Mercury Free Mascara by Afterglow Cosmetics

Author: Nirvana Fashion Editor Mon Mar 17, 2008

Starting Jan 1st, 2008 the state wide law banning mercury in mascaras, eye liners and skin-lightening creams took effect in Minnesota.

This bold move to ban mercury in makeup makes the great state of Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban intentionally added mercury in cosmetics and sets a tougher standard than the federal government for regulating cosmetic ingredients. “Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny quantities,” said Sen. John Marty, the Democrat who sponsored the ban. “Every source of mercury adds to it. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t here.”

So your first questions are probably. . .

Why isn’t mercury already banned in cosmetics? Well, that’s a long story but the short version is that the US FDA has banned very, very, very few chemicals in cosmetics. Mercury is not one of them. In fact, Europe, Korea and Japan have banned many chemicals still common in cosmetics in the USA.

I don’t see mercury on my mascara ingredient label. Does that mean it’s mercury free? The actual ingredient name containing mercury is called Thimerosal . It is a mercury-containing organic compound used as a preservative and anti-fungal agent since the 1920s. Thimerosal has been banned around the world but NOT in the US (except for Minnesota).

What should I do now? Ladies, the bottom line in my opinion is actually not about the mercury, but rather, it’s about the lack of regulation in general in the USA for cosmetic ingredient safety. So what’s a girl to do? Most women are not going to become chemists in their spare time to keep up with international cosmetic ingredient regulations to understand if products are safe. Instead, I suggest that you look for companies that are focused on safety and transparency regarding the ingredients they use.

The long awaited, all natural mascara from Afterglow Cosmetics is here! Beautifully lush and all natural, Pure Soul Mascara is available in Onyx (black) and Mink (deep brown).

Why you’ll love Afterglow Pure Soul Mascara:

* It creates rich, luscious lashes that are soft and flexible.

* It’s volumizing, flake proof, smudge proof and clump-free.

* Its all natural formula is rich in soothing organic botanical antioxidants.

* It’s gentle enough for even the most sensitive eyes.

* It’s gluten-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, synthetic dye-free, perfume-free, mercury-free, petrochemical-free, phthalate-free, mineral oil-free, tar-free.

Afterglow Cosmetics is committed to providing effective and safe cosmetics.

We are a Compact Signer for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and ranked as one of the safest cosmetic lines according to the EWG’s Cosmetic Database.

Suggested Retail Price: .00

Shop

http://www.afterglowcosmetics.com/eyes

The Ugly Truth About Commercial Cosmetics

chemicals in cosmeticsI believe most of us take for granted that the popular cosmetics, soaps, lotions and hair care products we buy in our local salons, drug and departments stores are safe. Why as consumers would we be able to buy and use a product on our skin, lips, eyes and hair every day if they were harmful? This wasn’t even a question I had ever asked myself because I was so confident in my products and the well known companies that produce them. I first began investigating cosmetics when I decided to start my own cosmetic company. When I first began investigating the ingredients in my makeup and shower products like soap and shampoo, I was shocked to discover that almost all of them contained not one or two but multiple hard to pronounce, synthetic, very dangerous chemicals.

Over 90% of all ingredients in commercially available cosmetics are of synthetic origin and directly linked to serious health risks like cancer, infertility, kidney and liver disease and severe skin issues. Environmental Working Group report called, “Skin Deep” found that almost 90 percent of the more than 10,000 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated by government regulators. At the same time of the 20,000 different off-the-shelf cosmetic products that are for sales in the US, over 80% of the products surveyed contained one or more ingredients that have caused documented adverse reactions in humans and animals in the past.

The FDA has only banned or restricted only nine personal care product ingredients in its entire 67 year history (FDA 2000). On September 6, 1997 the Boston Globe reported that “The General Accounting Office, the investigative branch of Congress, has identified more than 125 cosmetic ingredients suspected of causing cancer- and others that may cause birth defects.”! Many of the harmful chemicals still used abundantly in cosmetics in the United States have been long banned

in the rest of the world’s countries. Unfortunately, the United States regulatory vacuum gives cosmetic companies incredible leeway to select, manufacture and sell products laden with questionable ingredients, leaving the consumer to ultimately suffer the consequences. Most of the large cosmetic and personal-care companies will tell you not to worry. They agree that there are many chemicals in their products, but say that the quantities are small and will not affect you. At first glance this seems reasonable. Unfortunately, this is a sugar coated public relations response and does not identify the true issue athand. Medical science has proven that humans exposed over time to very small quantities of harmful chemicals do indeed suffer the consequences.

