The sun and our immune system.
The skin of a 70Kg adult male would weigh just over 11Kg (16%). With such a big potential for damage, it makes sense that our immune system is turned down (dimmed) when we step out in the sun.
If like me, you get cold sores as a memento from your day on the beach you would tend to agree that the sun is definitely putting your immune system under stress but is it? When it comes to the sun and our skin a bit of immunosuppression is actually a good thing.
If our bodies didn’t turn down our immune reaction when out in the sun, small sunburn could turn into an anaphylactic shock rather than just a prickly rash – I know what I would rather have! So, rather than thinking that the sun is putting our immune system under stress we should look at it as our immune system giving us a second chance – like it already knows that we are going to over do it!
And the cold sores? Well, for those who harbor this virus in the body, the immunosuppression action of the sun leaves the gate open just enough for the cold sore virus to kick in. Unfortunately, that is the pay off.
So, rather than trying to fight our natural responses we should assist the body by using sunscreen, boosting our general health (so that we deal with stresses more efficiently) and getting enough rest (strung out bodies tend to over-react. I know from personal experience!).
Enjoy the sun safely and if you want to read up on cold sores some more then check this out.
Big in Japan – Zinc based sunscreens with a twist
Here in Australia we (well the natural side of the market) have an obsession with zinc-only sunscreens and as such I have spent much of the last three years working on various ways to marry a high SPF with a great skin feel. While it is possible to tick both boxes it isn’t easy and that’s why I occasionally resort to showing my clients some Asian magic.
When it comes to sunscreen elegance I’ve never failed to be impressed by what comes out of Asia and more specifically Japan. In Japan sunscreens are quasi drugs and as such are regulated much more closely than general cosmetics. Laws in Japan mean that you can claim whatever SPF you can validate (Australia currently has a limit of SPF 30 plus but is close to changing that to SPF 50 plus) and so it is common to find products offering SPF 50, 60 and even 100 which, in reality is more than most of us would ever need but very reassuring. On top of that Japan uses the PA method to communicate UVA protection and is derived by measuring the delayed pigmentation changes occurring after sun exposure. PA levels range from +, ++ and +++ with +++ offering the best protection.
One of the best zinc dominant sunscreens that I’ve found from this region is from the Kao Corp (another is from Shiseido) as it is light weight, ghosting-free and has an SPF of 50 plus. So what has it got that my zinc sunscreens havent?
Plenty!
Japan has to be the home of skin tactic silicone technology and while My Australian customers are after ‘natural’ the Japanese are more interested in the feel and there is nothing quite like silicone for that light, oil-free touch.
On top of that the top Japanese brands know the value of blending actives and while the lead UV filter is zinc it is supported the synthetic workhorse ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate – a commonly used UVB filter and a little bit of titanium dioxide to boot!
Protection is also increased monumentally by the help of a few choice film forming technologies of while none are natural! This one contains functional silicones and acrylamide polymers.
Further the emollients used (the feel enhansers) include the synthetic-but-silky-feeling PEG-12 Dimethicone and dry feeling hydrogenated polyisobutene.
Of course this product does contain some natural ingredients including a chamomile extract to help whiten the skin (whitening sunscreens are not something that Australian regulators encourage) not the bits that make this product feel so amazing which leaves me with a dilemma!
So far I can report that it has been possible to get an all natural zinc sunscreen with a lighter touch but getting beyond SPF 30 without resorting to some kind of synthetic polymer has proved a challenge too far for me at least!
So, my question is does it really matter?
Is SPF 30, all natural but not-quite-so-elegant enough or do we want the whole Japanese experience? Only you can answer that and when you do, I’ll be waiting with my homogeniser and spatula!
Whatever you do play safe!
Ingredients: water, cyclopentasiloxane, zinc oxide, alcohol, dimethicone, ethyl hexyl methoxycinnamate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, hydrogenated polyisobutene, glycerine, poly silicone-9, lauryl methacrylate/ sodium methacrylate cross polymer, magnesium sulfate, methyl gluceth-20, methicine, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone cross polymer, dextrin palmitate, squalene, tocopherol, tocopherol, cetyl dimethicone, fragrance, aluminium hydroxide, silica, chamomile flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, orange fruit extract, lemon fruit extract, CI 77891.
PS: It is interesting to note (maybe) that in the EU Titanium Dioxide is the preferred mineral sunscreen filter of choice rather than zinc. From my perspective that would have been a whole lot easier to work with but somewhere somebody told us all it had to be zinc. Dam that idiot!!!!
ASAP – Winter Skin Tips
I often get press releases about new product launches and the like and while I feel that I should share them all with you I often don’t. That’s mainly (but not always) because most press releases aren’t that interesting to be quite honest and I’m pretty sure that most of my readers come here for commentary, insights and info rather than the ‘what’s new’ as there are many other blogs that do that better than me. Anyway, today is a little different as I have just received this from ASAP and thought that it would be quite interesting to look at and think through. So, here we go.
