Minnesota now the first state to ban mercury in makeup

Posted on Dec 14th 2007 11:34AM by Adams Briscoe

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health

Beginning January of this upcoming new year, adding mercury to cosmetics will be a thing of the past. At least in the state of Minnesota. They are the first state to lay down a law banning the intentional adding of mercury to makeup, among other products (such as eye drops, nasal sprays and toiletries).

The reason mercury was ever in certain cosmetics to begin with was because it was used to preserve the product and kill germs. A group called the Personal Care Products Council out of Washington believes an amount that small wouldn't end up hurting you. However Sen. John Marty, who sponsored the ban, thinks otherwise. "Every source of mercury adds to [potential damage]. We wanted to make sure it wasn't here," he said.

Mercury has been known to cause complications in the nervous system, but it usually needs to be ingested. And I'm not sure which form they're talking about, but even some mercury compounds would need to be absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract to do significant damage. Either way, so long as women (especially pregnant ones) aren't eating their makeup in the morning, you shouldn't be scared to use your old products that may or may not have mercury. After all, if your mascara hasn't killed you by now, no need to panic!

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Tags: ban, cosmetics, makeup, mercury, minnesota

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

StonedPigeon 12-15-2007 @ 7:34AM

Does this mean they will be banning fluorescent light bulbs?

Earl Bailey 12-15-2007 @ 7:49AM

Approx. 30s ago, a coworker brought into work a vial of Mercury Bifloride powder. We used this powder frequently, rubbing it between our thumb & forefinger until it became absorbed. We would then bet a hapless victim that he could not hold onto an aluminum backed gum wrapper (supplied by him) for 30 seconds after we ran it beneath water and folded it up. Naturely, while folding, we imparted the powder onto the aluminum causing a chemical reaction that would reduce it to ashes in a few seconds, blistering the victim's hand until he dropped the wrapper.
To this day, I still don't know what the long term effects of this were, as the initial provider of the powder died in his 40's, as have many of the participants. I myself am now in my 60's. just played the joke not as frequently as most, I guess!!

tiffany 12-15-2007 @ 7:57AM

i thought mercury could be absorbed through the skin too...

and inhaled

:(

Jesse 12-15-2007 @ 8:28AM

"After all, if your mascara hasn't killed you by now, no need to panic!"
This, from the article.
I really do not think that this is the right way to look at it. Just because you have not died from your makeup, how do you, or does anyone know what that the mercury in your makeup is doing to you? It could be building up in your system and kill you eventually. Do you want that? Do you want to take that kind of risk with your unborn baby? Would you continue to drink alcohol after you are pregnant? You KNOW what that could do to your baby. Why not just eliminate the mercury altogether from life? There is NO need to have it in makeup, really! There are plenty of other preservatives, like lead!

Laura 12-15-2007 @ 9:13AM

I wonder what brands will be pulled from the shelves as a result of this. I would like to know.

dude 12-15-2007 @ 9:35AM

Me and my brother used to like to break open thermometers and play with the shiny little ball of mercury... that and eating lead paint were some fun things to do.

SILVA 12-15-2007 @ 9:54AM

EARL BAILY IS AN ASS. IT'S PEOPLE LIKE THIS THAT CAUSE HARM, KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY. WHERE WASTHEIR COMMON SENSE, OH YEAH, THEY'RE DEAD.

Fran 12-15-2007 @ 9:55AM

I cannot believe the flip remark "...if you haven't died from your mascara yet...." Mercury is suspect (as the preservative in vaccines) in the rise of the Autism Sprectrum...Mercury in any form that may touch the human should be banned..does the writer assume alittle bit of any poisen is ok???What kind of resposibility is this as a "journalist"??Certainly a grossly uninformed one!! Just remind him/her that the SKIN is the largest organ of the body and one of its many properties is ABSORBTION!!

Howard Srout 12-15-2007 @ 10:19AM

As a boy, I played with mercury a lot. I am now 77 and I can assure yoiu, it did not kill me. With caebon dioxide, perhaps we shpi;d ban breathing.

Adams 12-15-2007 @ 10:28AM

Wow! Great feedback guys, keep the conversation going!

Also, I'd like to bring attention to the last part of that sentence... "no need to panic!" -- Did I say not to worry about it? Certainly not!

On the contrary, I wholeheartedly agree that Mercury doesn't have place in consumer products. But women have been using this stuff for decades, so I stand by my suggestion to "Not Panic" :)

But feel free to call your local Poison Control Center if it bothers you that much!