Medical science has proven that even the thin patches we stick to our arms or stomach with very small amounts of pharmaceutical chemicals can very effectively deliver chemicals into the bloodstream, totally changing the body’s chemistry. Trans-dermal patches containing small traces of nicotine can effectively deliver chemicals directly into the bloodstream to alter tobacco cravings. The new contraceptive alternative to the “Pill” is a patch which contains very low levels of hormones and still has the ability to stop a woman from getting pregnant.

The real motivation behind the Cosmetic Industry’s disconcern is money and profit. Chemicals, dyes and fillers mentioned below are found in almost every cosmetic product because they can be manufactured incredibly inexpensively and have a very long shelf life. If they were to discontinue using these chemicals for more healthy alternatives they would be severely cutting their profit margins to give you chemical free beauty products. In this battle their profits supersede your health. As a consumer your only response should be to discontinue using their products.

Large corporations in the personal-care industry are only motivated to be interested in their profits because the United States Government and specifically the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate or require any kind of federal, unbiased testing before a cosmetic or personal-care product hit the shelves. The FDA leaves it up to the cosmetics manufactures to test their own products. In essence, YOU the consumer are the Commercial Cosmetic Industry’s guinea pig. No wonder virtually none of them need to test on animals anymore! The consumer is now the guinea pig of choice!

Currently, the cosmetic companies in North America alone generate over billion in sales each year. Advertising through celebrities, slick magazine and TV ads, they give hope for a brighter, younger complexion, more beautiful hair and sexier features. What they don’t mention is the long list of chemicals that go into that promise. Since the industry is not regulated, many cosmetic companies don’t even bother to list the ingredients on their products.

It is concerning then, in light of all the information we know about the chemicals in the products that we slather on our skin EVERY DAY, that we are not more informed and outraged about the implications of constantly introducing these chemicals into our bodies. Little is known about the long term effects of the petroleum chemicals and synthetic products that we rub into our skin on a daily basis in the form of cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, etc. At this point scientists and researchers know that these chemicals pose a threat to human health and fertility and have been found in our bodies and breast milk. Chemicals found in cosmetics and personal-care products are linked to birth defects, hormone disruption and reduced fertility not to mention more pervasive cosmetic damage such as rashes, mild to severe acne and eczema. Many people use cosmetics and lotions to cure skin issues. Ironically, the products they are using and hoping for a cure are the very same products that are causing the problem!

Even after reading all of this I’m sure you are still thinking, “I doubt the products I use every day have the chemicals you are talking about.” I thought the same thing until I looked into the research of a few different sources like the Environmental Working Group. I had to resort to these research groups since most of my cosmetics don’t list the ingredients anywhere on the packaging. I soon found out that some of my (formerly) favorite cosmetic companies were rated among the worst for toxin levels in their cosmetics.

For more details about the specific chemicals of concern, please visit the Environmental Working Group’s website — click here. Please

Demand for cosmetics and personal care products in general is flourishing, producing great opportunities for suppliers of all labelling products.

One of the driving forces behind this growth is the continual dynamism in the diversity of products in the end-user market, reports a new study by Frost £ Sullivan, the international marketing consulting company.

‘The cosmetics and personal care packaging market still displays significant potential for growth, ‘ says Dr Angela Gunning, research manager at Frost & Sullivan.

Overall, the market for cosmetics and personal care packaging is a mature one, though by no means stagnant, and revenue growth is expected to rise from US.74 billion in 1998 to US.10 billion by the end of the study period in 2005, mainly fuelled by the progressive diversity of products. Frost & Sullivan’s research comprises all those containers that are used for the primary packaging of products within the area of cosmetics and personal care.

Dr Gunning continues: ‘The increasing variety of products is tied to the rising diversity of the product’ packaging. This triggers the growing need for more flexible production. Due to technological advancements, demands for enhanced flexibility are gradually being met. With a wider range of product designs, it is necessary for machinery to be capable of a larger number of shorter production runs.’

