What’s actually in your cosmetics?

Lanae Rhoads of Mix Cosmetiques has been making organic cosmetics in Duluth since 2010. She knows ingredients well and outlines a few things to look out for:

Natural oils v. petroleum: Natural oils are things you could use to cook with. They come from plants and are great for your skin: olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil… Petroleum products are byproduct of the gasoline industry like ozocerite wax, petroleum jelly, mineral oil. “Okay, they’re not terrible for your skin, but they’re inert. They’re not good for your skin. And they can actually cause some blockages, some clogging in your pores.”

Silicones: There are somewhere between 80,000 – 200,000 types of silicones. Look for words that end in cone or cane. Lanae says these can clog your pores and are hard on your skin: “They’re not harmful for your skin, but when you wash them off they’re not biodegradable do they never break down in the water source.”

Niacinmide: You might have heard of this one as niacin or vitamin B3. “It’s an ingredient that your skin can actually utilize. This is one of the good guys… If you can find Niacinamide it helps to fluff off dead skin cells, it helps you to build collagen, it helps you to hold on to moisture, it helps you to kill bacteria.”

Hyaluronic Acid: This can also be listed as sodium hyaluronate. It’s a skin identical ingredient. And to make it, they grow it on potatoes in labs. It holds onto the moisture in your skin and keeps your skin looking full and healthy.