe safe body products.

This may be self-promotion, but i'm only promoting this because i've learned so much about harmful toxins since joining Xango. I'm grateful that Xango/Glimpse cares enough to deliver toxin-free products and sign the compact!

For those of you worried about Miessence products...check out the ewg database, most of them are rate at 0 on their scale.

Look I have read through the various comments posted. The best advice I can give you all is RESEARCH. Hey the internet is at all our fingertips. If you want to know what an ingrediant is, 'google' it!

If a company won't provide you with the ingredients I would definitely be wary! Basically if it doesn't have a label it has something to hide!

I am not going to plug my recommendation, who by the way hasn't been mentioned. However I will tell you this, I did extensive research because at the time when I became 'informed' and I guess safety conscious I had 3 month old child. I was extremely upset by what I discovered and I wanted to be sure I was making an informed choice that was best for me and my family.

If you would like to know more you are welcome to email me: rikkihomebiz@gmail.com

But guys, use the resources at your disposal, if your not sure ask the question. If your not sure where to start email me, I am happy to help people out.

Rikki

I have just located this website and blog...I am simply overwhelmed and very interested in absolutely everything I am reading here. It is so comforting to know that there are millions of people out there who care so very much about the chemicals being used, marketed, etc. I am a hairdresser who has suffered tremendously over the years while others believe I am over reacting to symptoms I at one time shared but keep to myself now. With limitations abound, these things have vastly changed my life, economics, etc.
Thank you, all of you for sharing your thoughts, your research etc. Oh the time it takes to do what you do!

I really, really appreciate these discussions. A year ago I was given the book Revitalize Your Hormones, by Theresa Dale. Besides creating homeopathic hormones, she healed herself of thyroid cancer, as a result of exposure from Cherynobyl. I bring this up because the book pointed out how toxins in our water,food, products, etc. disrupts our hormones. I thought I was doing a good job of using toxic-free products until I landed on the Skin Deep Data base site. I was horrified to learn that my deodorant and body lotion, among other things, were in the mid to high hazard ratings. So, as several of you have suggested, I have been spending countless hours researching products. Another shocker, as I learned how these companies lie. I know some of you don't like to mention products, but I appreciate throwing them out there, once they have been initially vetted, to let this, highly intelligent & experienced group, rip them apart or give them a thumbs up. I have been going back and forth on Miessence and these discussions have helped. I have also tried various organics products and some of the items were okay to awful. I did find one deodorant I like. It seems the company is very pure. Tropicaltraditions.com While pricey, they do have sales and a bonus program, which makes it more reasonable.

I really, really appreciate this site. I thought I was using safe products until I landed on the Skin Deep data base site. I was shocked to learn that the products I thought were safe, were rated as mid to high hazardous. So, like many of you on this blog, I spent hours researching for the best products, only to discover the outrageous lies and misinformation being put out by companies. While some here don't like people dropping names, I appreciate it, as once it is initially vetted,it can be thrown out to the highly intelligent and experienced people on this site and ripped apart or given a thumbs up. I have been going back and forth with Miessence and I appreciate the comments. I have also tried organic products found on the internet, and while they may be toxin-free, they ranged from great to awful in their performance ratings. So, sharing would be helpful. For a deodorant, I have tried and liked Tropicaltraditions.com.
Can be pricey, but they have sales and a bonus buy program.

I noticed that the deodorant on Tropicaltraditions.com contains Grapefruit seed extract. Grapefruit seed extract is a synthetic chemical compound, cannot be called “organic,” and is not permitted in organic food products.

http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutgse.html

I have been using bare essentuals for about 3 months now. I have extremely sensitive, dry skin. It seems to be fine for me. I am not aware of any side effects. Hope it is not harmful.

Hmm ... I have been having a terrible acne flair up for several months now and after reading this article I am wondering if the timing coordinated with when I started using mineral foundation.

Regarding botanically based products, hemlock is botanically based. Just saying . . .

Hi all,

Great conversations. I LOVE what the Skin Deep website stands for and attempts to do, but I also think we must look carefully even at their info. I know that, for the company I represent for example, the majority of products listed no longer exist, and the ones that are current do not have their ingredient lists properly represented - in some cases making the products look worse than they are and in some cases making them look better than they are. Last I checked, there was not one product properly represented for the company on the site. Also, the site does not seem to take into account proportions used in the total formulation. This is evident by the fact that they list things like vitamins as potentially harmful. Of course, we all know that our bodies need vitamins, they only become dangerous or toxic to us in overdose proportions. Even water can be toxic to our bodies if we take in too much of it. Also, look at the data gap for each ingredient. Many of the ingredients listed as "low hazard" have 100% data gaps, meaning no research has been done on the ingredient to prove its safety. I don't believe that Skin Deep is trying to be misleading here, again I totally love and believe in what they are trying to do, but many people seem to look at these scores without looking deeper at things like the data gaps and the lack of consideration for proportions. And of course, again the fact that it is not up to date or correct in many cases leads me to not quite rely on it as much as I wish I could. It's a huge project, and I don't fault them for not being able to keep up. Takes massive amounts of time and money, but the fact still remains that until/unless things are kept up to date and more research is done on ingredients and proportions, I don't think we can take even this great resource's advice as 100% reliable. Just some more food for thought out there.