'I'm a Lawyer from Harvard and These Are 10 Beauty Products I'll Never Use Again
The Internet can be a scary place, particularly for parents of young kids (see: food dyes, blue swimsuits and gas stoves).
It's easy to see one story and head down a rabbit hole—and that's what happened with Angela, a Harvard Law graduate, lawyer, mother of two and @thelawyerangela on TikTok with over one million followers. (She also prefers to go by "Angela" without sharing her last name publicly—fair enough.)
Angela recently posted a three-part TikTok series of 10 beauty products she won't buy anymore. It started when she saw an article in the Washington Post about Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in makeup, which are potentially toxic. In it, retired Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Linda S. Birnbaum shares that she wanted her daughter to steer clear of waterproof mascara.
"I was shocked because I had never heard that before," Angela said. "[And I saw] that it directly followed this giant Notre Dame study on PFAS on makeup."
The study she's referring to was also quoted in the Post article and published in 2021. It found indicators of high levels of PFAS.
Needless to say, waterproof mascara made her list of products she won't buy anymore.
Should I? Should you? When I spoke with Angela, she was a bit more nuanced than the short TikTok videos allow. She discussed the products she won't buy, the beauty of informed decisions and what she'd like to see from the cosmetics industry.
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Disclaimers
Angela is the first to admit she's not a medical professional, dermatologist or scientist. But she's a lawyer seeing scientific studies cited in class action litigation surrounding beauty products.
"I am just reporting trends in lawsuits," Angela says. "Trends often, not always, follow scientific studies.”
Angela is also aware that people can sue for anything and that avoiding all chemicals is challenging. She's not telling people they shouldn't buy the products. She's sharing her personal choice based on the science she's seen.
"I just see the lawsuits and say, ‘I’m going to take a breather,'" Angela explains. "I know these videos are fear-mongery. But this is what I choose. I am not saying to everyone, ‘You should change your opinion.’"
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The 10 Beauty Products Harvard Lawyer Angela Won't Buy
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1. Waterproof Mascara
Angela is an admitted crier who used to only use waterproof mascara. But the Notre Dame study on PFAS, combined with her knowledge of class action lawsuits against companies who make and sell waterproof mascaras, caused her to ditch it.
2. Dry Shampoo
Angela used to use it every other day but said she's since learned that some contain benzene, a known carcinogen.
3. Chemical Hair Straightener
"I used to do it. I love the sleek look," Angela tells her followers.
But she has stopped because of studies and lawsuits about the risks of certain cancers like uterine cancer.
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4. Spray Sunscreen
Parents know that applying sunscreen is the one thing that rivals diaper changes when your child starts moving and doing it again in two hours. Angela used to opt for spray sunscreen.
"As a tired mom, I'd spray these like five times per day on my small kids," Angela says in part two of her list.
But Angela decided not to use lotions after learning brands found benzene in them.
"While it's probably not a death sentence, it is a known carcinogen, and no one seems to know exactly how benzene got in there," Angela says.
5. Long-Lasting, Sweat-Proof, 24-Hour Makeup
This one might hurt #FitFam members and anyone hoping to make life easier come summertime when you can break a sweat just by walking to Starbucks.
But there's a reason the makeup doesn't melt.
"Usually, it's because companies have added PFAS...which I prefer not to be licking and eating all day on my lips," Angela explains.
6. Makeup Testers
Makeup testers in stores are free to try, so this one is something Angela won't use rather than won't buy.
"While the lawsuits linking them to bad health haven't succeeded, they have shed light on a bunch of studies which have found all sorts of germs," Angela says.
View the original article to see embedded media.
7. Anything Labeled "Clean Beauty" Without "Triple Researching" It's Really Clean
Why? It's an unregulated marketing term.
"The next tidal wave in cosmetics litigation is that companies are slapping the label 'clean' on their product without actually meeting any reasonable consumer expectation of what clean is," Angela says to open the third and final video in the series.
8. Neon Eyeshadow
Neon-colored additives are not approved for use near the eyes.
"Weird, right, given all the beauty ads we've seen, even right here on TikTok?" Angela says.
9. Eyelash Growth Serums Without Consulting a Doctor
Lattise is the only one FDA-approved and requires a prescription.