Further factors stimulating growth in the European cosmetics and personal care packaging market include the buoyancy of the age range of the target end-user market and the improvement of the recycling potential of all packaging types.

In its review of product markets, Frost & Sullivan’s study confirms the dominance of the plastic bottles sector, accounting for the largest share of all the container types in the cosmetics and personal care packaging market in terms of both volume and revenues. Boosted by the general shift in the market away from glass, the anticipated growth of the male grooming sector and the growing recyclability of plastic bottles, this market is predicted to retain its leading position up to the end of the forecast period.

The growing preference for plastic over glass, recyclability of plastic and the overall  rise in the diversity of end-user products have catapulted the plastic jars market into second place. This market has been showing positive growth in recent years and this trend is expected to continue. Meanwhile, awareness of environmental issues, coupled with the development of new market segments for tubes, coupled with the growth experienced in the market for laminate tubes, are expected to contribute to the continued successful performance of the cosmetics and personal care tubes product sector.

The largest producers of containers for the cosmetics and personal care market in terms of national markets are France and Germany, followed by Italy and the United Kingdom. Containers in the cosmetics and personal care market are increasingly customised and ‘made-to-order’, and there is a real desire for ‘uniqueness’ in the packaging of cosmetics and personal care products, Frost & Sullivan’s study concludes.

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Today, cosmetics, beauty care products have been entering the homes of ordinary people, the beauty cosmetic products is no longer a symbol of status and wealth, but on behalf of a person’s educational level, quality pursuit, life goals, personality characteristics and on fashion sensibility. Cosmetics store with products rich, fashionable, life, has attracted venture investment with huge potential. However, the market has been the lack of features most of the cosmetics shop, some shops is difficult to guarantee product quality, which does not have strong market competitiveness, efficiency is not ideal. Only features, fashion, high-quality products, high quality, personalized service and unique marketing model, is running a cosmetics shop guarantee success.

Beautiful DIY self-made skin care products professional beauty hall of “green, natural, healthy, professional” business philosophy is that all cosmetics store in the most distinctive. Beautiful self-made boutique selling raw materials for all skin care products, health food, are all from the plant herbs, vegetables and fruits in the extraction of natural elements refined, with no artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, the product has a natural, healthy, pro- skin and strong, effective and good features, consumers can rest assured that use. Beautiful design and development of self-made specially for children and pregnant women use skin care products green no side series, is to fill the market gap. Plant the natural cosmetics, health care, beauty concept to modern urban people seeking quality of life, will become the first choice for modern city skin care cosmetics.

DIY beauty care products made from the Museum of professional beauty products not only have characteristics different from the traditional business model also. Self-made beauty shop, a formula for each consultant are professionally trained, familiar with the beauty make-up deployment of knowledge and skills to master technology. Recipe consultant by profession “digital skin test and the care system” for every guest a free skin test, and then the skin by the computer according to the specific circumstances of customers by providing a set of personalized care and beauty program, to complement its skin The lack of beauty and nutritional elements, such as vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, trace elements, sales staff test results according to the computer and provide the care program, targeted customers to use the plants recommended for cosmetic formulations and personal care products formulations. This high-tech approach to provide customers with professional advice, more easily recognized and accepted by customers. Store deployment platform with professional, personalized formula in the formula under the guidance of teachers, customers can adjust the dose of raw materials, to prepare the most suitable for their own skin care products for customers to experience the quality and allocation process, this experience type of marketing model, attracted great interest customers. In addition, the store from time to time to organize activities such as lectures on beauty, makeup beauty care training and experience-sharing sessions and invite members. Beautiful self-made communication has become a modern urban woman fashion beauty tips and contact platform will attract more customers.

Management Tips: For such a “self-made skin care products beauty professional beauty DIY Hall” needs a total investment of 4 to 6 million (including rental shop, fitting fee, initial fee, office equipment acquisition costs, initial purchase price etc.). Shop area of 10 ~ 15 square meters. Should shop in the bustling business district location, high traffic streets or in the high-end living quarters. The renovation of color with the color of packaging, are all white and rosy red line the main color with a full professional, natural, harmonious, stylish feel. In addition to using membership store, but also with social organizations, units of co-education marketing, efficiency is more significant.

