As women (or men with an afficianado for make up), we typically have quite the make up arsenal.  More than we would need to take for a weekend or week long trip, that’s for sure.

I love travelling, and do it as often as possible — so I figured, why not stop by and give you all a few of my tips?

Naturally, I have a train case.  However, I do keep a smaller bag available for travel.  I like to have one for brushes (if you don’t have a brush roll), and then one for cosmetics.  This one over at Ulta is a great choice, it comes with additional pockets for your other toiletries.

So, from here the question is: What do you pack?  And what will make it easier to travel with your cosmetics?

• First and foremost, pack all your face products.  Concealer, foundation, powder, primer — w hatever you use.  Most of us have sample jars laying around that you can always put some foundation and foundation primer in to save more space!
• Bring a moisturizer and eye cream.  Are you going to be out in the sun?  Make sure you pack sunscreen, and a moisturizer with a sunscreen that will be safe for facial application.
• Do you have palettes for your eyeshadows?  MAC palettes fit 15 eyeshadows — plenty for a week long trip.  Other companies (Make Up For Ever, Ben Nye, Kryolan, etc) also make empty palettes for larger eyeshadows that make it easier to travel with them.  I honestly never buy shadows that won’t go into a palette!  Urban Decay also sells a number of palettes that house a variety of different high quality eyeshadows from their collection.  Limit the size and quantity to what you would actually wear and use most often.  Don’t pack an eyeshadow that you rarely wear anyway, because it’s unlikely you’ll think to pick it up on vacation.  8-12 large eyeshadows are usually more than enough to travel with, and putting them in palettes saves you a lot of space.
• Eyeshadow base.  Because it’s just obvious.  I don’t know what I’d do without it.
• Blush (only one or two), bronzer.
• Eyeliner and mascara.  Just keep it to the staples here.  If you don’t think you’ll wear a purple eyeliner — don’t bring it.  I bring black and white pencils, my black cream, and then my every day mascara.
• Eyebrow grooming tools — such as filler and tweezers.
• A nice nude lipstick, and one or two with more color.  I always carry a nude, a pink, and a red with me so I can interchange depending on what I’m doing.
• A small bottle of brush cleanser.  I wash my foundation and cream eyeliner brush after each application with shampoo, however if you need to spray or disinfect any of your other brushes, you’ll want a small spray bottle of something else.  You can buy spray bottles at Wal-Mart for a dollar!  Put a bit of rubbing alcohol in there.  Make up artists all over the world use this because it cleans, disinfects, and dries quickly.  Make sure the brushes are dry before using them for application again after spraying.
• Last, but definitely not least — brushes.  For application, of course!  Bring what you need.  If you have a brush roll, just bring the roll — it’s easy to travel with and fits really well in any suitcase.

Of course other toiletries if you need them.  Travel bottles of shampoo and conditioner are readily available, and your stylist can usually get you some if you need it.

It sounds like a lot more than what it is!  I promise.  Put all your bathroom items in a toiletry bag like I linked above, and you should still have space left over.

The bag is small enough to fit into a carry on bag on an airplane or bus, as well as can fit into your actual luggage, or if you’re like me and put make up on in the car…. Can sit by your feet without taking up too much room!  And no, I don’t ever, ever put make up on while driving!  And I hope you don’t either.

Any other tips?  Post them in the comments!

For your homework: Reply with what you travel with cosmetic-wise when you go out of town!

Mineral oil and other petroleum derived products have been a target in the whole “natural vs organic” campaign that companies are using to sell their products.  And for some reason, they’re not on the natural side.  Companies are claiming mineral oil is harmful, and how you should avoid competitor’s products due to the fact it contains this material that is a natural component of the earth.

There have been a number of claims that mineral oil is a comedogenic product (please keep in mind there is no regulaton on what makes a product comedogenic or non-comedogenic, or even hypoallerginic.  This is definitely something to keep in mind when researching claims on a product — any product can boast such claims).  I myself use baby oil every night to remove my make up — baby oil is glorified mineral oil with added vitamins and on occassion fragrance to keep skin moisturized.

What is the purpose of mineral oil?

Mineral oil is a humectant — it binds moisture to the skin to keep it hydrated.

It is said that mineral oil suffocates the skin causing break-outs; but isn’t that what a good antioxident is supposed to do, keep air off skin?  Keeping air off skin is NOT suffocating it!  How does free-radical damage work?  Oxygen causes free-radical damage, and just because it’s protecting your skin does not mean you are suffocating it.  Actually, according to Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46, cosmetic grade mineral oil and petroleum are considered the safest, most non-irritating moisturizing ingredients ever found!

