Cosmetics and beauty products are well known for containing lots of harsh chemicals and in, many cases, toxic ones. You might be surprised how many nasties are hiding in your everyday makeup and beauty essentials. But given just how much damage these ingredients can do to our health, they’re not worth the risk. Using natural, honest and clean beauty products is the safest option long-term.

Cosmetics often have long, confusing lists of ingredients that can make it hard to tell what’s harmful. That said, there are some common ingredients you can look out for to ensure your makeup is both beautiful and safe.

Talc is a powdery substance that’s used for its moisture-absorbing abilities. Talc can be found in lots of face powder sand eye shadows. Talc and Asbestos are both minerals that are found close together in nature, but asbestos has been linked to cancer. So, if you want to err on the side of cation, avoid using ingredients with talc especially if the brand can’t verify it’s pure.

Triclosan is used for its antibacterial abilities but has been linked to the disruption of hormones and antibiotic resistance. While many manufacturers avoid triclosan, it’s still good to double check for it.

Fragrance is the sort of ingredient that gets easily overlooked. As nice as it sounds, ‘fragrance’ can often refer to a whole concoction of synthetic chemicals. Fragrances tend to be irritating on the skin and can cause allergic or asthmatic reactions. Unscented beauty products work just as well, so there’s no reason to risk your health for this one.

Avoiding chemicals and toxins in beauty products

Avoiding harsh chemicals and toxins in the products we use is an essential part of maintaining our health – both internal and external. But how do you know if a product has toxic ingredients? The best way to know if a product has harsh or toxic ingredients is to thoroughly read the ingredient list. Sticking to brands that you know only use natural and pure ingredients makes shopping for beauty a whole lot easier.

Luckily there are plenty of Australian and New Zealand brands that specialise in clean, green beauty. That is, beauty that uses only natural ingredients and, often, organic farming practices. The main concern with natural beauty and makeup is that the products don’t work as well. The reason for this is that the lack of chemicals and synthetic ingredients makes it harder to produce products with high colour pay off and results.

Zuii Organic is an example of an Australian makeup and beauty brand that crafts certified organic cosmetics without the use of parabens, toxins or chemicals. And yet, their makeup provides studio-quality results every time.

A crucial part of any beauty regime is skincare – after all this is what keeps our actual skin underneath the makeup looking and feeling its best. That’s why it’s so important to use toxin-free skincare products. Antipodes specialises in green beauty and skincare that combines the power of science with nature.

When shopping for natural, toxin-free beauty products, you’ll want to be wary of misleading claims. Any brand can use buzzwords like ‘clean’ and ‘green’ without any evidence to back it up, so be sure to research a brand’s ethos before you buy their products.

Shopping at a retailer that only stocks honest and pure beauty products is another simple solution for adopting a clean beauty routine. You can head here to do just that.