Beautiful self-made-benefit analysis: This DIY cosmetics store, due to its unique features, products and distribution models of profits generally higher than ordinary care products or cosmetics shop store is a 25% to 40%. To create beauty from 35 stores to patronize every day computing, transaction success ratio of 30%, per capita consumption of 120 yuan, the monthly sales of 3.8 million, less the product costs and rent, staff salaries and other expenditures, monthly income of 1.2 million, more than three months you can recover the full investment. [Keyword Search]: Cosmetic   Cosmetology   Care Products Large   In   Small

buy cosmetics online Online Makes Shopping Easy

As consumers, we are becoming ever more conscious of the substances we put in or on our bodies.  For women, safe cosmetics are now high on the list.  Many learn the hard way when attempting to cheaply buy cosmetics online.  A splotchy reaction is hardly worth the few dollars saved when there are safe cosmetics like mineral makeup readily found on the market today. 

Safe personal care products like mineral makeup often have multifaceted applications.  Not only will they enhance beauty put they also are cosmetic products which will protect and restore your skin.  The anti aging properties of many organic substances are well known.

safe cosmetics are characterized more by what they lack as opposed to what they have.  Cosmetic products which contain dyes, talc, or aluminum starch octenylsuccinate have been shown to trigger adverse effects in an appreciable number of us.  This is especially so for those prone to allergic reactions.  Safe cosmetics do not contain chemical additives such as these.

Mineral makeup contains loose minerals often containing iron oxide.  This inclusion translates to a salicylate free composition which not only provides great lasting power but also protects at a 25 sun protection factor (SPF).  Safe personal care products help protect you as well as serve their intended cosmetic purpose.  A deodorant can be just as effective without containing alcohol and aluminum chlorhydrate.  Minerals can be a great base for both makeup and deodorant.  Major brand manufacturers unfortunately have not taken this cue.

Safe cosmetics include some you might not ordinarily associate with health concerns.  Many women are unaware that their nail polish can contain ingredients like formaldehyde, camphore and toluene.  Without boring you with a lengthy chemistry lesson, suffice to say you do not want these chemicals perpetually within close proximity to your skin.  This obviously also includes loved ones who may be on your lap as you do your nails.

For some who don’t live near a major city it can be hard to locate safe cosmetics at a traditional storefront location.  Thankfully, the power of the Internet today allows one to buy cosmetics online from the comfort of home without sacrificing selection.  There is a panoply of choice online between many products originated by respected organic brands. 

As there are things to avoid, there are conversely things to look for as signifiers of a safe and organic product.  Some of these include mica, ultramarine blue, and kaolin clay.  Holistic ingredients such as these are hallmarks of a quality product. 

Many women feel an obligation not only to their skin but to the environment as well.  The harsh ingredients found in many cosmetic and other personal care products end up in streams and wetlands after our use.  The reasons to seek healthful cosmetics are varied and compelling.  The Internet removes any excuse as to accessibility.  Look and feel your best with only the finest nature has to offer.

A lot has to do with the FDA, whose decisions appear to be based on the large Pharma corporations and the support they engender in the senate and congress. Potentially harmful substances, such as sodium lauryl sulfate and antifreeze, are allowed to be used in skin care products where such products are known to be harmful. However, that is totally irrelevant to this article which is intended primarily to explain the terms ‘ethical’ and ‘natural’ in reference to cosmetics and other personal care products.

Here are some aspects of ethical products that you should be aware of before you make any decision on which personal care product to use.

Animal Testing Animal testing might be necessary in some instances where it could save human life, and with regard to research into drugs and medicines, it can be argued that animal research has done, and will continue to do, a lot to progress the development of drugs that have saved a great deal of human life and suffering.

While arguments can be made in this respect, and generally agreed to by the majority of people, why should we agree to blinding animals with increasing amounts of corrosive chemicals to determine how much can be used in a shampoo? Highly corrosive and toxic substances such as ethanolamine, antifreeze and EDTA have been tested on animals to the extreme in order to enable big business to produce cosmetic care products that are not harmful to humans. What’s wrong with the natural products that we already knew to be non-harmful? Money!

