Cosmetics have been used since the beginning of time to enhance one’s natural beauty. Like so many others, I love using makeup to accentuate my features — especially my eyes. But I’ve always been curious about its potential to impact my health. What makes one brand better for me than another?
Growing up I always assumed that the products lining the shelves of department and drug stores were safe, but this is not necessarily the case. Color additives are the only ingredients that the FDA checks before a new product hits the market — meaning companies can add any ingredients they’d like (with a few exceptions) without any prior testing on their long-term effects. Additionally, citing trade secrets, companies in the USA don't even have to fully list everything that goes into their products. Unless a company is willingly transparent, we cannot check out exactly what we’re putting on our bodies.
Although there are a lot of trustworthy companies out there, there’s only one way to know precisely what you’re putting on your body: make ityourself! Create your very own eyeshadow(s) with this DIY recipe. Have fun and experiment with your favorite shades! The best part? It’s costandtime effective!
Eye Love the Shadows Eyeshadow
Prep time: 3 min
What You’ll Need:
- Small jars to keep eyeshadows in
- Dropper/pipette
- Small bowl for mixing
- Whisk
- 1 drop of vitamin E oil
- 1 drop of lavender essential oil
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ⅛-¼ tsp white mica
To your liking:
- Cocoa powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Colored Mica Powder of your choice
- P.S. you can also use Beetroot powder to add in a little pink!
- Optional: Aloe vera gel (can be from plant or store-bought)
Directions:
- In your small mixing bowl, whisk together the vitamin E oil, lavender essential oil, the starch of choice, and white mica.
- Next, depending on what color you want your eyeshadow to be, add in the “to your liking” ingredients little by little. This process will be highly experimental so have fun with it!
- P.S. This eyeshadow works better with a primer. I use aloe vera gel straight from the plant, but you can use any primer you’d like!
Kara Montgomery, neurotoxicology researcher, product development specialist
Kara believes the small choices of what we expose ourselves to on a day-to-day basis have a profound impact on our overall health. As a published neurotoxicology researcher, Kara has studied the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, participating in studies that have garnered around $1 million in NIH funding. With this knowledge, Kara takes a critical eye to the products and habits all of us engage with on a regular basis. She holds a BS in Neuroscience from King University.