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Whether she’s going full-glam or clean girl, there’s always a name brand sitting on a teenage girl’s vanity. Mascara, lip gloss, concealer - at least one is in her possession. She wears her makeup for hours, carrying it with her through school and extracurriculars. And at night, she goes to wash off her day. The day may be gone, but the lasting effects of the makeup aren’t. The consequences of wearing poor-quality products on sensitive skin for hours on end have detrimental long-term effects. Companies print their ingredients in tiny fonts but plaster “vegan” on the front of their products because they want the public to believe that their product will be good for them. Most people won’t dig deep into every product. But for teen girls, that research can be vital. 

Many brands have been pushing towards more inclusivity in their foundation department. As they strive for selection and an all-embracing product line, they tend to skip over the importance of clean and skin-friendly ingredients. But what is actually in these so-called clean products? A website called INCIDecoder breaks down the ingredients of many popular makeup products, including foundation. According to them, many foundation products have been found to contain ingredients like cyclohexasiloxane (a non-biodegradable silicone), limonene (a cheap fragrance that causes allergic contact dermatitis), and many other silicones that can trap buildup and cause skin problems over time. Many of these products also contain carcinogenic and irritating ingredients despite claims of safety. While shade range and inclusivity are important, without full transparency of what they are putting on their face, teen girls are left with inclusive products that lack the integrity of real clean beauty. 

Many times, every brand makes its own version of the same product with the same harmful ingredients. A prime example is something that every girl wears and puts right up to one of her most vital organs - her eyes. Mascara is a common makeup product that many people use daily, soft glam or all out. Most mascaras are formulated with one of three things in mind - volume, curl enhancement, or waterproofing. One of the most popular trends has become long-lasting waterproof mascara. Many of these products are formulated with a preservative called thimerosal. According to Healthline, thimerosal is a mercury-derived preservative that is known to cause allergies and skin irritation through contact. When absorbed through the eyes, they are known to accumulate and have toxic effects on multiple systems in the body. Additionally, all conventional mascara comes in a black or dark color. This color is most commonly achieved by using heavy metal contaminated coal tar dyes. When exposed to the eyes, they can cause severe allergic reactions, headaches, and in some cases, neurotoxicity. All these effects won’t happen with one-time usage of these products, but when exposure happens over long periods of time, the effects can become irreversible.

This isn’t to say that all makeup is bad and that every teen should stay away from it. Many teens see makeup as a confidence booster, something that makes them feel more themselves. Makeup is an outlet for creativity and ideas, and harmful ingredients should not come in the way of teen expression. The easiest thing to do is to just research products. Go onto brand websites, search the ingredient list for a product (which is actually legible compared to the ingredient list on the actual product) and see if it contains any harmful chemicals. Many brands will not expand on what each ingredient is, but a simple google search can help clear up a lot of confusion behind complicated chemical names. Additionally, doing research into real clean brands, such as Yuka and EWG Skin Deep, can help teens continue with makeup without having to stress about the health of their skin. Teen girls deserve more than misleading labels and hidden risks. Every teen should be able to express themselves and feel confident without worrying about what these products will do to their health down the line. Learning to read between the lines and go the extra mile in the name of real clean beauty will help empower teen girls for years to come - and even inspire change within the makeup industry. 

 

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)