10. UV Gel Nails
It pained Angela to stop getting UV gel nails, but she says the gel dryers are "literally tanning beds for your hands."
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What the Science Says
People can sue for anything. They can also say nearly anything on TikTok. But Angela's claims don't come out of nowhere.
PFAS
The Notre Dame Study tested 200 cosmetics products and found fluorine, a PFAS indicator, in 56 percent of foundations, 48 percent of lip products and 47 percent of mascaras.
PFAS are put in products for longer-term wearability (hence the 24-hour claims). The FDA says they can also give skin a smooth and shimmery appearance. However, the CDC says that PFAS may (the agency bolded the word may):
Increase cholesterol levels
Change liver enzymes
Increase high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia chances in pregnant people
Increase the risk of some cancers, like kidney
The FDA says there is limited research on the effects of PFAS on human health—including whether they're absorbed through the skin at harmful levels. More data are needed. But in the meantime, Angela is making the informed and personal choice to pass on products like long-lasting makeup and waterproof mascara.
Benzene
Benzene is a known carcinogen—referenced in Angela's list under spray sunscreen and dry shampoo. And she's not the only one who's wary of these products. Cleveland Clinic says it's best to avoid spray sunscreens as well. And a study published in 2022 looked at 148 batches of dry shampoo from 34 brands and found that 70 percent of samples had quantifiable benzene levels. Some sprays contained 170 times the FDA's permissible benzene levels.
Chemically-Straightened Hair
A 2022 study of more than 33,000 women spearheaded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, found an increased risk of uterine cancer in people who chemically straightened hair. Another study of more than 40,000 women from 2021 found a higher risk of ovarian cancer in participants who chemically straightened their hair.
Neon Eyeshadows
Angela is right—neon colors are not FDA-approved for use near the eyes.
Companies don't technically tell you to use it on the eyes, and there will often be a warning to steer clear of the practice.
"Often, they will say it on the back…but the disclaimer is small, and [a consumer will] ignore it," Angela says. "On an Instagram page, it’s all over the eyes."
The pigments are also in small squares typically reserved for eye shadow, not blush. So, it's sneaky, and the litigation is around false advertising. The risks are unknown, but the absence of knowledge of a risk doesn't mean there isn't one. So, you won't see Angela sporting neon eyeshadow even if it comes back en vogue tomorrow.
Makeup Testers
This one probably doesn't come as a surprise when you think about how many people give makeup testers a whirl in stores. A team of NBC journalists in North Carolina used 10 different makeup testers and products like lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow and blush and found things like Staph and E. coli in them. A nearly identical experiment in Arkansas returned similar results.
Eyelash Growth Serum
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Lattise, the only FDA-approved eyelash growth serum, contains bimatoprost ophthalmic solution at low levels to aid in thickening lashes. Over-the-counter versions use isopropyl cloprostenate, which hasn't been tested yet, so the safety effects are unknown.
Clean Beauty
Sephora lays out standards for what qualifies as clean beauty. However, the FDA doesn't offer any guidance—which is different than, say, the guidelines they give people on what really qualifies as "low sodium" in food.
UV Gel Manicures
A 2020 review of gel manicures in young adults found no significant cancer risk, But 2023 research found it damaged DNA, strongly suggesting a heightened risk of skin cancer.
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So...How Can You Choose Beauty Products?
Is it time to ditch your dry shampoo? Stop getting UV gel manicures? How can you decide all of this?
It's hard for Angela too. She can track and understand the jargon in class action lawsuits, but even those come out after issues have been found.
"I find it very hard to because I will find a product I love," Angela says. "Then, I will see a lawsuit and find another product. There’s no fool-proof way to decide."
Angela finds it helpful to consult with a dermatologist before using a product or if she sees a new study or lawsuit that concerns her.
And that's all we can do—the best we can with the information we have.
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But What About the Beauty Industry?
Individuals can only do so much, but Angela would like to see more transparency and straightforward advertising.
"I would like to see the beauty industry not make claims on their products about how they can improve a person’s life unless they can really provide the scientific data to back that up," Angela says. "That’s really where a lot of this litigation surrounds because there are no FDA regulations. It turns into a false advertising battle. You promise to be clean or safe, and the litigation is that you’re not that you’re actually doing XYZ.”
