Mercury in Mascara? Not here. Not most places, actually. December 27, 2007
Posted by Miss K in Aromaleigh Mineral Makeup, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Ingredient Information, Mineral Makeup Info, Off the Record....Tags: anti-fungals, ingredients, mascara, mercury, mercury compounds, moderation, preservatives, reality, thimerosal
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By now you’ve had your pants scared off of you by news reports of mercury in mascara. Yet another scary news report that aims to point dirty fingers at the cosmetics industry, but in reality you’ll find mercury compounds in very few brands of mascara, so there’s very little to be frightened about, in reality. In fact, as of this writing, only 2 brands have been documented, and they are cake-type mascaras, not the wand mascaras like I’ve pictured above.
Please rest assured, that our mascaras do not contain mercury or mercury compounds. Nor do any of our other products.
And here’s what you need to know.
You won’t find “mercury” listed on any mascara label… nor is it a trace ingredient. The article puts fear into your heart, but fails to give you the information that YOU need to assist you in determining if a mascara contains mercury compounds! (boy does this type of shabby reporting annoy the socks off of me!!!)
What you’re looking for, my dear ladies… is Thimerosal. You all might remember the hub-bub with contact lens solutions and other opthalmic solutions starting to make claims of being “Thimerosal Free”. This is because Thimerosal is a mercury compound. It is added to products as a preservative and anti-fungal agent. It is also used in vaccines and tattoo inks!
The majority of cosmetic brands do not use Thimerosal in their products. Again… so far, only two brands have been documented as having mascaras containing thimerosal. I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to list those brands, however.
If you’d like the full “wiki” on Thimerosal, here’s the heavy… Thiomersal (INN) (C9H9HgNaO2S), formerly and still commonly known in the United States as thimerosal, is an organomercury compound (approximately 49% mercury by weight) used as an antiseptic and antifungal agent.
So if you need to check a label, or call any companies and ask about their products… don’t look for mercury… it ain’t gonna be there. Thimerosal, however… IS!
I hope this information assists you all on your quest for brighter and more beautiful things in your life… don’t go throwing away the entire contents of your beauty drawer or cabinets just yet… as I always say… Everything in Moderation!
xoxo
Miss K
This blog (and all of my blogs) copyright 2007 Kristen Leigh Bell and Aromaleigh Inc. It may not be copied without my permission, but please feel free to link to it… thanks!
Thanks for the info! Very appreciated.
thank you, miss k, for the mascara info!
one of my biggest pet peeves is shabby reporting on things such as this, too. also, i get annoyed when people such as cosmetic companies claim they have done research and everyone takes their word for it. as a researcher at a university, i know what constitutes real research. however, some cosmetic companies (and many other industries as well) seem to like to claim that they have done “research” to support a claim they have about a product. you have to be really careful about believing this. you never know if they had a research sample of 10 people/items and what their methods were, and who actually conducted it. anyone can claim they’ve done research. its all about marketing. previously, even one of the major research groups who does cosmetic safety research disappointed me by publishing on the web a very incorrect information. for example, you pointed out in a recent posting that a claim that i found on environmental working group’s site about mineral makeup having nanoparticles is incorrect.
the bottom line is people enjoy hype, and the media thrives on it. also, the internet has provided a gigantic forum for hype and hoax, so you have to be careful about believing what you read.
thank you also for treating us (AL wearers/customers) with respect and treating us as intelligent and informed customers.
Thank you for the information. Please continue to keep us informed as to the safety of products that we use everyday.
Hmm.. Mercury in mascara. Interesting. Thanks for the info.