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Permanent makeup (cosmetic tattoos) is often misunderstood by the general public. Many people believe permanent makeup is like getting a regular tattoo. There are similarities, but also important differences. Always consult a trained practitioner who communicates honestly about the risks and listens. Below is some information to help you to make an educated decision.

What is permanent makeup?
Permanent makeup is the placement of a pigment (solid particles of color) below the skin to create the impression of cosmetics. The pigment is placed in the skin with a needle.

Why are cosmetic tattoos different?
Essentially permanent makeup is a tattoo, but has a different goal than traditional tattooing. Permanent makeup artist Liza Sims Lawrence, founder of Wake Up With Makeup, LLC in Anchorage explains, “the goal is to be subtle rather than to draw attention.” The artist strives to harmonize with the facial features and skin tones.

What are pigments?
According to the article “From the Dirt to the Skin-A Study of Pigments” by Elizabeth Finch-Howell “The Dry Color Manufacturers Association (DCMA) defines a pigment as a colored, black, white, or fluorescent particulate organic or inorganic solid, which is usually insoluble in, and essentially physically and chemically unaffected by, the vehicle or substrate into which it is incorporated.” The vehicle, which can be distilled water or other appropriate liquids combined with an antibacterial ingredient such as ethol alcohol, must keep the pigment evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

What ingredients are in pigments?
Permanent makeup pigments always contain basic ingredients used by all manufacturers. A small number of pigments are created with iron oxides. According to Elizabeth Finch-Howell “iron is the most stable of all the elements and inorganic iron oxide pigments are non-toxic, stable, lightfast and have a range of colors.” Lightfast means the pigments retain their original hue over time. The difference in pigments is generally associated with the vehicle, or liquid, used to place the pigment under the skin. “I use distilled water and ethol alcohol,” states Finch-Howell, “I do not use glycerin as some other manufacturers do because it doesn’t evaporate.” “Glycerin is a humectant with an extremely large molecule,” continues Finch-Howell, “this molecule is literally punched into the skin.” Glycerin is also found in a variety of quality grades. Other permanent makeup practitioners prefer pigments with glycerin because they glide on the skin and do not dry out in the cup. Pigments do not contain mercury, talc or carbon.

What regulations apply to the permanent makeup field?
The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act does not regulate pigments. However the FDA requires all color additives to be screened and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration prior to being sold. Elizabeth Finch-Howell states, “There is a list of FDA approved color additives for food, drugs, and cosmetics [that] pigment vendors should be drawing from to formulate their pigments”. “All organic colorants are subject to batch certification by the Color Certification Branch of the FDA,” Finch-Howell continues, “of the approximately 90 pigments on the FDA approved color additive list, all inorganic colorants listed are exempt from certification.”

Do allergic reactions or side effects occur?
I have never had a client suffer allergic reactions to permanent makeup. According to Liza Sims Lawrence, authorized distributor of LI Pigments, “photo sensitivity reactions (sunlight) may sometimes be revealed by slight itching and raised, but this is normally associated with reds and violets used in body art tattooing.” Sims Lawrence continues, “Once the area is no longer exposed to intense sunlight, the itching and raising usually dissipates. In permanent cosmetics we do not often use body art reds and violets on the face. True allergic reactions are extremely rare.” Permanent makeup has been known to cause itching and burning during an MRI. However, the FDA states, “This seems to occur only rarely and apparently without lasting effects.” It is best to inform the doctor and MRI technician that you have permanent makeup

What is the difference between organic and inorganic pigments?

Organic pigments are made from plant matter and inorganic pigments are made from dirt, as are topical cosmetics. In permanent makeup, organic and inorganic pigments both play important roles; pigments are not labeled organic in the same way food is by the government. Organic based pigments are necessary for vibrancy of color. Inorganic pigments give us earth tones and are lightfast. According to Elizabeth Finch-Howell, her pigment company, Derma International, uses inorganic and organic pigments and has been operating for 17 years without a single allergic reaction ever reported.

Permanent makeup is an amazing opportunity for men and women to make their lives easier and to love the way they look every day, but there are many misconceptions. Talk to a professional, ask questions and review references. To learn more about the health advantages of permanent makeup and specifics on lip, brows and eyeliner procedures visit http://www.DawnColors.com.

Dawn Willard has been in the fine arts field for over 23 years. She currently owns the Permanent Makeup Studio in Asheville, NC. Ms. Willard accepts clients from many states including North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina. To learn more about permanent makeup and cosmetics visit http://www.dawncolors.com.

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Choosing safe products can be a daunting task without the proper knowledge and tools. Many product packages are deceptively designed to make you believe that the product inside the package is herbal, all natural, safe and gentle, when in fact the product contains little or no natural or herbal ingredients, is contaminated with carcinogens and is irritating to the skin. This is the case because of the lack of regulation in the cosmetic and personal care product industry. But armed with a little knowledge and some helpful tools, there is much you can do to protect yourself.

Here are ten things you can do to make safer and healthier choices when selecting your toiletries:

Read the ingredients on the label.
The packaging may say such things as natural, herbal or hypoallergenic. This has nothing to do with what’s really in the product or how safe it is. Manufacturers make a lot of claims on the package to “sell” the product. They can do this because some of the terms don’t have official definitions and they can use them however they want. To really find out what’s in a product, you must read the ingredients in the small print, you know, the ones that you sometimes need a magnifying glass to be able to see.

