Is Your Makeup Making You Sick?

That blush, eye shadow and lipstick you wear every day could be making you sick. Very sick. On his weekday television show, "The Dr. Oz Show," Dr. Mehmet Oz asserted that the chemicals in makeup not only can cause health ailments, but also could be carcinogenic.


Here are some of the problems makeup can cause, according to Dr. Oz:

* One component of makeup is mineral dust, which is now 10 times smaller than it was just 10 years ago. The danger is that these particles are so miniscule they can easily be inhaled. Over time, this can lead to lung scarring, inflammation and lung disease.

* The wrinkle creams you use to erase those fine lines, may actually cause more wrinkles later in life. The creams work by causing skin inflammation that eventually breaks down collagen, and it's this process that creates wrinkles years later.

# Many lip gloss and lipstick products contain petroleum. Put that on your lips and you're ingesting it. Dr. Oz says scientists are currently studying whether petroleum in lip gloss and lipstick is linked to cancer.



Dr. Oz said some of the ingredients in makeup have been linked not only to birth defects, but also lifelong reproductive impairments. Other side effects include hair loss, memory loss, anxiety and rollercoaster hormones. He recounted the story of a makeup artist, who experienced many of these symptoms. Blood tests determined her blood contained toxic levels of heavy metals, including aluminum, barium, cadmium lead and mercury, as well as high levels of pesticides and other chemicals.


While cosmetic companies insist the level of a harmful chemicals in any one product is not enough to actually cause anyone harm, many medical researchers counter that daily exposure from numerous products over an extended period of time can be detrimental. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the ingredients in personal care products.