Uncovering the Dark Secrets of the Multibillion Makeup Industry
From the Ancient Egyptian and Sumerian tombs rose the culture of Makeup. By using burnt matches to darken the eyes, applying rice powder, lead and mercury to achieve the pale beauty and tinting lips and cheeks with berries and beets, ancient Egyptian women embraced beauty and cosmetics. Over the centuries, these practices have been reformed with innovation and technologies, providing us the convenience to use and varieties of products to choose. Primers, foundations, concealers, highlighters, bronzers, blushes, eye shadows and lipsticks ranging from nudes to reds, in the modern times we have variation of products from drugstore companies like NYX, Loreal, Colorpop to High end brands like Bobbi Brown, Dior, Chanel. These beauty brands rake in over a billion dollar per year with expendable budgets and promises of creating a flawless skin and a youthful glow, to all the female species that it is a thing to ponder upon what the catch is. Certainly, every industry has its dark side and the beauty industry is no outlier. Makeup industries have been exploiting child labor, practicing animal cruelty and risking human life with harmful chemicals in order to fulfill its promises.
Women and girls, today, wear make-up to enhance their beauty and self-esteem, but the same Makeup that makes them look so fine is an outcome of child labor and child exploitation. Mica, containing silica, when added to the makeup, gives aesthetically pleasing shimmery look and an illuminating touch to the product. Jharkhand, Bihar (India) is named as a ‘mica belt’ as 60% of the mica that goes to makeup industry comes from here. Children there, spend their day sliding into the dark tunnels, armed with hammers and baskets in the mines to collect mica. Lexy Lebsack, a journalist, visited Bihar in order to learn the impact of incorporating mica in commodities, on people and children. According to Lebsack (2019), on the way she could see fine sheen turn into large silver shards when getting closer to the mines, and children were seen pouring out of holes in the ground with their cheeks and clothes caked up with glittery dust. After interrogating with one of the child worker Pooja, it was found that she received 20-30 Indian rupees per day for her hard work. But working on the mines not only kept her away from school but put her life at risk too. 22,000 children alike Pooja, risk their lives each day working at mines, if any day the mine collapses, those children could be buried and dead, injured or paralyzed. When asked why she was doing such a dangerous work, her answer, ‘if we don’t pick then what we shall eat’, was heart wrecking. Thus, beauty brands should be aware of the impact they are having on the lives of people and must look out for alternatives of mica and provide good amount of wages to the labors.
Similarly, just to bring out the finest brushes and the right pigmentation out of the shades, animals are being used and abused. Even in such a modern era animals are being used to test the safety of a product before it reaches out its customers. An estimated 500,000 mice, guinea pigs, rats and rabbits suffer every year for experimental purposes performed without pain relief. During the process animals are forced to intake the product, expose their skin to the chemicals and endure the irritation caused by testing eyeshadows and liquid creams in their eyes. Eyelids of rabbits are opened wide with clips to better absorb the shampoo, makeup or perfume and are given no relief from the tested solution until their eyes are destroyed. As a result they get allergies, redness, blisters and are mostly left out to die. Similarly, brushes that help to blend the products to give a natural look and mink fur lashes that enhance the feature of eyes, are made out of the furs of little creature like minks, badgers, squirrels and goats. All these animals unwillingly give their furs to beauty industries to create the outstanding fur product. In order to obtain furs, horses are slaughtered, goats are shaved, squirrels are trapped and killed. Often these industries prefer to gas and electrocute animals to avoid damaging of their hair. These innocent animals are unable to fight against such inhumane act conducted in makeup industries. It is us human that must be aware and understand the misery caused to the lives of innocent animals, and look out for replacement of animal subject and rather use human cells based test or use sophisticated computers to deliver human relevant results. Hence, the fact that animal cruelty is takes place just to ensure the quality and ability of the product is undeniable so it is our duty to make sure that the product we buy is cruelty free.
Likewise, 1 out of every 5 beauty products in the market contain traces of formaldehyde, Parbens, Phthalates, which are known as a human carcinogen that causes cancer in human body. Hence, every chemicals used in compositions of makeup products may not be safe. Formaldehyde are flammable toxic gas found used in beauty products like nail polishes and hair straightening creams, contact of such gas with the skin can cause severe irritation. As warned by Dr. Engelman (2018), this chemical can be harmful to nervous system and respiratory system causing breathing problem and cancer. Also, Phthalates are chemicals used in moisturizing lotions, hair sprays and nail polishes to make the product less brittle. According to Joshua Zeichner (2018), Managing Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology, reports indicate that Phthalates are linked to various cancers including breast, liver, kidney and lungs. Similarly, parabens found in our favorite foundations and compact powders used to preserve the formulations are toxic to human skin and can act like allergens. Dr. Zeichner, further claims that parabens are the main agent for causing breast cancers and negative impacts on endocrine system of the body. Moreover, the feud is such that government body like Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), itself is failing to ensure the safety of drugs used in makeup products as the products reach the market without FDA approval. If not taken in concern and continued to become ignorant while using a product, then it can result into long lasting dreadful effects to health and skin. Hence, we must always check the ingredients in the products and avoid harmful chemicals such as formaldehydes, phthalates and parabens.
Well everyone loves to use makeup to create filtered skin, contoured face, sharp nose, flushed cheeks, and pink lips but the truth behind the making of products to create a picture perfect face are shocking and haunting. Miseries of children, pain of little creatures and numerous toxic chemicals are the darkest secrets of makeup industries that has been prevailing for a very long time. Obviously after knowing such ugly truths of beauty industry we all are terrified to choose our next beauty product. But there are many brands in the market that have been tested and approved vegan and cruelty free. Moreover, companies like Lush have initiated to use mica alternative like synthetic mica which is biodegradable in nature. Hence, being aware of such dirty secrets we must promote and opt for mica free, cruelty free and toxic free products.
References
- Bliss, S. (2017, August 3). Natural Resource: Child Labour in India's Mica Min es. The Global Beauty Industry, 49, 23-31.
- Gillespie, S. E. (2000). A Cover-Girl Face does not have to Begin with Animal Cruelty: Chapter 476 Gives Legal Force to Alternative Testing Methods. Animal Testing, 476.
- Lesback, L. (2019). The Makeup Industr's Darkest Secret Is Hiding In Your Makup Bag. New York: Refinery29.
- Sinrich, J. (2018). 12 Toxic Ingredients Found in Your Beauty Products. Boston: Reader's Digest.
- Zuckerman, J. C. (2018). Is Your Makeup Result of Child Labor? New York: Marie Claire.
