By Katy Caric
Our eyes are pretty, delicate little creatures, easily irritated. Whatever we put on to them can easily get in to them – and absorbed right into our system.
Unfortunately, many mainstream eyeshadows contain particles of heavy metals like aluminum, and chemicals like parabens. When this makeup is in powdered form, it can get into our eyes and lungs – and thus, into our bloodstreams.
But it gets worse. Even some so-called natural mineral makeup brands can contain potentially dangerous ingredients. For example, mica and titanium dioxide are ‘generally considered safe.’ But when they’re in nanoparticle form, they can accumulate in your body and cause serious damage.
And did you know that the most common ingredient in sparkly eyeshadows – mica – is often unethically mined by children?
So the question is: which eyeshadow ingredients are safe, and which should you avoid? Which metallic eyeshadow brands are ethical? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Your Metallic Eyeshadow Ethical?
Unfortunately, the beauty industry has a huge child labour problem. Children are especially good at mica mining. Their small size means it’s easier for them to get through the narrow mining shafts and reach small spaces.
The result? These poor kids suffer from lung disease, cuts and broken bones. There isn’t yet a third party certification for mica that’s free of child labour. However, we do at least have the Responsible Mica Initiative. This was set up to help monitor and improve child labour and poor working conditions. A good start, but this organisation doesn’t perform audits.
Your best bet for finding ethical metallic eyeshadows is to buy it from a brand that’s known to be sustainable and ethical. We believe those we’ve featured below have built up exactly those kinds of reputations.
Ingredients To Avoid
Bismuth oxychloride … read more