Mineral oil has many different properties that make it essential to using as a moisturizer, one of those being its anti-inflammatory properties.  It helps to reduce irritation and redness on your skin, making it an excellent moisturizer for those suffering from skin conditions such as eczema.

Mineral oil is found in many cosmetics (especially anti-aging and moisturizing foundations, as well as almost all baby products), as well as pretty much any make up remover you can find on the market today.  I highly recommend you look at your cosmetics.  Grab any make up removers especially, and just take a look.  Do you see propylene glycol on your list?  It is the scientific name for mineral oil.  And is found in concentrations of up to 50% in many skincare products, especially lotions!  I guarantee you have mineral oil in something that you own that is already working for you.

The biggest argument against mineral oil is that it is derived from petroleum (AKA crude oil).  They make it sound like we are taking gasoline straight from the pump and putting it on our face, stating that it may contain harmful components.  The fact of the matter is, is every cosmetic-grade ingredient is purified to certain expectations — mineral oil and other petroleum derived cosmetic-grade ingredients have little, if anything, in common with crude oil other than that is where it came from.  It happens to go through a similar purification process other natural components go through in order to be safe and suitable for either ingestion, or use on skin.

Only making it sillier, is the fact that even oils such as jojoba oil would be bad and dangerous for your skin until it is purified to make it cosmetic-grade.  In studies, these plant-derived oils also do not bind moisture to the skin as readily as mineral oil does.  No oil irritates skin less, or works as well as mineral oil.  Anyone who studies cosmetic chemistry and reads studies published in the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists knows this to be true.

“Mineral oils are manufactured from crude oils by vacuum distillation to produce a residual oil that is further refined. The related petroleum jelly is a purified mixture of semi-solid, saturated hydrocarbons obtained from the residue of distillation left in the still after all the oil has been vaporised. Paraffin wax is a crystalline substance obtained by distillation and purified by sweating. Similar purification principles applicable to white oil apply to food/cosmetic grades of these items. Aromatic compounds, including alkylated heterocyclic and polycyclic hydrocarbons are the only seriously undesirable constituents of these crude oil petroleum products, based on their carcinogenic potential following chronic industrial exposure to poorly refined oils. ‘White mineral’ oils/paraffins, petrolatums/petroleum jellies and paraffin waxes produced from crude oils that have undergone appropriate treatment, are not toxic or carcinogenic to humans (Mineral Oils, IARC Monograph, Vol 33, 1984); (Mineral Oils, IARC Monograph, Suppl.7, 1987/1998).” (6)

Did you know next to other humectants in standard safety tests, less people have an allergic reaction to mineral oil over any other humectant?  Safest moisture-binding agent around!

There are loads of cosmetic ingredients that are derived from horrible sounding natural substances, but are perfectly safe for your skin.  The FDA does look at skin concerns, and if a specific ingredient is thought to be not-safe for use (such as those silly rumors that it causes cancer as a carcinogen), the FDA will, and has, banned ingredients that fit this bill.  (And to those who like to throw things out there, check cancer.gov, seeing as the Cancer Society of America will put the results to tests up and most of these things people are telling me cause cancer, actually have been proven time and time again to not do such a thing.)

Ah, “organic” companies slamming mineral oil, a natural (although un-renewing) resource.  I do have high hopes, however, that we may at least be able to re-create mineral oil in a chemical lab, though I don’t really see our dependency on petroleum to be eliminated any time in the very near future — much to my dismay.

Scientific Facts!: (these are always fun)

People think that because mineral oil is derived from petroleum that it is automatically bad, however more than 50% of cosmetics ingredients are as well!  As long as the mineral oil is purified (making it cosmetic-grade), it is safe for use.

Salt is an example of an ingredient that comes from a horrible source, yet makes a perfectly safe substance — to eat even! Table salt is sodium chloride (a compound of sodium and chloride), but salt doesn’t have the caustic properties of chloride (a form of chlorine) or the unstable explosiveness of sodium. It is a completely different compound with the harmful properties of neither of its components.  Thanks, Paula

Mineral oil does not keep collagen products from absorption.  The molecules in collagen moisturizers are too large to be absorbed anyway, regardless of whether or not you have mineral oil on  your face.

To everyone.  I highly recommend you read my sixth source, as it cites all information in the article.