There are many ethical products on sale to cover all of your cosmetic needs and personal care needs without having to purchase those have had caused animal suffering. Hair care, skin care, facial products and many, many more are available online that have never seen an animal because they are natural products such as coconut oil, olive oil or shea nut extracts.

Recyclable Packaging

The planet is dying under billions of tons of waste generated to package consumer goods. Surely we can use recyclable packaging for all goods in this modern age when there is no need to use materials that can only be disposed as landfill. Ethical cosmetics and natural cosmetic products use recyclable packaging that does not degrade in landfill and pollute the water table.

Natural Cosmetic Products

Natural products are extracted from natural sources, organically grown where at all possible. A combination of long use as cosmetics and personal care products and scientific analysis has proved them to be safe and effective in achieve the results for which they are being offered. A combination of natural phytochemicals, antioxidants, moisturizers and exfoliants that help keep your skin and hair in perfect condition is surely better than a decocotion of synthetic chemicals produced from crude oil, and used as degreasers, detergents, antifreeze, floor cleaners and so on.

Yes, that is just a small example of the type of chemicals used in today’s cosmetics and skin and hair care products. Add to that substances that can cause hair loss and skin lesions and you are getting a pretty good idea of how big business is pulling the wool over our eyes with regard to the contents of their products.

Nobody doubts that natural is best, not even those that try to emulate nature with synthetics, but money comes first and if you would rather pay less for products containing these substances, then that is your decision. However, don’t complain when, in several years time, you start to regret it when you develop allergies or your skin starts to erupt with unwelcome spots, blotches and irritation.

Fair Trade

The Fair Trade project involves paying workers in developing countries a fair wage for their work and the products they produce for the West. For too long, such people have been exploited and paid a pittance to increase the profits of the fat cats in America and Europe, and the Fair Trade project was developed to resolve that.

You should use Fair Trade products as much as you can in order to be able to say that at least you, personally, are not exploiting these poor people and are doing your best to help them earn a decent living.

Ethical Products are Affordable

If you purchase products that conform to the standards of ECOCERT and use the Cosmébio label, then you will avoid all of these problems, you will feel better within yourself and you can be certain that you are using products that are not only good for you, but also good for the future of your children and grandchildren.

There are aspects of ethical and natural cosmetic products that transcend price, although there is not as much price difference between natural and synthetic cosmetic products as most believe there to be. Natural cosmetics make you look and feel better without hurting your pocket: they are affordable and will do your skin, your hair and your entire body a lot more good than the synthetic products that disguise themselves with the term ‘personal care’ products.

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Many are loaded with carcinogens. Go organic if you want to protect your skin and health.

I don’t know whether it is apocryphal or true but I once read a charming story about the way the French choose a melon based on the day it’s to be served! That’s why the classical beauty of French women is so well-established.

That’s lovely and civilized.

Did you know that in September 2004, the European Union passed a rule banning hundreds of known or probable carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxicants from cosmetics? Yet in the United States, neither cosmetic products nor their ingredients are reviewed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being sold.

The cosmetic industry in the US is virtually unregulated. Almost any substance — no matter how toxic –can be used in a cosmetic product. The result is that almost every body care product that you are currently using, face creams, hair spray, deodorants, toothpaste, shampoo, skin lotion, makeup, soap is loaded with chemicals which are decidedly harmful for you and on which no safety test has ever been conducted.

In Make-Up Call: Beauty Care Doesn’t Have to Be a Chemical Stew, author Erickson, K gives the following list of toxic chemicals in beauty products:

Formaldehyde, used as a preservative and disinfectant, is a suspected carcinogen often found in shampoos;

Listed as FD&C or D&C colors, Coal Tar is a common ingredient in cosmetics, hair dyes and dandruff shampoos. Found to cause cancer, it’s also been linked to frequent allergic reactions, including asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness and lack of concentration;

Both Benzene and Toluene are found in nail polishes and removers. Used as solvents, they are highly toxic and can cause depression and convulsions, or induce coma or death;

Propylene glycol, a solvent used for texture and stability, can cause allergic reactions. Frequently used in cosmetics, it’s also found in brake fluid and antifreeze.

