Surprising Ingredients Found In Your Eye Shadow

Have you ever thought about what lurks in your cosmetics, specifically your eye shadow? Cosmetics are meant to reflect beauty and enhance our looks and confidence. So what happens when we find out how ugly those ingredients really are? A lot of products that we rub all over our bodies (hands, legs, eyes, face, hair) are filled with surprising and alarming ingredients that will have you second-guessing your evening look tonight. According to the Food and Drug Administration, "The law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market," which leaves the door open for manufacturers to put whatever they want into the cosmetics.

Women in ancient Greece wore eye shadow made from gemstones that gave off green and blue hues (via WebMD), but what do women in today's society wear? Times sure have changed. Buckle up for a stomach-turning reality of what we are slathering on our faces.  

It may sound fishy but it's the truth. Fish scales, labeled as the crystalline substance "guanine," are used in items like lipstick, nail polish, and eye shadows to add that shimmer that we all love (via Today).

Plastic is another popular material that we just can't seem to get rid of. Teflon, the non-stick pan coating, is one form of plastic that has been found in foundations, sunscreens, eye shadows, bronzers, mascara, and a whole list of other products. It seems like we are living in a plastic world, after all (via Treehugger). 

A rather eye-popping ingredient is tallow, which is found in eye makeup, lipstick, foundation, soaps, and moisturizers. In short, tallow is made from animal carcasses. Yep, you read that right. Tallow is made from animal fat that is boiled down to render fat, which ultimately makes its way onto your eyelids (via Oddee). 

Some companies have paid the price for their questionable ingredients. In March 2019, Claire's recalled some of their eye shadow after asbestos, a toxic chemical, was found in their products (via Business Insider).

Counterfeit cosmetics are a problem, too. In the Netflix docuseries, Broken, viewers learn about the consequences of purchasing counterfeit items, and the cost-cutting ingredients that are put into products that result in harmful and dangerous results (via Cosmopolitan). 

If you're grossed out, try researching organic and vegan products that may offer cleaner and carcass-free eye shadows or even try making your own. These surprising ingredients may not all be harmful but they are all labeled as "safe," which only means that if you're concerned about what goes on your face, you need to do your research into the brands you buy.