10 reasons to choose pure make-up

Decorative cosmetics, as make up (complexion, eye, lip and nail products) are also called. More than 16% (by value) of all cosmetic products purchased in the Netherlands are decorative cosmetics. That is quite a lot. Partly because make-up is mainly used by women. It is not exactly known what the share of pure (natural) make-up is, but it is known that this share is growing. Partly from the fact that we are becoming more aware of what we 'soil', partly because more and more people are getting an allergic reaction to cosmetic products. Why should you consider opting for pure makeup and put your Chanel, MAC, Lancome or OPI aside? In this blog 10 important reasons.

1. Developed by demanding career women, for health reasons

The fact that both INIKA and Hynt Beauty were put on the market by a career woman who, due to health problems, no longer wanted to use make-up products that were harmful to her health, says enough. Both used luxury make-up brands, but could not find a pure alternative that met their requirements. INIKA founder Miranda Bond had endometriosis and related infertility problems (she became pregnant within three months of changing her lifestyle!). Hynt founder Meryl Marshall had breast cancer.

2. Without skin-irritating/allergy-triggering preservatives
One of the main reasons that more and more women get a reaction to non-pure make-up products is the ingredients with which the products are preserved. Also the luxury make-up brands. For example phenoxyethanol , parabens and benzyl alcohol (this can be produced synthetically, but is also part of many essential oils - you can also react to the natural version, this is not the case for everyone).

Many people come to the store at INDISHA who indicate 'never had any problems with a product, but suddenly get a reaction' to a non-pure product. However, that reaction is almost never 'sudden'. It is preceded by a period of 'sensitisation'. The period when the immune system keeps getting triggered with a bit of an irritating ingredient that enters our body and eventually builds an allergic reaction. These ingredients are often not only found in cosmetic products, but also in foodstuffs. You often unconsciously ingest a lot of small bits of an irritating ingredient every day. It used to be thought that those very little bits went out of your body again. Unfortunately this is usually not the case. They accumulate in your body. Once you are allergic to an ingredient, your body will usually remain sensitive to an ingredient for the rest of your life.

Fun fact: phenoxyethanol was seen as the healthy alternative to parabens about ten years ago. And was even approved by a number of organic labels. But unfortunately also turned out to be a skin irritant. This has taught me to always remain critical, also for new 'pure' preservatives that come onto the market as an alternative to an unhealthy preservative. Regularly there is still too little research to be able to give a conclusive answer whether an ingredient is actually safe for your health.

3. Without skin-irritating/allergy-triggering perfumes
'Perfume' on an ingredients list can mean a synthetic perfume substance or mix of synthetic perfume substances as well as a natural fragrance. A product can smell nice, but meanwhile contain a cocktail of chemicals that are hazardous to our health. In addition to triggering allergies, synthetic perfume substances can also be harmful to the nervous system and even carcinogenic.

4. Without questionable dyes
Products from the USA may contain FD&C FDC, FD and D&C dyes (in Europe E numbers or also CI numbers). The basis of this is coaltar (coal tar). An allergen. With toxic substances such as benzene. These dyes can cause headaches, nausea and asthma, among other things. Some of it is even carcinogenic. There is also a 'stack effect' for these substances - ingredients that are less pleasant for the body accumulate in the body, weaken the immune system, which can lead to a reaction. These synthetic dyes are a reason to put a base under a non-pure nail polish, because otherwise your nails will turn yellow. This is not the case with pure dyes used in water-based lacquers.

Just googling shows that a randomly chosen luxury cosmetic brand contains, among other things, the synthetic dye CI 77510/ Ferric Ferrocyanide - Prussian Bleu: harmful to your organs.

5. Without endocrine disrupting ingredients
For example parabens. For example, methyl paraben mimics the hormone estrogen and can cause hormone disruptions in the body.

6. Cruelty Free
Animal testing has been banned by the EU since 2013. However, it is difficult to check whether an ingredient that comes from China, for example, has not been tested on animals. In China, animal testing is mandatory for cosmetics products that are sold in a physical store in China. What prevents an ingredient that has been tested on animals in a country outside the EU from being tested again within the EU (not on animals) and then being labeled cruelty-free.

Many pure brands know exactly where the ingredients they use come from. How these are produced and handled. Animal testing is not even necessary for really pure ingredients. If they are so pure that you can eat them, they can be tested on humans if necessary.

Brushes from the better pure make-up brands use high-quality Japanese Taklon bristles. They are no longer inferior to brushes made of animal hair, which is not always obtained in an animal-friendly manner. Taklon brushes are super soft, more hygienic than animal brushes and last longer. You can read more about brushes in an earlier blog .

7. Without genetically modified (GMO) ingredients
Whether genetically modified ingredients are harmful to health is a matter of debate worldwide. It is certain that our body does not recognize GMO ingredients - they are foreign to the body. A risk for us is also poisoning. For example, GMO crops have been made resistant to certain pesticides, so that they can be sprayed with them without dying themselves. Or are manipulated in such a way that they themselves excrete substances that are toxic to insects. If we ingest these GMO crops, we also ingest toxic substances. In view of the uncertainty about the health risks and environmental impact of GMO crops, cosmetics products with an organic label are not allowed to use them in any case. Organic brands that do not opt ​​for a quality mark because they believe they are not strict enough or because the costs are still high for the size of the brand do not use genetically modified ingredients. Read more in this blog by Jesse van der Velde

NB: Genetic engineering is different from breeding! In breeding, certain plant species or varieties are crossed without changing the genetic material.

8. Unsprayed - not treated with toxins
An ingredient of a make-up product can be natural, but not completely pure. If the ingredient comes from non-organic farming, it may have been exposed to chemical pesticides or herbicides. Most of these are harmful to our health. Remnants of this are in your make-up product. Which is not good for your health. Not at all if you use several of these ingredients every day. Not only through your make-up, but also through foods, for example.

Note: non-organic does not always mean that a product has been sprayed with toxins! For example, we often get the question why an ingredient such as natural minerals, sea salt or algae is not organic. These ingredients come straight from nature. They are not cultivated. That's why they can never get the label organic. But be super pure.

The same applies to 'wild crafted' ingredients: ingredients from untouched nature.

9. Contribution to a more sustainable world
Many pure brands use partly fair trade ingredients, where possible organic and other purely natural ingredients. They are animal testing and GMO ingredients free. Packaging is deliberately chosen. Sustainable choices are also made for the production process. These are relatively 'expensive' choices, but a contribution to a more sustainable world! By choosing really pure make-up brands, you automatically contribute.

10. More and more beautiful and better pure make-up brands
Organic / pure cosmetics brands are no longer just the dusty, 'goat wool socks' brands. Pure, but without a luxurious, make-up worthy appearance. Or pure, but not convenient to use or of mediocre quality. A good example of a pure, luxurious brand of high quality and with useful functionalities is Hynt Beauty .

Fortunately, there is also healthy, pure, playful make-up for children, which is also fun to give. So that even little princesses can safely make-up 'just like mom'. Children's skin is thinner than that of adults, so it is therefore even more sensitive to questionable make-up ingredients.

Sources: drBaumann blog, Jesse van der Velde blog, Dierproefvrij.nl, cosmeticdatabase.com, heelnatuurlijk.nl, NCV