Nitrosamines, though not primary ingredients in cosmetics, are also cautionary chemicals. According to Dr. Aubrey Hampton, founder of Aubrey Organics, nitrosamines are formed when two otherwise safe ingredients, nitrous acid and amines, are combined. Readily absorbed into the skin, the result is highly carcinogenic. “In fact,” says Hampton, “nitrosamines are absorbed through the skin in far greater amounts than when nitrite-preserved foods [such as bacon] are eaten.” To avoid the problem, he advises steering clear of products containing DEA or TEA in the name. For example, TEA-lauryl sulfate or Cocoamide DEA.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that male reproductive problems, including undescended testicles and hypospadias, doubled between 1970 and 1993. Environmental chemicals were strongly suspected to be contributing factors. Meanwhile, several recent reports also highlight the presence of low-level concentrations of potential reproductive or developmental toxicants, particularly phthalates, in cosmetics and personal care products.

In June 2004, Environment California issued Growing Up Toxic: Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Diseases, which details chemicals found in consumer products and their potential health impacts. Other reports released around the same time by the Environmental Working Group (Skin Deep: A Safety Assessment of Ingredients in Personal Care Products) and Friends of the Earth (Shop Till You Drop? Survey of High Street Retailers on Risk; Chemicals in Products 2003-2004) support Environment California’s publication. (Barrett, 2005)

According to these three reports, makeup, shampoo, skin lotion, nail polish, and other personal care products contain chemical ingredients that lack safety data. Moreover, some of these chemicals have been linked in animal studies to male genital birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and altered pregnancy outcomes. Although there is no definitive evidence for the same effects in humans, but widespread exposure, primarily to phthalates, has been shown to occur. Phthalates, as key components in plastics, appear in many consumer products. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. Worse, very often, their presence is not mentioned on the labels!

Small wonder that alarmed by these reports, consumers the world over are now resorting to safe, organic products, even if they cost a wee bit extra.

According to available market estimates, the global billion business in organic products is not inspiring farmers to devote 11.5 million hectares–roughly the size of Cuba to a cultivation of nothing but organic produce.

In every nation for which data exist, farmers are bringing between 10 and 40 percent more land under organic cultivation each year, and a recent U.N. survey found commercial organic food production in every inhabited nation on the planet! Organic cultivation now accounts for nearly 3 percent of all the farmland in the European Union. In Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Switzerland, it accounts for 5 to 10 percent, in the United States and Canada, organic area in cultivation has grown between 15 and 20 percent and in some Austrian provinces as much as 50 percent!

I wouldn’t like to play favourite or endorse brands, as I believe that an informed consumer should be his own chooser, what I would recommend is that read all the labels carefully before buying any beauty or health product.

The key to your safety lies in reading the ingredient lists carefully, especially the fine print. Until ingredient bans are adopted worldwide, it’s best to read labels. Further, instead of using sun screen creams or mosquito repellants on your children, a better alternative is to wear protective clothing, avoid tick-prone areas, and stay indoors when the sun or mosquitoes are out. Soybean oil and some botanical oils, such as citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, and cedarwood, also repel bugs

Chemicals and toxins are everywhere and often we don’t realise it. Until I suffered from mercury poisoning causedby my dental amalgam fillings I had no idea the second most toxic substance on the planet was inside my mouth!

That shocking revelation led me to investigate further why my son has autism and I am convinced it is due to the toxic preservatives used in childhood vaccines. What insanity allows people to knowingly inject thimerosal (a mercury derivative), aluminium and formaldehyde (both toxic substances) into seemingly healthy young children when their immune system is only just developing?

Both of us have improved tremendously since SAFELY chelating for heavy metals but have been left questioning if the products we are offered every day are actually as beneficial as we are led to believe.

Inevitably our health is linked life style choices and some areas we can control but I find it amazing that over 85,000 synthetic chemicals have been approved by the Environment Protection Agency but not tested for long-term health effects either individually or in combination. Many of them are found in your bathroom.

I used to be a sun worshipper but now understand the healthiest tan is no tan at all. My skin now reveals numerous areas of sun related damage.

Skin cancer is caused by excessive exposure to intense sunlight and the sun’s A,B and C rays. You can protect yourself from sun damage by limiting exposure, staying covered as much as possible and using a high quality NON-TOXIC lotion that blocks out the full spectrum of solar rays. However, many over the counter sun block creams and lotions contain known carcinogens and toxic chemicals which build up over time and predispose sun bathers to melanoma.