Gina 12-15-2007 @ 10:28AM

We had mercury spills from broken thermometers in science class and nobody was allowed to leave the room, nobody evacuated that wing of the school and we just sat there until the teacher cleaned it up. She did tell us NOT to touch it but that was it. Now they have the school emptied and the kids sent to counceling. lol Ok, they don't go that far but we are still alive as is my Mom who used to play with it in her hands as a kid. She's in her middle 80's. I'm glad they are removing it from make up. It should be banned from anything we come in contact with. A little here and a littel there add up. Just like with BHA and BHT. If you eat cereal with BHT and then later eat something else that has BHT in it and then use skin lotion and other products with BHT.. how much is too much before your kidneys fail? Yet it's in MANY foods and cosmetics as well.

Carol 12-15-2007 @ 10:31AM

Gee its the first time I have ever heard of anything this bad being put into out makeup. I went hunting for more info and found this site.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/whatnottobuy/?gclid=CLOJleTJqpACFRUmawodzWXT7g¬hanks=1
If you scroll down it will tell you the brands that have murcery and a few more other interesting stuff.

LORY 12-15-2007 @ 10:51AM

As a woman approaching 50, I applaud the author of this article for bringing this to our attention rather than curse him for what a few perceived to be a flip comment. I never knew my cosmetics contained mercury. Makes me feel pretty stupid but thanks to this article I will definitely become a more informed consumer. Those of you attacking the author; did you notice the part where they said not to panick??? I think that was the author's point rather than suggesting that you put mercury on your childrens cheerios in the morning without fear. The written word is always left open to interpretation but not necessarily does the author ever mean what you may have interpreted. The written word is supposed to intrigue, for lack of a better word, and then you go out and research and gather knowledge and use what you need and spit out the rest. I am thrilled that my mother taught me a passion for reading and a great appreciation of books and newspapers and appreciate that she told me to never fully believe even that which I may observe with my own eyes but to always seek the truth and make informed decisions. Get it? A few of you will, I am sure. Those are the few that I would enjoy a cup of coffee with.

shell 12-15-2007 @ 10:57AM

i just think everyone should use common sense it seems these days nothing is safe anymore it goes from dog food recalls to food recalls and now makeup if we listened to all of them our kids wouldnt have a christmas our animals would starve and so would we unless we ate grass or bark or something then im positive they would find a way to recall that LOL.....

Jill 12-15-2007 @ 11:07AM

If I'm not mistaken, (forgive me if I am) mercury is high in a lot of fish. This is why asians are more prone to stomach cancers than other cultures because fish is a huge part of their diet. Mercury is bad any way you look at it.

Bruce 12-15-2007 @ 12:02PM

I agree with your quote of Sen. John Marty, sponsor of the ban, "Every source of mercury adds to [potential damage]." If anyone thinks that mercury in our environment is a problem now, whether in cosmetics, vaccines, tuna fish, etc., wait (and you won't have to wait very long) until a few of the millions of mercury containing fluorescent light bulbs that are replacing the good old NON-TOXIC INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB (which the government wants to ban and eliminate completely, rather than improve - AND THERE ARE ALREADY LONG LIFE INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS available) start being broken in the homes and work environment!! It takes just a minute amount of mercury to completely contaminate an area! And that's nothing compared to the amount of mercury that will be released from improperly discarded fluorescent bulbs, and those that end up in land-fills and contaminate the water table!! For that reason alone, there should be a HUGE PUBLIC OUTCRY AGAINST THE PROPOSED BAN OF THE NON-TOXIC INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB!!! INSTEAD, BAN THE MERCURY BASED FLUORESCENT BULBS, AND DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!

Lisa 12-15-2007 @ 11:59AM

Thanks for the info, I will be looking up that website that Carol suggested. I'm also wondering about the fluorescent lighbulbs. Everyone wants you to buy those compact ones that they say last for years and use less energy, but how are you supposed to dispose of them when they contain mercury? From what I understand, it even says on the packaging not to throw it in your trash. Something needs to be done about those.

Vivi 12-15-2007 @ 12:42PM

I'm not banning anything. I've been around 85 plus years and other than some arthritis here and there in the body I am o.k. I know I must die of something some day, but I will leave that up to a Higher Power.
I have lived through lead paint, (all paint had lead in it) asbestos in the walls and ceiling of my house and many other things such as DDT, Mathiolon insect spray, etc.