How Dangerous is Asbestos in Your Makeup?

Clean makeup has gained traction in the beauty industry.
We want our cosmetic products to improve our skin</firm
does not cause permanent damage due to added toxins.

Have you ever looked at the label on your foundation or serum?

You probably don’t recognise many ingredients.

Yet some may be harmful when inhaled, ingested, or used over a long time.

One hazard included in makeup products throughout the years is asbestos.

This mined fibre has gained recent news coverage due to contamination in several cosmetics.

And multi-purpose products like Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder.

While asbestos is not a common ingredient in beauty and skincare products, it can still be present.

We put together this article to inform you of the dangers of asbestos in makeup.

Asbestos the facts

Although mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, it can take 20-50 years to develop.

Shockingly, over 20 million people in the U.S. alone are at risk of developing mesothelioma, and there are 300 new cases yearly in the U.S. alone.

It’s essential to spread awareness of this type of cancer because it is common for misdiagnosis.

I have had my own journey with this terrible material and mesothelioma, a type of cancer which is caused by too much exposure, which took my father’s life and, as you can imagine, devastated my family.

The Lanier Law firm has created this in-depth guide that examines the symptoms of mesothelioma, the diagnostic process, treatment options, and more.

What is asbestos?

It is a naturally mined mineral with six types: tremolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, actinolite, and crocidolite.

While it is a mineral, it has fibre-like qualities: curly, long, pliable threads or short, needle-like, and inflexible.

If you encounter asbestos, you may not see all these characteristics, as the fibres are generally invisible to the naked eye.

The ability of asbestos to disintegrate is called friability.

If a type is categorised as brittle, it is more dangerous as the fibres are disrupted and can enter your body by inhalation or ingestion.

Asbestos mining peaked in the early 1970s and, from then, declined steadily as new studies connected asbestos to serious health effects.

This mineral was used as an additive in home and manufacturing products due to its strong, fireproof, and chemical-resistant abilities.

The deposits are located near natural talc and vermiculite mines, where asbestos has been known to contaminate the nearby minerals.

What is the impact on our health?

When the fibres become airborne, they enter the body and settle in the heart, lungs, or stomach lining over time, causing inflammation and scarring, which in turn can lead to tumour development.

Mesothelioma usually develops in the lungs’ lining, imitating lung cancer symptoms and leading to an inaccurate diagnosis.

However, compared to lung cancer, the treatment for mesothelioma does not have the same survival rates because of a longer latency period.

This means that those with this poisoning are generally diagnosed at later stages, as mesothelioma can be undetected for decades.

The most notable disease linked to asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a type of cancer, and symptoms include:

• fluid buildup
• chest pain
• unexplained weight loss
• difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
• coughing or wheezing
• abdominal pain
• fever and night sweats

Three diseases that are also associated with asbestos exposure include:

• Pleural thickening can be an indicator of mesothelioma, as it results from scar tissue on the lining of the pleura (lungs)
• Pleural plaques do not require treatment and occur 20-30 years after extended asbestos exposure. They were identified as thickened pleural tissue in small areas.
• Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition, also referred to as pulmonary fibrosis.

Talcum Powder Makeup

Talc, also known as talcum, cosmetic talc, or magnesium silicate, is often used in facial applications like blush, eyeshadow, and powdered foundation.

It has numerous advantages, such as softening makeup, absorbing excess oil, helping makeup last longer, and slowing the caking of powder.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to using talc that do not have any links to asbestos:

• rice powder
• tapioca starch
• corn starch
• zinc oxide

Since asbestos is often found in mines near talc deposits, fibres can usually contaminate talc, an ingredient in cosmetics.

Trace amounts can appear in testing, which is essential because, as discussed above, these fibres can stick to internal organs.

In 2020, the Environmental Working Group published an analysis of laboratory tests for asbestos in two eyeshadow palettes that listed talc among their ingredients. Both kits were sold on Amazon and eBay.

EWG found that 40% of the first makeup kit contained asbestos, and 20% of the second. That is over 3.5 million fibre structures per gram for each palette.

Asbestos in Makeup

The Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New Zealand Ministry of Health are central organisations that enforce, manage, report, and set guidelines for toxic exposure, including asbestos contamination.

Cosmetics significantly overlap with drugs; for example, an anti-dandruff shampoo can be classified as both a cosmetic and a pharmaceutical in the U.S.

The FDA regulates cosmetics, but cannot manage permissible ingredients before a product goes on the market. Still, it can investigate and hold a company accountable for unlawful ingredients after production.

If asbestos contamination is found in a cosmetic,  action will be taken based on many positively tested products, and then the FDA will conduct a full investigation. Recalls are also voluntary and at the manufacturer’s discretion.

The EWG is decisive in disclosing toxic products because it provides extensive evidence and materials to help consumers make informed choices.

Their website informs readers and can provide more specific details on asbestos in the cosmetics industry.

To conclude. The naked truth

Makeup is fun and helps us feel confident, but becoming your label detective and checking what is in your formulas is wise. is wise

The potency and duration of exposure matter, but there is no known safe amount of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos makeup is not the only toxic additive; several harsh chemicals, including parabens, lead, fragrances, phthalates, mica, and formaldehyde, must be avoided.

Self-care also means considering the long-term impact of these toxins on your daily routine to ensure you are protected.