Health and beauty do not always go hand in glove.

The skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body. It is a two-way membrane. Toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed into the body, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands. In one square inch of skin you have 65 hairs and 100 sebaceous glands which means anything you put on your skin is likely to be absorbed. That would be good news if you only received the beneficial ingredients but unfortunately the skin isn’t that selective.

You see there is very little regulation over the ingredients used by Cosmetic manufacturers. Infact, according to the FDA

“Cosmetics and their ingredients are not required to undergo approval before they are sold. Manufacturers can use any ingredient, except for 10 prohibited substances,without government review”.

That’s a bit worrying as there are 10,500 ingredients contained in health and beauty products available in stores today. Only 11% of them have been assessed by the industry’s own safety review panel which means 89% have never been tested.

Many manufacturers will argue these ingredients are used in such small quantities they can do no harm. However, it is the toxic build up over time and the chemicals created when ingredients react together that has the potential to cause health damage to you and your family.

According to The Environmental Working Group

More than one-third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient linked to cancer

57% contain penetration enhancer chemicals that can drive other ingredients faster and deeper into the skin to the blood vessels below

70% of all products contain ingredients that may contain harmful impurities such as known carcinogens (according to FDA or industry reviews)

The bottom line is the more products you use on your skin, the more chemicals you absorb.

Related personal care Video:

Despite the known dangers associated with many of the ingredients in cosmetics, skin care and personal care products, some manufacturers continue to use them. This is because they are inexpensive and can be used to produce items that can be marketed successfully at huge profits. Health doesn’t appear to be an issue.

You can of course check the safety data of products as Federal regulations require ingredients to be listed on labels in descending order by quantity. Usually if you break the list into thirds, the top third will be 90 – 95% of the product, the middle will be 5 – 8% and the bottom will be 1 -3%.

You can check the safety data sheets on all ingredients but problems occur when the manufacturers do not list the recognised INCI (International Names of Cosmetic Ingredients). Instead they use either made up names or complex chemical trade names making it very difficult for the average consumer to look up.

The list of potentially harmful ingredients is long. The best advice is to read the labels on your toothpaste, shampoo, moisturizer, deodorant and cosmetics. If you can’t pronounce them – don’t use them!

Of course the safest course of action is to seek out natural and organic products but even here you have to beware. Some unscrupulous manufacturers mislead their customers with false labels. The industry’s definitions (whilst legal) are not the same as those in the dictionary and which the majority of consumers would expect.

For instance the chemical definition of “organic” is ‘a compound that contains a carbon atom’. Since carbon is found in anything that has ever lived, certain cosmetic companies use synthetic chemicals derived from petroleum products and describe them as “organic preservatives”.

Also you will find descriptions of “derived from (some sort of natural ingredient)” which lulls you into a false sense of security. You see it means a chemical process has taken place and it is no longer “natural”.

The only way to ensure you get 100% synthetic chemical and toxic free products is to look for the recognized Certified Organic logos.

In order to be Certified Organic, products must contain at least 95% organically produced agricultural ingredients (excluding water and salt). The remaining 5% can be non agricultural substances or non organically produced agricultural ingredients with strict processing criteria, e.g. NO GMO’s and absolutely NO SYNTHETIC
CHEMICALS.

Organic products only have to contain at least 70% organically produced agricultural ingredients (excluding water and salt) but again the remaining 30% have to follow the same strict processing criteria, e.g. NO GMO’s and absolutely NO SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS.

However, currently, body care products are not required to comply with the stringent organic food standards maintained by International certification bodies such as the BFA and NASAA in Australia and the USDA in America. As a result many so called “organic” body care products are on the market. Since water is the primary ingredient in many cosmetics, some manufacturers claim to use organic hydrosols, or floral water, to green wash their products. They then make organic label claims whilst still using synthetic toxic ingredients that would NEVER be allowed in organic food products.

Fortunately one company produces an entire range of skin, personal and body care products which are entirely genuinely “organic”. Most of their items are Certified Organic to Food Standards which means you could even eat them and they wouldn’t do you any harm although this is not a recommendation.