Winter Radiance With ASAP.
Winter can really challenge the health of our skin, often resulting in dryness and damage. Cold winter air lacks humidity and dries up natural oils in your skin, causing it to lose its moisture. Winter wind chills can also cause chapping and windburn. This leads to rough, cracked skin that can feel tight and uncomfortable. The obvious solution might be to stay inside, but indoor heating also dries out the air. This makes it especially important to use the right skin care products.
Rest assured that ASAP can assist in planning a simple and effective winter skin care regime that will provide the necessary defence to keep the skin looking and feeling its best.
Moisturise & Exfoliate
In the cooler months it is important to layer the skin care just as we layer our clothes. This is particularly relevant to moisturising and increasing hydration levels in the skin. Every morning after cleansing, step up the hydration with an extra rich cream; this should be applied alongside a regular SPF daily moisturiser. Try ASAP advanced hydrating moisturiser, this high-performance, lightweight cream provides the necessary hydration to rejuvenate and repair dry, dehydrated and damaged skin. It contains a proven combination of Vitamins, Antioxidants, and Ceramides to stimulate collagen production and restore the skin. Coenzyme Q10 targets the signs of ageing, it assists to strengthen and protect the capillary network whilst re-energising the skin cells. Added Ceramides also work to bolster the skin’s moisture barrier and help to increase its moisture content.
RB: This all sounds like jolly good advice to me. Our bodies contain around 70% water and heaters, dry winds and changing temps can dehydrate us quickly. The ingredients that they are talking about are also pretty good.
For additional hydration and conditioning, use ASAP ultimate hydration, a super nourishing cream that delivers visible results to dry and prematurely aged skin, while noticeably improving skin elasticity, tone and texture. This emollient rich cream can be applied daily or at night as a moisturising treatment.
RB: Very dry skin can benefit from a thicker, more nourishing cream but I would note, if your skin is super dry, cracked and raw then I’d be careful with any highly active product as your skin could become very stingy very quickly. In these cases I use something like an aqueous cream and keep layering it on often.
Exfoliation is necessary during winter, especially as we add in additional products, which can result in a build up. A regular exfoliation routine will remove the accumulation of dead skin cells and unblock pores. It will also stimulate circulation and prepare the skin for any moisturising and hydrating treatments that follow. For the face try, ASAP daily exfoliating scrub. This popular product contains smooth, round beads and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that work together to gently remove dead skin cells and unclog pores without irritation, while improving penetration for moisturisers and anti-ageing treatments.
For the body, try ASAP revitalising bodyscrub. It contains AHA Glycolic Acid to effectively exfoliate the skin, while stimulating collagen production and cell renewal. The smooth, round exfoliating beads, combined with AHAs, will noticeably refine, repair and revitalise the skin, making it noticeably smoother and more radiant.
RB: Exfoliating can help with circulation and can boost your radiance but be careful if your skin has got very dry and cracked. Don’t exfoliate at all if your skin is in that shape, first repair and normalise.
Protect & Correct
In winter, as the skin becomes more vulnerable to the elements, it is beneficial to include a revitalising serum to counteract any damage that can age the skin. A serum penetrates and hydrates cells in the lower layer of the skin so that when they rise to the surface; they are plumper and healthier, which results in more radiant looking skin.
ASAP Super C serum is a big step forward in the quest to give skin every chance to be at its best, which can be especially challenging in winter. This revitalising serum combines the antioxidant powers of 20% Vitamin C, Idebenone and Pycnogenol, creating a unique formulation that rejuvenates the skin, reduces the effects of ageing, whilst also improving skin tone and texture. It is the ideal daily serum for anyone desiring healthy, glowing skin.
At night, boost the skin with ASAP super A serum. This advanced anti-ageing revitalising treatment protects against the signs of ageing by stimulating cell renewal and collagen production. It provides great results in terms of skin tone and texture. The retinol-enriched formulation, in combination with Vitamin E, makes it the ideal treatment for winter damaged skin that has lost its vitality, elasticity and moisture.
RB: This all sounds good too. Vitamin A is a great skin repair vitamin and can help to reduce wrinkles and age spots. Just be aware that vitamin A breaks down with air and water very quickly – in just a couple of months the active part can be all gone. Be sure to store any vitamin A containing products carefully and use them quickly (but as prescribed as you don’t want to over do it).
SPF protection is also a significant part of an effective winter skin care routine. ASAP makes it easy to maintain the necessary defence against harmful winter UV rays with ASAP sheer tint moisturiser SPF15. This light textured, hydrating, tinted moisturiser provides protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays. Scientifically formulated and enriched with natural antioxidants, Pomegranate and White Tea, for healthy looking skin, this beauty essential combines the benefits of great skin care with a light sun kissed foundation for a complexion that glows.
