I Found Formaldehyde in My Makeup Bag

I was digging through my makeup looking for a long lost lipstick. It hit me during this scavenger hunt that I'd never investigated the ingredients in my eyelash glue.


I always figured it must be the same stuff in Elmer's that's safe for kids (uh oh, I see another negligent assumption I should dig into...) But a glance at the ingredients made me less assured. What is formalin?

A little bit of research later, I discovered that formalin is a solution of formaldehyde and water. I'd been putting it on my eyelids, next to my eyes, for years. The US National Toxicology Program listed formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen in 2011. It is banned from cosmetics in Sweden and Japan. It is indicated as a cause of asthma, and to lead to reproductive problems in women. My glue getting trashed.

Does anyone know why they would put formaldehyde in an eyelash glue?

___________ _ ___________

Image courtesy of:
1. Tried and Tested Beauty