By Meghan Ennes

Throughout our love/hate history with cosmetics, we ladies have always put our full effort into looking fabulous. In the Middle Ages, women would put white lead on their faces and even drink small amounts of poisonous arsenic to look their “best.” You’d think that in today’s society we would be the wiser, but it’s still possible that some unfriendly chemicals might be lurking in your makeup bag… With the recent Go Green movement, more and more women are wondering, “If our faces are so important to us, shouldn’t we be extra-careful in keeping them healthy?”

There are plenty of Go Green companies that have the scoop for us: Green Living Ideas quotes a recent study that says out of 10,000 personal care items, 89% have never been FDA-tested for safety! Planet Green, a Discovery Channel company, tells us that a disturbing 33% of personal care products contain at least one chemical linked to cancer. And for all you animal lovers out there, 38,000 animals die every year in Europe alone due to cosmetic testing – U.S. numbers are less readily available.

Also beware of the “natural” label – Green Living says that despite using natural ingredients, “…the process of chemically manufacturing this natural product can be harmful to both the environment and personal health.” The “organic” label is your best bet, as it has more stringent requirements – look for the Eco-Cert label or the USDA Organic seal for certified organic products. So, must we make the ultimate sacrifice and go au naturale? Or is there a safe alternative to not wearing makeup at all? Not to worry! There are plenty of environmentally-friendly lines that can keep you looking drop-dead gorgeous:

PlantLove from Cargo Cosmetics proudly carries the Eco-Cert label. The lipstick containers are made from corn products, and you can even plant the makeup packaging to sprout wildflowers! The fresh tones of PlantLove are available at Sephora stores at the Natick Mall, or online at cargoplantlove.com.
At Futurenatural you can buy quality makeup brands from an array of organic manufacturers. The site even has a glossary of all the ingredients in its products, so you know exactly what you’re applying to that pretty face of yours! Available online at futurenatural.com.

For those who want to go all-out organic, Coastal Classic Creations is among the top- rated brands for hygienic safety. Even their packing peanuts are bio-degradable! You can find this line of earthy tones at coastalclassiccreations.com.

If you don’t have the time to order online, there are plenty of organics you can pick up at the local pharmacy. Old reliable Burt’s Bees has always used all-natural beeswax in their lip care products. L’Oreal Bare Naturale powder foundation is made from minerals and is preservative and fragrance free. Your best bet? Physician’s Formula: the packaging is eco-friendly and the ingredients are 100% free of chemicals, parabens (linked to breast cancer), and synthetic preservatives.

You also may want to take a look at the ingredients in your makeup and scan for questionable ingredients like petroleum, parabens, and phthalates. If you’re a scientific layperson, look up those ingredients you can’t pronounce on Skin Deep: The Cosmetic Safety Database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).