AIBU to panic about my personal care and grooming products now?

[PeaceAndHope]

Apparently I am very ignorant when it comes the potential health dangers of cosmetics:(

I used to be a make-up artist when I was younger and I still enjoy painting on a face when I'm stepping out

My SIL has just sent me a barrage of emails about the carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in moisturisers, make-up and perfumes. There is all this information about lead in lipsticks, chromium and iron in eye shadows, parabens in moisturiser and some other dangerous stuff in anti-perspirants. All of these ingredients can apparently cause cancer and/or infertility.

What do you girls make of this? Do you think we should be concerned about what's in our make-up and toiletries? Will you stop using make-up and your favourite moisturiser after hearing about this?

I am personally scared now! I don't want to stop using make-up or my anti-frizz shampoo, but I am going to feel a lot less safe putting them on my body now.

Am I worrying over nothing? More importantly, are you worried?

I am so concerned that I do not use any products.

Ever.

I wash daily in warm water. That's it.

I think that I look pretty good

Does your SIL send these emails out to everyone she knows?

I think I would be inclined to develop a obsession with poo that only exhibited itself ( the obsession not the poo) when communicating with your sister

So I could bombard her with poo photo charts.

AgentZigZag

Actually she's all right. She usually sends me pictures of her kids. This is the first time she has sent me an email with information that ruined my day!

Have you checked Snopes?
Google 'Snopes makeup cancer'

This

medtrina

What is SLS? (I told you I am clueless about all this!)

Also, I wear lipstick all the time. I wonder how much of it I must have consumed by now...this is seriously not a pleasant thought.

So is Snopes a good and reliable website? Or is it a troll page with an agenda? I don't know who to trust on the internet!

Ooh, revenge by counter scary email campaign Sock, good thinking.

Just out of interest, are you the poo troll do you have any poo obsessions?

Do poo photo charts exist? If they do what do they chart? (I'm not bloody googling that one, bloody disgusting MN suggestions of what to google.)

That's quite a strong reaction Peace, for it to ruin your day.

There must be things which give a much higher risk of cancer than make up, how do you normally deal with knowing they're there?

Peace, do you ever go outdoors, eat processed food, walk in polluted areas.....................?

I don't know about carcinogens, but since I started using natural (ish!) organic skincare, and mineral make up, my skin has never looked better. it's still not great, but I don't expect miracles!

Hey, don't make fun of me! Maybe I am overreacting- that's why I asked the question.

Who is making fun of you?

Op, I don't think you deserve the commens either. I think it is eminently sensible to consider how to reduce exposure to things that can be hamrful - and obviously it is easier to change your make up brands than to avoid going near a car ever again.

Not sure who you're talking to Peace, but I'm not making fun of you, sorry if it seemed as though I was.

It is a bit of an overreaction when there are much bigger risks to try to sidestep, going out in the car for one.

If your SIL knows you're prone to overreact, why did she send the emails? Not very nice really, unless she's making out to herself she's doing it for your own good.

Being serious about it:
It's not the 'carcinogens' in makeup that concern me tbh, it's everything else. I don't wear make up, personal choice, I feel suffocated when wearing it, on the rare occasions I do use it (normally only eye shadow and a little concealer) I use natural products with no parabens or SLS, the big ones to avoid. But then I also use lush products sometimes which still contain parabens so natural doesn't always equal 'safe' from the big nasties.

There is so much crap in our food, clothes, homes, daily lives in general that it's impossible to avoid.

Life is too short to panic about such things, try your best and if you can't or don't, so be it

Must admit I stick to bare minerals and Liz earle!!

Snopes is for real, and its great.

Although even they have a reminder on their own website about not believing anything you read unless you trust the source - even their own pages.

I guess it's a good reminder to consider how reliable the information is... the BBC? The Daily Mail ? Mumsnet? Your SIL ? Your neighbour?

Agent

My SIL likely forwarded the message to me because she probably thought it was interesting or worth sharing.

I am not prone to overreaction, so I don't think she would need to take that into consideration. :)

Anyway, this thread isn't about why she emailed me (only she can answer that accurately, to be honest) but about the content of the email and what everyone else thinks about the composition of the grooming products we use daily.

I am not worried at all. Everything gives you cancer so chill.

Plus my make up puts a useful layer between me and the carcinogenic sun......

cjel

I know many people who use Bare Minerals but it gives me a rash :( It's really odd because they are known for their skin-friendly products. I haven't tried Liz Earle yet, but I might do when some of my existing products run out.

aliasjoey

That sums up why I asked. There is so much rubbish on the internet nowadays that I don't know what to believe anymore! That's why I often find it's best to confirm any information found online with other people before taking a decision.

I should really forward this thread to the fool of a teacher who told my 7 year old (at the time) goddaughter that all make up WILL give you cancer.
Cue a very distraught little girl begging her makeup artist godmother to give up her job :(

I so wanted to attend the next parents night...apparently godparents aren't allowed.

It's OK for posters to pick up on any part of the OP Peace, to me the SIL deciding to send you it and the way you've reacted is important.

It's also OK for you to not want to answer any questions, whatever the reason.

Terra

Good grief! Didn't her mum complain about that teacher?