{"id":604386328882,"title":"Laura Geller Makeup Review: Does it Contain Toxic Additives?","created_at":"2022-11-10T23:28:44-05:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Laura Geller Makeup Review: Does it Contain Toxic Additives?\",\n \"keywords\": \"laura geller, laura geller reviews, laura geller review, laura geller makeup, laura geller foundation, laura geller baked foundation, laura geller balance and brighten, laura geller cosmetics, laura geller blush, laura geller foundation reviews, laura geller make up, laura geller baked foundation reviews, laura geller makeup reviews, qvc laura geller, laura geller baked balance and brighten, laura geller baked foundation review\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team reviews the ingredients in some of Laura Geller's most popular products. We highlight some concerning additive compounds and share real, unsponsored user reviews of the brand including product demos.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/laura-geller-review\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"creator\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Brian Moore\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.D.\",\n \"F.A.A.D\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/brian-moore\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brian-moore-md-faad-2b1b77a2\/\",\n \"https:\/\/www.apexskin.com\/our-team\/dr-brian-moore-md\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Dermatology Advisor\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"dermatology, skincare, pigmented lesions, anti-aging, medical research, clinical trials, sunscreen, moisturizer, wrinkles, makeup, shampoo, soap\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"Columbia University\",\n \"University of Toledo\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Laura_Geller_Thumbnail.png?v=1668141546\",\n\"width\": \"2663\",\n\"height\": \"2663\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34101210\/\", \n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/seint-makeup-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5615925\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/labs\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6930595\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.fakespot.com\/product\/laura-geller-new-york-baked-balance-n-brighten-color-correcting-foundation\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"QVC\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"phenoxyethanol\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"chromium oxide green\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Dr. Dray\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Amazon\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Fakespot\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2022-11-10\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ],\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Laura_Geller_Review_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1668140939\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eL\u003c\/span\u003eaura Geller is a popular cosmetics brand that sells a wide variety of products and is often featured on QVC. The brand was founded by a makeup artist and there’s even a community of devoted customers that call themselves Geller Gals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut are Laura Geller products better than regular cosmetic products you could find at a drugstore or Ulta? Does the brand contain any questionable chemical additives? And how do real users rate Laura Geller products?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in some of Laura Geller’s most popular products from a health perspective. We’ll review Laura Geller foundation and Laura Geller blush, sharing real customer reviews of both products.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLaura Geller Baked Foundation Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Laura_Geller_Baked_Foundation_Ingredients_Optimized.png?v=1668141007\" alt=\"Laura Geller Baked Foundation ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe most popular Laura Geller product is called Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation. It has a number of questionable additive ingredients that we recommend avoiding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEthylhexyl methoxycinnamate\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is an ingredient more commonly referred to as octinoxate, and was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34101210\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eJournal of Applied Toxicology\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to be toxic to the environment and to wildlife. This ingredient was recently banned in Hawaii over toxicity concerns.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePhenoxyethanol\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a synthetic preservative. As we referenced in our review of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/seint-makeup-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSeint Makeup\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, this ingredient has been shown to be toxic to human cells in a clinical study.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChromium oxide green\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a synthetic colorant containing the mineral chromium, which was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5615925\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to cause contact allergy, skin ulcers and swelling of the skin in some individuals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis formulation does contain some anti-aging ingredients such as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCamellia sinensis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e leaf extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e which was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/labs\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6930595\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ereview\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMolecules\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal to delay visible signs of skin aging like wrinkles.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOverall we do not recommend Laura Geller Baked Foundation due to the presence of three additive ingredients with questionable health effects.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of the most popular YouTube reviews of this product is published by a creator named “BeyondTheSkinWithMichelle.” The review appears unsponsored and she shares her experience using this foundation, including a live product demo:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pE5GqxoDJgk\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLaura Geller Blush Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Laura_Geller_Blush_Ingredients_Optimized.png?v=1668141040\" alt=\"Laura Geller Blush ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnother top seller from Laura Geller’s line is their blush product, called Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbleized Blush. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis product contains two of the additive ingredients we already highlighted in the previous section (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ephenoxyethanol\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eethylhexyl methoxycinnamate\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e) but has an even worse formulation from a health perspective in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRed 7 Lake\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eYellow 5 Lake \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eare synthetic dyes that we consider to be even worse choices than the chromium oxide green used in the foundation. A 2012 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that Yellow 5 was frequently contaminated with carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe study focused on the ingestion of these compounds, but we do not recommend using synthetic dyes on the face either, given that there was “evidence for carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and hypersensitivity.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe do not recommend this product due to the inclusion of synthetic dye and other questionable additives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA YouTuber named Kristi Bergman published a review of this product that focused more on the aesthetic effects than the health effects. The video is only 5 minutes long and includes a live product demo:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MJJpyQFgLRs\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHighly Questionable Marketing Practice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter viewing the Laura Geller website in our research for this article, we started receiving marketing emails from the brand. We never opted in to these emails nor was there any clear notice that our use of their site would opt us into incessant email spam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe very strongly disagree with this practice and we recommend that consumers avoid brands that do this to disincentivize the behavior. It's highly disruptive and not respectful of a user's privacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe urge Laura Geller to stop sending marketing emails to individuals that simply visit their website but do not opt in to marketing emails\u003c\/strong\u003e, and we would recommend that consumers set on purchasing from this brand do so on Amazon to avoid this negative experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan Makeup Ruin the Skin?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGiven that commercial makeup contains a number of questionable ingredients, consumers are often curious about whether its daily use can ruin the skin over time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn a popular YouTube video, a dermatologist named Dr. Dray reviews claims made by actress Jessica Chastain that makeup ruined her skin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u3Hn-grs3ZI\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur Clean Beauty Recommendation\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Makeup_Image_c4bfc919-a9e7-4166-a904-a1ef99e750f9.png?v=1668141089\" alt=\"\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe recommend a product called \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3s7eq4O\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIlia True Skin Serum Foundation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e as our top clean beauty pick for makeup and bronzer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLike Seint, this product is naturally colored with iron oxides and free of questionable additive ingredients like fragrance and artificial dye that are common in commercial cosmetics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIlia’s makeup has natural ingredients beneficial for skin health like aloe vera juice, coconut and jojoba seed oil.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIlia’s makeup is free of the preservative phenoxyethanol in Laura Geller and is also free of synthetic dyes. While it does contain two preservatives (ethylhexylglycerin and sodium benzoate) we consider these to be less harsh options than the preservative in Laura Geller.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe would prefer to recommend a preservative-free makeup product but have not come across one. If we do, we will update this section of the article with that recommendation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eInterested consumers can check out Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3s7eq4O\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eat this Amazon link\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, where it’s available in many shades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLaura Geller Real Customer Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLaura Geller products are sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe brand’s most popular product on Amazon is their Baked Foundation which has been reviewed over 13,000 times. The product has an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Bridgette A White” who appreciates how easy to use the product is:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“As a special effects creator I love good products that feel natural and easy to apply. I was amazed at how easy this goes on and is even better than the mineral makeup I have been using for 15 years faithfully. Smooth and blends will with bronzer\/blush and stayed on all night.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Lorraine” who was unsatisfied with the product’s coverage:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“I finally fell for the ad with Patricia Heaton. I saw ads for this product daily on Facebook. I've been happy with my clean, fine powder makeup, Lily Lolo mineral foundation for years. But Heaton's ad made me wonder if I could do better. I bought it on Amazon so I wouldn't have to pay shipping. I tried it on twice. It looked bad both times. There isn't much coverage. A finer powder gives better coverage.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLaura Geller makeup products seem to be good from an aesthetic perspective. The brand has positive user reviews both on YouTube and on Amazon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe do not recommend either of the brand’s most popular products due to the inclusion of questionable additive ingredients like synthetic preservatives and dye.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe have yet to come across a cosmetic brand that uses entirely non-toxic ingredients, because it’s challenging to create a wide range of colors using naturally-derived ingredients, but we believe there are better options on the market than what Laura Geller offers from a health perspective.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2022-11-10T23:42:43-05:00","updated_at":"2023-06-04T19:34:10-04:00","summary_html":"We review the ingredients in some of Laura Geller's most popular products. We highlight some concerning additive compounds and share real, unsponsored user reviews of the brand including product demos.","template_suffix":"","handle":"laura-geller-review","tags":"_related:cosmetics"}