RB: In Australia the dry, fresh and clear winter days can be a killer in terms of sun damage so yes I agree, sun protection in winter is a must and when it comes to sun protection, broad spectrum is the term to look out for (UVA and UVB coverage as discussed above).
For additional SPF15 protection and flawless coverage, try asap pure mineral make-up, featuring revolutionary skin brightening active, chromabrightTM and Hyaluronic Acid Microspheres, to help reduce the signs of ageing. asap pure mineral make-up blends in naturally to minimise the appearance of those winter concerns whilst caring for the skin.
RB: I have tested mineral make-up for SPF in the lab and they work very well, especially if placed over a hydrating cream base.
Proudly Australian made and owned, ASAP Skin Products keeps the process simple by offering a concise range of easy-to-use, effective products, suitable for all skin types. With ASAP it is easy to achieve healthy radiant skin for every season. ASAP is exclusively available from skin care professionals including plastic surgeons, physicians, dermatologists and beauty therapists nationally.
RB: Overall I quite like this range as it is made to a high standard and contains a sensible range of actives with good efficacy data. The fact that it is Australian made is good for all of us locals and as I have seen it in plenty of medi spa’s and laser clinics which I do think is important as their business rests on results. Worth a try but do go easy with your skin care this winter, especially if your skin is struggling.
For additional product information, imagery or sample requests please contact Jonathan Correll at ASAP Skin Products on (03) 8683 3333 or email creative@asapskinproducts.com
L’Occitane Lavender Vinegar
I spotted this little gem in a local gift shop and just had to have some. The point of it is to help clear up spots and blemishes quickly as the lavender has some soothing, anti-bacterial and healing properties while the acidic nature of the vinegar is both toning (de-greasing) and anti-bacterial. Together this makes for a rather elegant way to rid ones self of those nasty pimples without feeling like a teenager all over again. Oh la, la!
Ingredients: Alcohol (to help dry up and sanitise spots), water, Lavender oil, vinegar.
I am wondering how they got the lavender to mix in this without a solubiliser……. If I find out I’ll tell you.
Extrinsic Ageing – The role of the sun.
Our obsession with holding back the ravages of time has lead to us spending billions of dollars on anti-ageing products. As you can’t change your genes, most of the efficacy in anti-ageing comes from protecting the skin against the ravages of the environmental excess.
Intrinsic ageing = blame your mother (it’s nothing personal, it’s in the genes). Extrinsic ageing = sun + pollution + lifestyle choices.
Collagen and Elastin are the skins scaffolding, a collapse or weakening of this leads to dermal atrophy or wrinkles. Excessive sun exposure over and above the level that the skin can comfortably tolerate (at or below the MED) we start to see changes in the skin metabolism.
The suns role in extrinsic ageing
There is an increased in MMP activity. MMP or Matrix Metalloproteinase is an enzyme that works to break down the structural proteins in the skin. In non sun-exposed skin it is present in low levels where it works to destroy tissues that are mal-functioning or no longer required. In sun damaged skin it becomes over active and destroys otherwise good tissue.
GAGs and Hyaluronic acid – essential components of the extracellular matrix, which fill the gaps between the structural proteins in the skin, function to keep it hydrated and ordered. The activity of these two chemicals has been found to be greatly reduced and disordered when exposed to excessive UV radiation. The implications of this are that the skin, our largest organ comprised of 70% water is left dry and exposed which in turn leaves us susceptible to microbial and environmental attack.
AP-1 or (activator protein 1) and TGF (transforming growth factor beta) are transcription factors that regulates gene expression including cytokines and growth factors. Importantly in the skin it controls apoptosis or cell death, which is of vital importance for the general health and wellbeing of the skin. An out-of-balance AP-1 or TGF factor could lead to damaged cells living on and replicating while healthy cells are attacked and destroyed. Either way the result will be prematurely aged skin.
While the scientist in the laboratory may be able to identify, measure and categorize photo biological effects, it is only when the knowledge is applied and observed in-vivo (on real skin rather than in a test tube) that we gain meaning and perspective. That is one reason why in focusing on ‘fixing’ an individual pathways the cosmetic chemist may fail to achieve the desired result.
When it comes to truth, the eyes have it 
Enjoy your sun safely and beautifully.
Amanda
Adapting to the Sun.
Following on from yesterdays overview ‘Our Place Under The Sun’ today I want to explore the body/ sun relationship in a bid to find out if the perfect sunscreen can even exist.
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Plant a water-lily in the desert and it will get sunburn. Plant desert cacti in the rainforest and its roots will soon rot.
Why is it that we now seem to see the sun as something dangerous? Is it something to be feared and avoided at all costs? Will age you, give you cancer and cause your immune system to go into free-fall? A quick look through the blog posts coming out of the northern hemisphere would lead you to thinking that we are waging a war against the sun. I wanted to find out how something once revered is now vilified and in order to do that I thought it best to start at the very beginning.
