How to detox your make up bag

What to do with ‘dirty’ beauty products

There are some dubious chemicals lurking in our make up bags; dubious for our health and the planet. Alarmingly only 11% of 10,500 ingredients used in beauty products have been tested for safety, according to the EWG.

Furthermore, that pricey but perfectly matched foundation that took forever to find is possibly harbouring petroleum, talc and PEG compounds that mess with your thyroid and body’s hormone functioning.

It’s unpleasant to think about, but panic not. Here’s a step-by-step plan to clearing out your cabinet drawer and ditching the dirty stuff in a calm, considered way:

Know your toxins
Beauty products often contain a large number of ingredients, and many of the most questionable come under different names. These are some of the ingredients you really want to be avoiding:

Parabens - these are preservatives and used to extend the shelf life of a product. They’re easy to spot on ingredients lists as they have ‘paraben’ at the end. e.g: methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben… the list goes on! Parabens are found in vast numbers of beauty products including lipstick and eyeshadow, and are linked to endocrine disruption, potentially cancer, and allergies.
Phthalates (banned in Australia): the dangers of this toxic ingredient have become better known in the last few years, and many brands have worked hard to remove them. They can still be found in hairspray, nail polish, perfume, shampoo (and dry shampoo), as well as sanitary pads. They’re plasticizers which are used to increase the flexibility, durability and longevity of the product. (If you’ve ever had a beauty item that boasts it lasts all day, be sure to check the label!) Look out for ‘phthalate’ at the end of an ingredient. e.g: , dimethyl-phthalate (DMP), dibutyl-phthalate (DBP), diethylhexyl-phthalate, di-isobutyl-phthalate and di-methyloxyhexyl-phthalate. Phthalates are NASTY. They have been linked to birth defects, hormone disruption and infertility, allergies, and neurodevelopmental effects in children.
PEGs - short for polyethylene glycol. Often appears with a number at the end: PEG-6, PEG-8, PEG-100, Polyethylene Glycol. Used to thicken products like lotions and creamy products that carry a lot of moisture. Can often contain impurities in the form of harmful chemicals like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which are carcinogens.
Perfume/parfum/fragrance - a brand is not required to divulge the details of their trademark scents used in makeup and beauty products, so nasties can easily be hidden within the mysterious label of ‘fragrance’. Literally anything can be in there. This means effects could be anything from skin irritation to cancer.
Methylisothiazolinone & methylchloroisothiazolinone - these are preservative chemicals used to decrease bacterial growth in water and make the product last longer, so any cream or lotion that contains water might have it. AKA: Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, MIT, CMIT, 2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one. Linked to organ toxicity, skin irritation and effects on the nervous system.
Also to be wary of: Coal tar, Lake dyes, UV filters: e.g: octyl methoxycinnamate, homosalate and oxybenzone, Triclosan, EDTA, SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), SLES: (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) - the latter not generally found in makeup but things like bodywash and shampoo.

2. Take a staggered approach

Rid yourself of the worst offenders first - these will be products containing proven carcinogens or endocrine disruptors (see above), continuing with ‘second tier’ items that have ingredients you’d rather not use on your skin but don’t have proven health implications. Talc and mica being good examples; controversial but not proven to cause harm in small quantities. (Mica however has ethical sourcing concerns, having been linked to child labour - which more brands are becoming vocal on.) This means you don’t have to replace your entire make up bag’s contents in one fail swoop.

TIER 1:

7 priority products to switch to clean alternative:
Nail varnish, perfume, lipstick, deodorant, hairspray, sunscreen, kohl eyeliner.

TIER 2:

foundation, BB cream, moisturiser, body lotion (whatever you tend to apply most liberally)

Many moisturisers can contain BHT (butylated hydroxyanisole) or BHA (butylated hydroxytoluene) based preservatives, alongside unknown fragrance derivatives.

3. Dump unwanted products responsibly

It probably won’t feel right donating or palming off to pals (!) so it’s likely heading for the waste bin. Though not all of it needs to go to landfill. Be sure to…

Consider what can be recycled or reused in terms of its packaging. Perhaps there’s a way you can reuse refillable containers with DIY beauty or for the safekeeping of tiny earrings, or maybe a mirrored compact will still be useful for touchups.
Squeeze lotions and creams out into the bin, not the sink. Place makeup into sealed packaging to ensure there’s no chance of it leaking into landfill.
For harder to recycle products (ie mascara tubes and eye shadow palettes), look to TerraCycle, an innovative recycling company that enables you to pack up your problematic waste and post it to them for free. (They teamed up with Garnier to create a recycling program specifically for beauty products in the US and Australia).
Take unwanted makeup into cosmetic stores that offer recycling reward programs. MAC, Origins, Kiehl’s, Lush and Aveda currently do it, more are following suit all the time.

4. GO MINIMALIST

When you’re replacing old items with new ‘clean’ makeup, consider what you can drop altogether. Now’s your chance for minimalist intentions to stretch to your beauty cabinet. You’ll be surprised how good it feels to have less stuff on your face. Enjoy letting your skin breathe.

Opt for higher quality, multi-use products that take up less space in your makeup bag(/life) - like lip and cheek tints and multi-sticks - and have less impact on the planet.

Some inspiration:

https://www.rmsbeauty.com/products/lip2cheek?variant=51578808405

https://www.jessicarosewilliams.com/minimalist-makeup-bag/