Laura Geller Makeup Review: Does it Contain Toxic Additives?

Laura Geller Makeup Review: Does it Contain Toxic Additives?


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Read our Editorial Guidelines to learn more about what makes our site the premier resource for online health information.

Laura Geller is a popular cosmetics brand that sells a wide variety of products and is often featured on QVC. The brand was founded by a makeup artist and there’s even a community of devoted customers that call themselves Geller Gals.

But are Laura Geller products better than regular cosmetic products you could find at a drugstore or Ulta? Does the brand contain any questionable chemical additives? And how do real users rate Laura Geller products?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in some of Laura Geller’s most popular products from a health perspective. We’ll review Laura Geller foundation and Laura Geller blush, sharing real customer reviews of both products.

Laura Geller Baked Foundation Review

Laura Geller Baked Foundation ingredients

The most popular Laura Geller product is called Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation. It has a number of questionable additive ingredients that we recommend avoiding.

Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate is an ingredient more commonly referred to as octinoxate, and was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology to be toxic to the environment and to wildlife. This ingredient was recently banned in Hawaii over toxicity concerns.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative. As we referenced in our review of Seint Makeup, this ingredient has been shown to be toxic to human cells in a clinical study.

Chromium oxide green is a synthetic colorant containing the mineral chromium, which was shown in a clinical review to cause contact allergy, skin ulcers and swelling of the skin in some individuals.

This formulation does contain some anti-aging ingredients such as Camellia sinensis leaf extract which was shown in a review published in the Molecules journal to delay visible signs of skin aging like wrinkles.

Overall we do not recommend Laura Geller Baked Foundation due to the presence of three additive ingredients with questionable health effects.

One of the most popular YouTube reviews of this product is published by a creator named “BeyondTheSkinWithMichelle.” The review appears unsponsored and she shares her experience using this foundation, including a live product demo:

Laura Geller Blush Review

Laura Geller Blush ingredients

Another top seller from Laura Geller’s line is their blush product, called Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbleized Blush. 

This product contains two of the additive ingredients we already highlighted in the previous section (phenoxyethanol and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) but has an even worse formulation from a health perspective in our opinion.

Red 7 Lake and Yellow 5 Lake are synthetic dyes that we consider to be even worse choices than the chromium oxide green used in the foundation. A 2012 medical review found that Yellow 5 was frequently contaminated with carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds).

The study focused on the ingestion of these compounds, but we do not recommend using synthetic dyes on the face either, given that there was “evidence for carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and hypersensitivity.”

We do not recommend this product due to the inclusion of synthetic dye and other questionable additives.

A YouTuber named Kristi Bergman published a review of this product that focused more on the aesthetic effects than the health effects. The video is only 5 minutes long and includes a live product demo:

Highly Questionable Marketing Practice

After viewing the Laura Geller website in our research for this article, we started receiving marketing emails from the brand. We never opted in to these emails nor was there any clear notice that our use of their site would opt us into incessant email spam.

We very strongly disagree with this practice and we recommend that consumers avoid brands that do this to disincentivize the behavior. It's highly disruptive and not respectful of a user's privacy.

We urge Laura Geller to stop sending marketing emails to individuals that simply visit their website but do not opt in to marketing emails, and we would recommend that consumers set on purchasing from this brand do so on Amazon to avoid this negative experience.

Can Makeup Ruin the Skin?

Given that commercial makeup contains a number of questionable ingredients, consumers are often curious about whether its daily use can ruin the skin over time.

In a popular YouTube video, a dermatologist named Dr. Dray reviews claims made by actress Jessica Chastain that makeup ruined her skin:

Our Clean Beauty Recommendation

We recommend a product called Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation as our top clean beauty pick for makeup and bronzer.

Like Seint, this product is naturally colored with iron oxides and free of questionable additive ingredients like fragrance and artificial dye that are common in commercial cosmetics.

Ilia’s makeup has natural ingredients beneficial for skin health like aloe vera juice, coconut and jojoba seed oil.

Ilia’s makeup is free of the preservative phenoxyethanol in Laura Geller and is also free of synthetic dyes. While it does contain two preservatives (ethylhexylglycerin and sodium benzoate) we consider these to be less harsh options than the preservative in Laura Geller.

We would prefer to recommend a preservative-free makeup product but have not come across one. If we do, we will update this section of the article with that recommendation.

Interested consumers can check out Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation at this Amazon link, where it’s available in many shades.

Laura Geller Real Customer Reviews

Laura Geller products are sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.

The brand’s most popular product on Amazon is their Baked Foundation which has been reviewed over 13,000 times. The product has an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Bridgette A White” who appreciates how easy to use the product is:

“As a special effects creator I love good products that feel natural and easy to apply. I was amazed at how easy this goes on and is even better than the mineral makeup I have been using for 15 years faithfully. Smooth and blends will with bronzer/blush and stayed on all night.”

The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Lorraine” who was unsatisfied with the product’s coverage:

“I finally fell for the ad with Patricia Heaton. I saw ads for this product daily on Facebook. I've been happy with my clean, fine powder makeup, Lily Lolo mineral foundation for years. But Heaton's ad made me wonder if I could do better. I bought it on Amazon so I wouldn't have to pay shipping. I tried it on twice. It looked bad both times. There isn't much coverage. A finer powder gives better coverage.”

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Conclusion

Laura Geller makeup products seem to be good from an aesthetic perspective. The brand has positive user reviews both on YouTube and on Amazon.

We do not recommend either of the brand’s most popular products due to the inclusion of questionable additive ingredients like synthetic preservatives and dye.

We have yet to come across a cosmetic brand that uses entirely non-toxic ingredients, because it’s challenging to create a wide range of colors using naturally-derived ingredients, but we believe there are better options on the market than what Laura Geller offers from a health perspective.




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