



SHOREWOOD/MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Every day many of you wake up and put on makeup as part of your morning routine, but are you really thinking about what you're putting on skin?



Inside Luxe Salon and Spa in Shorewood, they're not just focused on beauty.



"There's so many things out there that can harm you," said makeup artist Amanda Shallow.





Emma Paulson (left) get her makeup done by Amanda Shallow (right)





Shallow understands that what we put on our skin may look good, but there's other factors to consider.



"There's a lot of things that aren't good for you," Shallow said.



Emma Paulson chooses to get her makeup done by Shallow for that very reason. Paulson may be young, but this 20-year-old has faced a life-changing battle.



"In January 2012, I was diagnosed with leukemia and I went through two-and-a-half years of treatments and chemotherapy," Paulson revealed.



Paulson said her experience with cancer has given her a new perspective on everything, including the products she uses.



"I've just been more conscious of what I put on my body -- especially the makeup, and I've been using more natural products," Paulson said.



Both Paulson and Shallow agree — a lot of women don't really think about what they're putting on their skin.



"They care about the price. They care about the color," Paulson said.



"They just want to buy what they want and don't think too much about it," Shallow said.



Dermatologist Dr. Shilpa Sawardekar agrees it can be tough to look at everything in a single product.



"I take a glance, but it can be very daunting," Dr. Sawardekar said.



Dr. Sawardekar works at Aurora Health Care and says when you're buying cosmetics — look at the label and see if it has sunscreen.





Makeup can protect your skin. Dr. Shilpa Sawardekar recommends buying cosmetics with sunscreen.





"The best ingredient to look for is zinc oxide because that's going to provide really great broad spectrum protection between UVA and UVB rays," Dr. Sawardekar explained.



It's your best protection against skin cancer.



Another thing to remember when buying makeup — less is more.



"Loose powder foundation, in general, has a lot less ingredients than anything that's in a bottle. The reason for that is anything that's liquid automatically requires a lot of preservatives to, basically, prevent bacterial growth," Dr. Sawardekar said.





Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database gives an in-depth look at ingredients inside makeup and skin care products.






If you're worried about preservatives in your cosmetics, you can check them out on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.



All you have to do is put in the name of your product. The database will show what is in it and what it says are potential dangers.



If you want even more information, try out Beautypedia headed by Paula's Choice.



Beautypedia is a one stop shop for complete reviews on cosmetics and skin care products.



"We don't just slather on a bunch of stuff and say, 'oh this cream feels good' or 'this lotion smells nice. We'll recommend that.' We look at what it contains, what the research says, what the company is saying the product can do and then answer that question can it really do that?" explained Bryan Barron, Research and Content Director for Paula's Choice.





Beautypedia, run by Paula's Choice, gives complete reviews on thousands of cosmetics and skin care products.





Bryan says one big thing to remember when buying makeup and skin care products is there are plenty of marketing myths. For example, Bryan says hypoallergenic means nothing.



"That term is completely unregulated. There are no standards anywhere in the world governing its use. Any product can have that on there — regardless of what it contains. It is a marketing term," Bryan revealed.



While you should know what you're putting on your face and body, Dr. Sawardekar says don't be overly concerned.



"As of today, there's no study that shows there's any ingredient, in the concentration that it's in, that can cause any cancer or concerning reaction in a human," Dr. Sawardekar said.



Still, for Paulson, knowing is better.



"A lot of people take their health for granted, but when something big comes and happens that it really changes you," Paulson said.



It's just something to remember the next time you pick up your favorite makeup product.