1. http://www.cosmeticscop.com/skin-care-facts-mineral-oil-safety-nonirritating-moisturizer.aspx
2. http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Formulation-Science/Mineral-oil-will-not-cause-skin-outbreaks-report-claims
3. http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=922
4. http://futurederm.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/is-mineral-oil-really-bad-for-your-skin/
5. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/25025.php
6. http://www.gaiaresearch.co.za/mineralvsplantoil.html

I figured I’d get this out of the way now, because that PETA list always bothers me.  Many companies are not on the list, because they don’t claim to say that their ingredients were not tested on animals, because for the most part, many companies don’t know.  (L’Oreal for example does not test the finished product on animals, but it doesn’t say the ingredients on the way to getting there weren’t because they’re not sure — as written to me by a L’Oreal rep.)  Chances are, somewhere down the line, an ingredient from that cosmetic you’re using at some point was tested on animals.

This is straight from the FDA/CFSAN website.

“Some cosmetic companies promote their products with claims such as ‘CRUELTY-FREE’ or ‘NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS’ in their labeling or advertising. The unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms.

Some companies may apply such claims solely to their finished cosmetic products. However, these companies may rely on raw material suppliers or contract laboratories to perform any animal testing necessary to substantiate product or ingredient safety. Other cosmetic companies may rely on combinations of scientific literature, non-animal testing, raw material safety testing, or controlled human-use testing to substantiate their product safety.

Many raw materials, used in cosmetics, were tested on animals years ago when they were first introduced. A cosmetic manufacturer might only use those raw materials and base their “cruelty-free” claims on the fact that the materials or products are not ‘currently’ tested on animals.”

Maybe “no new testing on animals” is a more accurate claim, eh?

The only safe way is to make sure these companies are currently not testing the products on animals, or asking for the ingredients to be tested (if the manufacturers test on the animals, there is no requirement to tell the company they’re selling it to, or being honest about it).  Proctor and Gamble is the only company that is well-known to test finished products on animals — so I recommend avoiding products by them (such as Cover Girl, Johnson & Johnson, etc).  However, companies such as Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, and their affiliates (which is quite the list, including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Jane, Lancome and Maybelline) do not test finished products on animals.

For more information on the FDA/CFSAN, please visit their website at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.  Unfortunately, any company can claim to be cruelty-free; there’s no regulations or law about it because as stated above, there are no legal definitions of these terms.

Someone recently posted a comment about this, and aluminum being linked to cancer (and I think most of us remember the titanium dioxide scare), and also the safety of parabens.  So I decided -again- to do the research for my readers.

Where shall we start?  Let’s start with Titanium Dioxide, since it was the first scare to come about.

Titanium dioxide is a chemical compound (again, there’s a lot of these in cosmetics, then again water is also a chemical compound!) found in deodorants giving them their white color.  It’s also a sunscreen to help protect your delicate skin from the sun’s harmful rays.  It is important to know what the very specific evidence was leading titanium dioxide to be a carcinogen.

Inhalation.

“With such widespread use of titanium dioxide, it is important to understand that the IARC conclusions are based on very specific evidence. This evidence showed that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation*. The series of biological events or steps that produce the rat lung cancers (e.g. particle deposition, impaired lung clearance, cell injury, fibrosis, mutations and ultimately cancer) have also been seen in people working in dusty environments. Therefore, the observations of cancer in animals were considered, by IARC, as relevant to people doing jobs with exposures to titanium dioxide dust. For example, titanium dioxide production workers may be exposed to high dust concentrations during packing, milling, site cleaning and maintenance, if there are insufficient dust control measures in place. However, it should be noted that the human studies conducted so far do not suggest an association between occupational exposure to titanium dioxide and an increased risk for cancer.”  (1)

Unless you’re powdering your deodorant and inhaling it, you should be completely fine with titanium dioxide.  Again, it’s the workers who are milling and creating this chemical compound that are exposed to the hazard.  It is listed as a safe pigment, with no known adverse effects.  It is not listed as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, comedogen, toxin or as a trigger for contact dermatitis in any other safety regulatory publications beside the NIOSH (Antczak, 2001; Physical & Theoretical Chemical Laboratory, Oxford University respectively). It is reasonable to conclude then, that titanium dioxide is not a cancer-causing substance and is generally safe for use in foods, drugs, paints and cosmetics. (2)

The time to worry about titanium dioxide is when it is in micronized pigments in sunscreens.  If the size is small enough, it can penetrate the cells and cause DNA damage, however, since titanium dioxide is considered a pigment and colorization, the FDA does have to approve it (along with any other color additives; for example if you see on a cosmetic it is “safe for eye use only” it was most likely only tested on that area).