Interpret and understand the ingredients.
Once you find the ingredients, you have to be able to know what they are and if they are safe, harmful, questionable or untested. A great many ingredients have chemical names that only a cosmetic chemist would understand. However, you don’t have to be a cosmetic chemist. The book, Dying To Look Good, makes it easy for you to choose products with safe and healthy ingredients.

Choose products without parabens.
Parabens are xenoestrogens or endocrine disrupters. They disturb the hormone balance in your body. They are also skin sensitizers and have the potential to cause allergic reactions. They have been found in breast cancer tumors, but it is not known if they cause breast cancer.

Stay away from products containing amines.
Chemicals that fall into the category of amines can combine with nitrosating agents to form nitrosamines, which cause cancer. Nitrosamines are formed during the manufacturing process when an amine combines with a formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Some of the amines commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products are Cocamide MEA, Cocamide DEA, TEA, sodium lauroyal sarcosinate and amino methyl propanol. Several of the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives include sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin and diazonlidnyl urea.

Steer clear of products containing talc.
Talc is found in talcum powder, baby powder and makeup. It is a carcinogen if it contains asbestiform fibers. The quantity of asbestiform fibers in cosmetic-grade talc is unregulated in the U.S. Some research suggests a link between talc and ovarian cancer.

Be cautious about products that contain fragrance.
Manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients used in frgrances. A single fragrance may contain hundreds of different chemicals. Some of the chemicals used in fragrances are hazardous, such as benzyl chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, toluene and phthalates. Fragrances may also contain chemicals that cause cancer. Even products listed as fragrance free may have fragrance added to mask offensive odors.

Avoid D&C and FD&C Colors.
Most D&C and FD&C colors are derived from coal tar which is a carcinogen. Most coal tar colors are potential carcinogens, may contain carcinogenic contaminants and cause allergic reactions. These colors must be certified by the FDA to contain not more than 20 ppm of lead and arsenic, but the certification does not address any other harmful effects these colors may have on the body.

Beware of products containing chemical preservatives.
Chemical preservatives can be irritating and are the number one cause of contact dermatitis. Some preservatives you should watch out for are benzethonium chloride, BHA, BHT, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolinone.

Watch out for “and other ingredients.”
This means there are one or more ingredients that the manufacturer considers a trade secret and does not want to list on the label. There is no way of knowing if these ingredients are safe or not.

Be wary of products with long lists of ingredients.
Many of the chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products have not been tested or have not been adequately tested. Even those that have been tested have only been tested individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or products over time.

Become a label reader and learn how to decipher the ingredients for safety. It’s easy with the help of Dying To Look Good.

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. is “The Ingredients Investigator.” She has been researching ingredient safety since 1991. She is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit DyingToLookGood.com.

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What you put on your skin is as important as the food you eat. Chemicals that come in contact with your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many of the ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products are toxic, even though they may not cause any reaction on the skin. Some cause cancer. Some of the most commonly used ingredients combine with other ingredients to form cancer-causing substances. Here’s a list to help you choose safer and healthier cosmetics and personal care products:

1. Read the List of Ingredients

Most products are labeled to “sell” rather than provide accurate information about the product. The sales pitch on the label doesn’t tell you anything about the safety and quality of the ingredients in the product.You need to read the ingredients list rather than the label for more accurate information about the product.

The ingredient list may not be easy to find and it may be so tiny you need a magnifying glass to read it because that’s not what the manufacturer wants you to see. The ingredients are required by law to be listed on the product label in order of quantity. The ingredient present in the largest quantity is listed first, the ingredient in the smallest quantity is listed last.

2. Check the Ingredients for Safety

The cosmetics and personal care industry is very poorly regulated. There are more than 12,000 ingredients that can be used in cosmetics and personal care products and most of them have not been adequately tested, many not tested at all. The manufacturers are not required to prove the claims they make about their products or to test them for safety. Many products contain cancer-causing ingredients along with ingredients that enhance absorption of the product through the skin into the bloodstream. To make sure the products you’re buying are safe, check the ingredients against a reliable safety list.

3. Beware of Words That Are Used to Sell Rather Than Provide Accurate Information

Many of the words manufacturers use on labels to promote their products do not have “official definitions” so they can be used to mean anything that the manufacturer wants. These terms are very often misleading.

Some words to watch out for include:

Natural — may contain all natural ingredients, a few or none at all

Hypoallergenic — may be tested or based upon manufacturer belief; no proof is required

Fragrance free — means no detectable odor; fragrance ingredients may still be added

4. More is Not Better

Choose products with fewer ingredients, not more. Besides the fact that most ingredients have not been adequately tested, those that have been tested have only been tested individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or products over time.

5. Buy From Companies Truly Committed to Healthy Products

As consumers are becoming more conscious of using safer and healthier products, many manufacturers are tapping into that consciousness and producing pseudo-healthy products. The label looks like the product is natural and healthy, but if you read the ingredients, that’s not the case. On the other hand there are companies dedicated to producing safe and natural cosmetics and personal care products. Many of these are small companies that were started because of the lack of availability of healthy products and many of them use organic and food grade ingredients.

We live in a toxic world and there are some things that we have no control over, like air pollution. However, we do have control over what we put into our bodies and what we put on our bodies — if we just take the time to educate ourselves and make safe and healthy choices. With the increasing number of chemicals in everything these days, it’s important for everyone to become health conscious. Taking control over what you put into your body and on your body will affect your quality of life and may just be a matter of life and death!

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. is “The Ingredients Investigator.” She has been researching ingredient safety since 1991 and is the author of three books, including the new, second edition of DYING TO LOOK GOOD. To learn more about the safety of ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products, visit DyingToLookGood.com.

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