What’s In Your Eye Shadow?

I know the struggle that comes with searching for the right shade of makeup. From foundation to bronzer, and so on. On a different side of the same coin, Black women are no strangers to getting excited about a new poppin color of eyeshadow, only to put it on and see the color doesn’t transfer properly against our melanated skin.

Despite (or may be in spite) of all that, on average we are spending somewhere around $300 a month on our appearance — and to be honest, I’m not even sure they have included our hair products in that number!! But what we can’t afford to do is allow that pigment struggle to also cause a health struggle.

Okay? We have to put clean beauty for Black women as a priority.

Think of every product you use as a bigger part of your overall health. It’s difficult to consider that what you’re putting on your eyelid could be contributing to some serious health issues.

Because none of us naturally assume that putting eyeshadow on your eyelid can travel through your body and ultimately contribute to the growth of a tumor on your ovaries.

But it could. What you put on your skin has the opportunity to enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body. Your skin is an organ — after all — that has a relationship with your entire body.

So, when it comes to eye shadow, our exposure happens both through skin absorption and inhalation.

And here are what ingredients you should be watching for:

Carbon Black — it causes organ toxicity and cancer. Look for it to be listed as: thermal black, furnace black, channel black, lamp black

Aluminum Powder — is absorbed into the bloodstream through your eyelids & prevents the body from naturally detoxing mercury out of your body, thereby increasing your overall toxicity levels

Parabens — these stay hanging out in & around the pores of your skin. They mess up your hormones and how your body produces hormones. Parabens are carcinogenic and should be avoided

Thimerosal — this chemical is usually paired with aluminum powder and generally preserved for mercury. It has been proven to disturb proper brain function

Nickel & Chrome — found, especially, in metallic and green pigmented products. These are heavy metals and can mess with your brain, cause respiratory issues and long cancer

Talc — is used as a filler (which is not necessary) — also carcinogenic and is known to cause ovarian cancer

Ethanolamine Compounds — are linked to liver toxins. Watch for ingredients listed as TEA, DEA, and MEA

Triclosan — has been connected to antibiotic resistance and disturbance to thyroid hormones

One additional thing to remember, is that reactions to chemicals in your eyeshadow can show up as:

• Bloodshot eyes
• Dry eye
• Eye irritation
• Flaky skin around your eyes

Just remember to read your ingredients, scan them with the EWG app, throw away eyeshadow after three months, and clean your makeup brushes (I use this).

Keep those eyes safe, sis!