They are the only company on the planet to have submitted their products for third party independent certification so their integrity is assured. Also you can actually pronounce all the beneficial active ingredients listed.

If you care for your health I recommend you read the labels.

Related personal care Video:

It is becoming more and more well known that some skin care products and cosmetics contain dangerous ingredients. Some at least are “known to cause cancer” and others are suspect, and there is no requirement for the FDA to test cosmetics and skin care and anti aging products for either their safety, or how well they work.

And the fact that so many of them don’t work is a minor issue next to the issue of product safety.

There is a way to tell if the brand name skin care and anti aging products, or cosmetics, are manufactured by a company that is committed to producing safe products or not.

It’s called the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics.

The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics is a consumer campaign that began in 2002 following the release of a report entitled “Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products and the FDA.” It reported that, to paraphrase, around 5% of the 20 – 4- year old women tested by the CDC are getting too many “Pthalates” than was previously thought, (up to 45 times more) and that “Pthalates” are dangerous.

That overexposure to “Pthalates” can, according to animal studies, “damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system, especially the developing testes”.

How did the women get exposed to these “Pthalates”?

From their cosmetics and personal care products and beauty products. And from some other sources too. And as only a tiny percentage of these products were tested it’s not known how many personal care and cosmetics and anti aging skin care products are suspect. Three quarters of the personal care products contained this ingredient and didn’t say so on the label.

Hence the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics was formed, to push for safe cosmetics and personal care products.

How can the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics help you establish that your skin care products are safe for your use? By means of a pledge that they have. Companies that are committed to selling safe cosmetics and safe skin care products can sign the pledge.

Signing the pledge pledges that company to “not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in their products and to implement substitution plans that replace hazardous materials with safer alternatives in every market they serve”.

So if the products that you use are made by a company that has signed the pledge you can tell that their skin care products are safe. If you are using skincare products made by a company that hasn’t signed the pledge then you have no idea if these products are safe or not.

And, as I mentioned previously, many of those don’t work either.

There are some excellent natural skin care products available made from organic ingredients by companies that have signed the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics pledge. They work very well, unlike many of the mainstream products, and you can use them on yourself with confidence.

However the big brand name companies don’t make them. The best of them is a small niche skin care company that I’ll bet you’ve never even heard of before.

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Bharatbook.com is glad to announce a new report titled “Cosmetics and Personal Care Market in Brazil”.

Brazil has placed itself as one of the fastest growing and emerging markets on cosmetics and personal care industry landscape. Being the largest market in Latin America and one of the top five cosmetics & personal care markets in the world, Brazil offers immense investment opportunities for companies around the world. With rising cosmetic consumption, coupled with increasing income level, demand of cosmetics & personal care products will further shoot in Brazil.

Brazil offers low cost manufacturing facilities and has well developed infrastructure with government support that is making the country an idle destination to establishing cosmetic and toiletries production base and target export market. Also, as the country has a large consumer base, manufacturers can easily tap the domestic market.

“Cosmetics and Personal Care Market in Brazil” provides an in-depth analysis of the present and future prospects of the Brazilian cosmetic and toiletries industry. It looks into the industry in detail with focus on major players, distribution network, driving forces, and opportunities critical to the success of the industry at micro level. 

Key Findings

Per capita consumption of cosmetics and personal care products in Brazil is expected to increase at a CAGR of 15.49% during 2008-2011.
Skin care market, one of the major segments in the cosmetics & personal care industry, is projected to clock in a CAGR growth of 22% during 2008-2011.
Sales growth of hair care products is anticipated to attain a CAGR of 19% during 2008-2011.
Color cosmetics sale in Brazil is likely to move up at a CAGR of 18% from 2008 to 2011.
Rising cosmetic consumption in Brazil will stimulate the demand for chemicals in the cosmetics & personal care industry to US$ 12.83 Billion by 2011.
Pharmacy sales of male cosmetics in Brazil are expected to rise to 20% by 2010.
Hair care products accounted for more than 25% (expected) of the total cosmetics & personal care market in 2007.

For further information kindly visit: http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=71774

OR Contact us at
 
Bharat Book Bureau
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Phone: +91 22 2757 8668 / 2757 9438
Fax: +91 22 2757 9131
E-mail: info@bharatbook.com
Website: www.bharatbook.com

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