In 2001, I decided that my favorite color was purple.
In 2011, I excitedly went to the drugstore and bought 2 purple eyeliner pencils (one dark, one bright).
Armed with these two beauties, I embarked on a journey to the Mediterranean.
EVERY TIME I applied either of those products, my eyes became sore, swollen, bloodshot, and I looked like I had an intense eye infection. It was so bad that I had to wear glasses for three days to wait for it to subside.
I attributed it to a bacterial infection, and my friend adopted the makeup despite my warnings (she was fine).
Three years later, armed with a little more money in my pocket, I sauntered into Sephora and picked up two PURPLE waterproof eyeliners from Makeup Forever (one dark, one bright), thinking that for sure, EXPENSIVE makeup should be fine.
Same thing, even with the expensive makeup. Some foundations and mascaras produce the same effect, and lipsticks sometimes make my lips peel.
I quickly did a google search about being allergic to purple makeup, and many before me had the same problem! It was attributed to a dye called "carmine", or crimson lake, cochineal, or natural red 4.
Carmine is a "natural" red dye derived by boiling powdered dried insect and adding aluminum/calcium salts. The red color comes from the intestines/shells/eggs of the insect.
"In the 19th century, lipstick was colored with carmine dye. Carmine dye was extracted from cochineal, scale insects native to Mexico and Central America which lives on cactus plants. Cochineal insects produce carminic acid to deter predation by other insects. Carminic acid, which forms 17% to 24% of the weight of the dried insects, can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs. Mixed with aluminum or calcium salts it makes carmine dye (also known as cochineal)." -Wikipedia
Who would have known we humans have been rubbing insect juice all over our faces and lips all these years?
From now on I'm going to search and use vegan products.
Here are a few links to "vegan" makeups:
http://www.pinterest.com/tmbabw/carmine-cochineal-free-organic-natural-make-up/
http://carminefreecosmetics.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.ecouterre.com/crushed-red-bugs-are-in-your-lipstick-too/cochineal-beetle/
http://makeup.about.com/od/lusciouslips/tp/CarmineFreeLipstick.htm
http://www.goodguide.com/ingredients/232995-carmine
This is just for my face, for now. Food Veganism might happen when I am allergic to chicken.
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