Afterglow Cosmetics Company Review
Afterglow Cosmetics is a prominent and rising star in the field of healthy beauty products (their products were used on Marion Cotillard in the hit movie Public Enemies starring Cotillard and Johnny Depp). Here we explore the brand, its values, and who their line of products is especially suited to.
Written by Sarah Bertram, Green Health Research Contributor
Afterglow Cosmetics: A Company Founded on Nature, Beauty, and Ethical Values
I found myself interested in Afterglow Cosmetics because all of the reviews I’d read of Afterglow said their products are so healthy and yet perform well enough to be used under the harsh lights of film cameras and while working out. I did some research on the company using the independent, non-profit cosmetics company database Skin Deep run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group and my own product testing, and what follows are my results.
Afterglow Cosmetics is an organic mineral makeup line dedicated to women’s health and beauty. All of their products are free of the parabens (potentially hazardous preservatives), phthalates (chemicals used to give products fragrance and are known to cause birth defects), FD& C dyes and lakes (used to color cosmetics and known to cause allergies), and bismuth oxychloride (used as a binder and a known skin irritant) found in most other brands of mineral makeup.
The main ingredients in most Afterglow products are naturally-occurring minerals which give their products beautiful color and make them weather-resistant and long-wearing. These natural compounds, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, also give Afterglow Cosmetics products a naturally high SPF. Their Organic Mineral Foundation actually has an SPF of 20, higher than the SPF found in some moisturizers!
Afterglow also uses certified organic ingredients in their products whenever possible to add natural antioxidants and other beneficial compounds to the skin. Antioxidants such as grapefruit extract, pomegranate extract, and grape seed extract all help to combat wrinkles and other signs of aging, as well as help to fight the free radicals which can cause cancer. Afterglow makeup therefore not only adds beautiful color to your skin, but can actually help benefit the skin through the use of these ingredients. I for one saw an improvement in the clarity and texture of my skin after using their foundation for only a few weeks (you can read more stories of how Afterglow has changed women’s lives on the Green Health Research Real-Life Stories page).
Since their products include ingredients which improve the quality of skin, Afterglow products are actually considered skin care products, not just makeup in the traditional sense. This may sound surprising, but it’s just more proof of how this line is going above and beyond when it comes to bridging the gap between women’s health issues and their desire for beautiful makeup. Afterglow products are so good for the skin that many women, myself included, wish that they would develop a line of cleansers and moisturizers!
Afterglow does not use ingredients which are known to cause allergies, blemishes, or other skin or health issues. In fact, many women find that Afterglow makeup is the only type of cosmetic they can use because of health reasons. You can read more about this on the following page.
In furtherance of the goal of creating healthy, effective makeup Afterglow Cosmetics has signed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Compact for Safe Cosmetics. This means that Afterglow has committed in writing to keeping all harmful chemicals out of their makeup, and that they routinely report to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to ensure that Afterglow keeps their healthy makeup pledge.
Afterglow also provides a complete list of ingredients for every product they produce, so women can see for themselves exactly what goes into their cosmetics. This is not something most makeup companies willingly do, since many companies fill their makeup with the synthetic colors, artificial fragrances, and other chemicals and preservatives Afterglow leaves out of their products. Complete ingredients lists give women the added comfort of seeing for themselves that Afterglow has nothing to hide, and that their makeup is truly healthy and safe.
Afterglow Cosmetics is PETA and Leaping Bunny approved. No Afterglow product or any ingredients in their products-from eyeshadow to foundation to brushes-is tested on animals.
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