Commonly available commercial lipsticks are loaded with cancer-causing chemicals and the average woman eats about 4 1/2 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime!

So question is where can you go for alternatives? Well, one great place is Saffron Rouge, a fantastic online store offering a wide range of organic cosmetics, skin care products and mineral make up.

Saffron Rouge offers lip gloss made from beeswax, mango butter and apricot kernel oil, lipstick made from rose petals, almond extract, jojoba oil and plant waxes and lip liner made from rose wax and the list goes on.

Chances are that you can't even identify the ingredients in the lipstick you applied this morning.  At least with organic cosmetics, the ingredients lists sound good enough to eat!  Which they should, since you're ingesting it anyways, right?

Hit the jump to go directly to Saffron Rouge's lip care page and take time to browse around their online store.  They ship most products internationally as well.

Eco-bonus: Saffron Rouge is a 100% wind powered business!  How cool is that?  Now hit the jump and get shopping!

» Saffron Rouge

I love it.  You think my headlines are bad?  Read this: Environmentalists warn the average woman's makeup bag is a time bomb waiting to explode with serious health consequences. The cosmetic industry and the FDA say there's nothing to fear.  Awesome!  The whole story is right there in the headline!

Okay, here's the skinny: The average woman exposes herself to 20 products containing over 200 chemicals before she even walks out the door.  Some of these chemicals are linked to cancer, infertility, birth defects, and a bunch of other not-so-fun stuff.  The FDA and the cosmetics companies say that yout have nothing to worry about, but what's the truth?

There is basically no regulation or control over what goes into cosmetics.  You lipstick could be made from used tampons and cockroach guts and the FDA won't get involved unless you die from using it.  There has never been a study to determine just what the cumulative effects of being exposed to all these chemicals on a daily basis are.

Everytime you apply that lipstick in your purse you may be putting your health at risk.  Why bother?

The choice is simple and obvious: you can avoid exposing yourself to over 200 harmful chemicals a day by simply switching to natural beauty and skin care products.  Why wouldn't you do this?

» WebMD

MAC cosmetics are amongst some of my bigger vices in life. I may be able to count on one hand the number of times I’ve been able to visit their counter (or store) and walk away without buying something. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I first started using their products and learned of the Back to MAC program.

The program is an initiative to encourage customers to recycle cosmetic containers. For every six primary packaging containers brought to a MAC counter or returned through MAC Cosmetics Online, you will receive a free lipstick. Some independent MAC stores even offer you a choice between a complimentary lipstick, eyeshadow or lipgloss. Be sure to check with the store you visit to verify what they offer.

MAC then ensures the returned containers are distributed to appropriate waste management centers. In case you’re wondering, primary packaging is the container that actually holds the makeup (secondary packaging would be the paper box or wrapping) and if you still aren’t sure, you can visit their website to ensure your containers are eligible for the program. In their ongoing commitment to the environment, the company also uses minimal packaging and recycled paper in their offices, manufacturing and distribution facilities. As well, vegetable-based inks are used for printing when possible.

As if MAC needed to give me another reason besides the fantastic quality of their products, to spend more of my hard-earned money there.

» MAC Cosmetics (Official Site)

In a recent study, 61% of all red lipsticks tested contained lead.

Just think about that, unless all of your cosmetics are natural over half of your red lipcolors contain lead and your applying it to your mouth every single day!

L'Oreal was found to be one of the worst offenders.  Their response?  They said, "Don't worry about it."

So what can you do to avoid painting your lips in lead every day?  Arm yourself with knowledge!  Visit the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database at www.cosmeticdatabase.org and find out if there's lead in the lipstick you already own.  Then once you've found the offending manufacturers, ban them.  That's right, don't buy their stuff ever again.  The cosmetics industry is highly competitive, you'll always be able to find another red lipstick.

» Twin Cities

1. Look for products with minimal packaging.  Be wary of overpackaged items such as boxed gift sets. 

2. Look for packaging that has been, and can be, recycled.  Look for the recycle labels on the bottom of glass and plastic bottles.  Also look for labels that indicate the recycled content of cardboard, plastic and glass. 

3. Avoid products containing petrochemicals.  This is difficult to do, but worth it as petrochemicals are a common cause of allergies.

4. Look for plant-derived products, but we careful if you have sensitive skin.  Some plant-derived ingredients can be quite potent and can irritate sensitive skin.  Do some research online before you buy.

5. Avoid trace chemicals and pesticides by looking for cosmetics that contain organic ingredients.

6. Beware of added fragrances!  Inhaled artificial scents are a major problem for asthma sufferers.  If you do like a bit of frangrance, look for products that are scented with plant-derived pure essential oils instead ofd synthetic fragrances.

7. Choose inorganic suncreens when looking for sun protection.  Basically, inorganic sunscreens that rely on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide reflect and scatter the UV radiation.  Other organic sunscreening agents work by absorbing the UV radiation and dissipating it as heat.  These organic chemicals not only irritate skin but are a potential health risk due to their effects on your endocrine system!

Hit the jump for the full list, which also recommends avoiding GMO ingredients, coal tar, and a bunch of other stuff that'll have you plugging the aisles reading ingredients labels when buying your next concealer.

» The Sydney Morning Herald

The US Food and Drug Administration has given notice to major manufacturers that all untested beauty products have to carry a label reading "Warning - the safety of this product has not been determined."  Yikes!  Christian Dior must have soiled his Calvin Kleins when he got that letter in the mail!

This notice comes after the Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigated over 7,500 products and found that 99% of beauty products contained ingredients that have never been tested for public safety.  These tests also determined that 1/3rd of all beauty products contained ingredients linked to cancer.

This isn't just about the pressed powder in your purse, this is big business.  The United States represents the largest market for beauty products in the world with sales of over $40 billion last year alone.  And you can bet that L’Oréal, Unilevel, Procter & Gamble, Elizabeth Arden, Dove, Maybelline and Nivea aren't going to go down without a fight.

Of course, for these companies to test the 10,000 chemicals they put in their cosmetics they'll have to torture hundreds of thousands of innocent mice, rabbits, dogs and monkeys.  That doesn't sound like much of a solution either.

Will this lead to a mass movement by these big mega-corps to natural, organic cosmetics?  Only time will tell.  In the meantime, dump your makeup kit and go on a mission to find natural alternatives to the cancer-causing stuff you're likely wearing right now.

» The Times Online (UK)