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What About Mercury?

by — Last updated: 2022-03-16 in Beauty Care

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Mascara is the eye-opener of the beauty industry, the beauty tool that helps you look wide awake in an instant. But mascara can contain some harmful, toxic chemicals that could be dangerous for your health. Learn more about mascara with this article.

Mercury is one of the most dangerous environmental toxins in the world, known to cause a variety of neurological conditions - it has even been linked to slow brain development in babies through pregnancy and beyond.

Typically, mercury is used as a preservative, just as a way of getting rid of bacteria.

Most of the time, the mascara tube isn't actually going to say that the mascara inside contains mercury - the ingredient you should be looking for is thimerosal.
Read More: Dangerous And Toxic Chemicals Found In Cosmetic Products: Their Impact On The Human Body

In low dosages, mercury is still toxic as the body absorbs the metal, storing it. Over time, and with repeated absorptions of this dangerous toxin, it can become a real health hazard. The FDA has even banned mercury from all cosmetic products - apart from those products used around the eyes. This is possibly due to the fact that products used around the eyes absolutely have to be bacteria-free, but in natural products, other preservative are used that are far less dangerous. 

Parabens

Parabens are found in virtually every beauty product you can think of. They are often found in the form of methylparabens and propylparabens and according to the Environmental Working Group, methylparabens in particular are known to be toxic.

Parabens can interfere with the functioning of the brain and nervous system and most worryingly, they can mimic estrogen, the most important female hormone - and as such, long-term exposure to parabens have been linked with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

The U.S. Department of Labor has also noted that parabens can cause irritation and when used in mascara, can result in swelling and itchy, red eyes. Sounds familiar, right? Come on, you know it does.

Triethanolamine (TEA)

Studies into the effects of TEA have shown that this chemical, often used in cosmetics, can have a number of adverse health effects, ranging from minor skin irritation, itching and redness, to major issues including problems with the respiratory tract and even the development of asthma. Some studies done on fetuses in vitro (on women who are pregnant) have also shown that TEA can encourage cell mutations - and cell mutations are sometimes responsible for the development of cancerous cells.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the United States warns that TEA could cause a range of medical conditions - so steer well clear of this ingredient to protect your health.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

SLS is used in everything from mascara to toothpaste and shampoo and everything in between.

Most surprisingly, it's also found in cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash soap - yep, something that you put right next to your sensitive eyes is also used to clean out engines. Gross, right?

SLS is a really rather nasty skin irritant and it's even used to irritate skin in tests, causing dryness and roughness, in order to test the effectiveness of other chemicals that heal the skin. There's also increasingly strong evidence to show that repeated SLS exposure is linked to an increased risk of developing cancer, because it reacts with other minerals within your body to produce carcinogenic toxins and nitrates.

Unfortunately, even high end beauty brands use these chemicals - and hundreds and sometimes thousands more.

Be ruthless with your choices and remember to never sacrifice your health for the sake of looking beautiful, not least because cosmetics made with safer and more natural ingredients are becoming more and more easily accessible.

Do you want to be beautiful but avoid nasty risks? Check the ingredients before you make a purchase and if you can, choose natural, organic products as they'll be less likely to contain harmful chemicals.