These are what a product goes through for testing (and they test each and every batch using pigment):

• Approval. All color additives used in cosmetics (or any other FDA-regulated product) must be approved by FDA. There must be a regulation specifically addressing a substance’s use as a color additive, specifications, and restrictions.
• Certification. In addition to approval, a number of color additives must be batch certified by FDA if they are to be used in cosmetics (or any other FDA-regulated product) marketed in the U.S.
• Identity and specifications. All color additives must meet the requirements for identity and specifications stated in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
• Use and restrictions. Color additives may be used only for the intended uses stated in the regulations that pertain to them. The regulations also specify other restrictions for certain colors, such as the maximum permissible concentration in the finished product.(3)

Next, let’s move onto aluminum, specifically in the use of anti-perspirants and deodorants (no, they are not the same!).

In 2002, the results of a study looking for a relationship between breast cancer and underarm antiperspirants/deodorants were reported. This study did not show any increased risk for breast cancer in women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant. The results also showed no increased breast cancer risk for women who reported using a blade (nonelectric) razor and an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant, or for women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant within 1 hour of shaving with a blade razor. These conclusions were based on interviews with 813 women with breast cancer and 793 women with no history of breast cancer.

Findings from a different study examining the frequency of underarm shaving and antiperspirant/deodorant use among 437 breast cancer survivors were released in 2003. This study found that the age of breast cancer diagnosis was significantly earlier in women who used these products and shaved their underarms more frequently. Furthermore, women who began both of these underarm hygiene habits before 16 years of age were diagnosed with breast cancer at an earlier age than those who began these habits later. While these results suggest that underarm shaving with the use of antiperspirants/deodorants may be related to breast cancer, it does not demonstrate a conclusive link between these underarm hygiene habits and breast cancer.

In 2006, researchers examined antiperspirant use and other factors among 54 women with breast cancer and 50 women without breast cancer. The study found no association between antiperspirant use and the risk of breast cancer; however, family history and the use of oral contraceptives were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.  (4) <–Please visit that source of Cancer.gov for more information, and more sources.  I figured a cancer website would be the best to accurately give you information, since, well, that’s what they deal with!

“According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the breast cancer-antiperspirant myth first appeared in the form of an e-mail in the 1990s, and continues to resurface and recirculate about every year or so. The false information suggests that antiperspirants contain harmful substances, which can be absorbed through the skin or can enter the body near the breasts through nicks in the skin caused by shaving. The e-mails also suggested that antiperspirants keep a person from “sweating out toxins,” resulting in the spread of cancer-causing toxins via the lymph nodes.

But the NCI says that no existing scientific or medical evidence links the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants to the subsequent development of breast cancer. The FDA, the Mayo Clinic, the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association agree. Razor nicks may increase the risk of skin infection, but not cancer.

According to the ACS, sweat glands are not connected to the lymph nodes. Most cancer-causing substances are removed by the kidneys, are released through urine or by the liver, and are eliminated with feces. The ACS says that lymph nodes may help to clear some toxins from the body, but they do not release these toxins through sweating. Sweat is not a significant route for eliminating toxins from the body.

And a study of 813 women with breast cancer and 703 women with no history of breast cancer, published in the October 2002 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that antiperspirants do not cause breast cancer.

Some speculate that the myth could have been started by women being told not to wear antiperspirants or deodorants before a mammogram. They were told this, not for safety reasons, but because residue from these products appearing in the X-ray is often mistaken for an abnormality in the breast.” (5)

There’s no conclusive evidence to show that these women are more likely to get breast cancer.  If aluminum somehow soaked in through skin, I would imagine there would be more cancer and alzheimer’s (another thing said to be caused by aluminum, read below) in people who work with aluminum and aluminum compounds on a regular basis — such as chefs, airplane mechanics, aluminum siding salesmen, etc.  Let’s remember that deodorants and antiperspirants are not listed as a cosmetic, but listed as an over the counter drug, meaning that the FDA does actually keep track of this product (read the #5 source), same as they do with things like Ex-Lax, or Tylenol, or Advil.

There’s always the alzheimer’s question as well, why do alzheimers patients have higher levels of aluminum in their brains than we who do not have alzheimer’s do?  It is not because the aluminum compounds accumulating time damage the cells.  It’s because the cells affected by alzheimer’s are unable to fight off and rid itself of toxins like the rest of our bodies can.

If you all have any other questions, do not hesitate to comment and contact me — I will do my best to obtain the information for you!  Now, I leave you with this sweet quiz provided by the FDA about cosmetics, and how much do we really know!  I passed the quiz with flying colors!  Will you?