BYS Cosmetics // 'Pretty in Pink' Blush
In one of my previous posts titled "Vegan Makeup", I mentioned that the BYS blush in 'Pretty in Pink' contained an ingredient called CI 42090 which is known to cause cancer in animals. Now for those possibly non-Australians who haven't heard of this brand... it is basically the Australian alternative to ELF cosmetics. They are extremely cheap and despite their low cost, aren't that popular. Despite that, I think every girl in Australia has owned at least one BYS product in their life.
Now, a good reason to invest in something like makeup is because you're basically absorbing any product you apply on your skin. Think of the saying "you are what you eat" and replace it with "you are what you use". Now, continuing on with the brand... on their website they state "BYS Cosmetics are not tested on animals". On the packaging of the blush there is a hilariously misspelled version of this:
When I continued to blend the product, the colour disappeared completely and left a trail of glitter... defeating the purpose of blush. Returning to the issue of the 'cancer causing' ingredients, I wanted to run through all of the ingredients in the blush and explain what each ingredient is and whether it is dangerous for the body or not...
TALC - softest mineral on Earth, commonly used in cosmetics. A paper in 1971 found particles of talc in 75% of ovarian tumours studied. Read more about talc here.
MICA - a shiny mineral. Repeated high exposure to this mineral can cause scarring of the lung tissue which can lead to chronic coughing and symptoms similar to those who used to work in coal mines. More information here.
2-ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE - is a fatty acid ester derived from 2-ethylhexanol and palmitic acid. Palmatic acid can be found in animals, plants and microorganisms. There are no major side effects associated with this ingredient apart from allergic reactions.
MAGNESIUM STEARATE - is a white powder that becomes solid at room temperature. Potential side effects can include breathing difficulties and other dangers.
POLYISOBUTENE - also known as butyl rubber, holds together cosmetic products. Used as a substitute to squalane (shark liver oil) or mineral oil. It acts as a waterproofing emollient and shows no proof of irritation to the skin.
METHYLPARABEN - a fine crystalline powder. Can occur naturally in fruits and vegetables as stated in Lush's website. (Lush are awesome btw!)
PROPYLPARABEN - a non-irritating crystalline powder, more details also on Lush's website
May contain: CI 16035 - allura red, also used in food dyes and is a possible link to ADHD behaviour in children! (when consumed)
CI 15850 - although evidence is scarce, it has been suspected to cause cancer
CI 42090 - moderate doses in animals has shown toxic effects :(
CI 77491 - iron-based colourant, very low risk
CI 77492 - another iron-based colourant, very limited knowledge
CI 77499 - iron-based, low risk
C.I PIGMENT BROWN 6 - yet another iron-based colourant, brown in colour. I could barely find any information about it online which made me question why on earth it's in a makeup product.
As linked above about 1000 times, Skin Deep is an awesome tool to help you purchase makeup products that aren't too damaging for your skin. My personal goal is to avoid using makeup products as much as I can and only purchase from vegan companies. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for! A solid reason why makeup products like these are so cheap in the first place is because they contain crazy chemical and metal based ingredients. I think it's vital for every person out there that wears makeup to know that it could be causing more harm than good not only to themselves, but also to the environment and to animals who had to undergo testing.
Now, a good reason to invest in something like makeup is because you're basically absorbing any product you apply on your skin. Think of the saying "you are what you eat" and replace it with "you are what you use". Now, continuing on with the brand... on their website they state "BYS Cosmetics are not tested on animals". On the packaging of the blush there is a hilariously misspelled version of this:
So they're not testing them in animals hmmm... what about on animals? Okay so maybe a typo isn't the greatest thing for your makeup brand. But how about a disgusting lie? Until June 30 2014, animal testing in China was mandatory by law. It was extremely unnecessary for that rule to be implemented and I'm so happy that it isn't mandatory anymore. However, I purchased this blush in 2012 (which is bad because makeup has an expiry date) and it states that it is made in the P.R.C... also known as the 'People's Republic of China'.
It makes you realise that most companies can be lying about whether or not they test on animals... you never know they might be telling the truth but those chances are weak. Below are some pictures I've taken of the blush and what it looks like on the skin. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
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| gotta love an extreme close-up of my hand (please don't steal my fingerprints)... anyway this is what a few heavy swipes of the blush looks like on my fingertips. the pigmentation looks great right? |
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| the swatch on the top still looks okay, however apply a light blend and it pretty much disappears completely. |
TALC - softest mineral on Earth, commonly used in cosmetics. A paper in 1971 found particles of talc in 75% of ovarian tumours studied. Read more about talc here.
MICA - a shiny mineral. Repeated high exposure to this mineral can cause scarring of the lung tissue which can lead to chronic coughing and symptoms similar to those who used to work in coal mines. More information here.
2-ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE - is a fatty acid ester derived from 2-ethylhexanol and palmitic acid. Palmatic acid can be found in animals, plants and microorganisms. There are no major side effects associated with this ingredient apart from allergic reactions.
MAGNESIUM STEARATE - is a white powder that becomes solid at room temperature. Potential side effects can include breathing difficulties and other dangers.
POLYISOBUTENE - also known as butyl rubber, holds together cosmetic products. Used as a substitute to squalane (shark liver oil) or mineral oil. It acts as a waterproofing emollient and shows no proof of irritation to the skin.
METHYLPARABEN - a fine crystalline powder. Can occur naturally in fruits and vegetables as stated in Lush's website. (Lush are awesome btw!)
PROPYLPARABEN - a non-irritating crystalline powder, more details also on Lush's website
May contain: CI 16035 - allura red, also used in food dyes and is a possible link to ADHD behaviour in children! (when consumed)
CI 15850 - although evidence is scarce, it has been suspected to cause cancer
CI 42090 - moderate doses in animals has shown toxic effects :(
CI 77491 - iron-based colourant, very low risk
CI 77492 - another iron-based colourant, very limited knowledge
CI 77499 - iron-based, low risk
C.I PIGMENT BROWN 6 - yet another iron-based colourant, brown in colour. I could barely find any information about it online which made me question why on earth it's in a makeup product.
As linked above about 1000 times, Skin Deep is an awesome tool to help you purchase makeup products that aren't too damaging for your skin. My personal goal is to avoid using makeup products as much as I can and only purchase from vegan companies. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for! A solid reason why makeup products like these are so cheap in the first place is because they contain crazy chemical and metal based ingredients. I think it's vital for every person out there that wears makeup to know that it could be causing more harm than good not only to themselves, but also to the environment and to animals who had to undergo testing.
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