Melanin.
Desert dwelling cacti have evolved to deal with the suns full force. They have no leaves to preserve water and use hairs, spines and sometimes wax to protect them from the sun. So, it would seem that plants do indeed wear sunscreen. The problem that people have is our desire to explore and our natural sunscreen may not be able to keep pace with our sense of adventure. We invented boats, trains then planes to take us everywhere. While this travelling has proved to be of great benefit to humankind, it has contributed to our sun-hate relationship! Take me for example. I have a skin type of 1 according to the Fitzpatrick scale – just call me burney! I chose to move to Australia with my family five years ago and while the intensity of the sun did lead me to think “is this wise for someone so melanin deficient?” I, along with my equally white family decided to come anyway. Now if I were a plant I would have shriveled and died by now without lots of care, as a person I have managed to live in near perfect harmony with the sun until now. BUT to do that comes with strings attached.
Looking at this it would seem that the problem lies not in the sun but with our wanderlust, many of us are simply living in the wrong place for our skin! But we want choice with regards to where we live, need it, thrive with it even and so dutifully crawling back under our rocks or gliding back to our deserts is not the way to go. We just need to deal with it.
The Ever Changing Sun.
The sun is not static in this equation, its power ebbs and flows with each hour, day, month and year. In addition, the energy that reaches us from the sun is affected by pollution and has been changed somewhat thanks to the hole in the ozone layer that sits right over Australia and New Zealand. We really do need to think about this!
Evolution takes a long time, far longer than it takes for man to create a new chemical or process and therefore as the pollution and ozone hole that we now live under are relatively new we have little natural protection from them. Between the mid nineties and mid 2000′s one study looking at MED’s (Minimal erythema doses or time it takes to burn) noticed a distinct drop in time. For example someone who in 1995 took 10 minutes to burn was burning in only 7 minutes ten years later. This small study drew attention to the fact that something might be happening out there and more importantly, our bodies weren’t prepared for it. Maybe that’s why despite people wearing sunscreens more nowadays some types of skin cancer are still on the rise.
The ozone layer is a gaseous barrier that surrounds the earth, shielding us from the bulk of UVB irradiation and making it possible for life as we know it to continue. Strip the ozone layer away and we would fry as would many plants and animals who have also evolved with little natural protection against the sun in all it’s non-abaited glory. The ‘hole’ is actually changing the quality of UV radiation that reaches us and that is bad news as this change in quality has the same effect on our bodies as moving us to a whole new planet – we just aren’t equip for it.
So is there any hope of making the perfect sunscreen?
So, melanin is our natural sunscreen and as such is the bodies ‘perfect’ sunscreen in as much as it evolved both to protect us and help us thrive. However, the sun that reaches us is forever changing thanks in part to our activities here on earth and as such it looks likely that there is no real chance of us evolving or creating a situation of perfect skin/ sun harmony. Manufacturers are currently looking at a number of ways of boosting our skins natural SPF including oral supplements, special diets, antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids built into sunscreens and sunscreens with broader UV coverage but all of these have limits. It looks likely that in this modern world with ozone holes, global travel and atmospheric pollution us formulators will have to use every trick in the book to keep us safe, well and able to claim our place under the sun. What a challenge!
Tomorrow we will look at how our skin uses the sun for good as we explore the wonderful world of vitamin D.
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the IAB Women in Science International Symposium on The Science of Health, Beauty and Ageing at Unisel, the University of Selangor. With such a large and interesting topic to explore it took me a week or so to work out what I wanted to share but before long I have decided that it had to be something about the sun. I find the the philosophical, psychological and biological impact of the sun deeply fascinating and can’t wait to share my presentation with you. Terima Kasih x
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Now is the time to unite the soul and the world. Now is the time to see the sunlight dancing as one with the shadows. Rumi.
The science behind sun protection is meaningless without an understanding and appreciation of our place and purpose under the sun. We are living in challenging times; on the one hand the business world is looking for simplistic, global solutions to sunscreen development and testing whereas we, as individuals are finding ourselves yearning for a more intimate and natural reality. Our desire for understanding, for a relationship with our natural environment and our biological needs could be met perfectly once it is understood that the secret to attaining union between the mind and the body is to realize that no divide exists.
That mind-body union is what we will explore in our place under the sun and the best place to start that journey is from within our own skin. Our bodies recognize and respond to the sun and as such come equip both to harness and utilize this powerful energy and life-giving source and to protect its self from the perils of a life of excess. Much has been written about sunscreens with relation to our vitamin D status, melanoma incidence, immunosuppression and general wellbeing and we explore all of these in detail, looking at the current scientific thinking before cross-referencing it against our Halal framework. Finally we look at the application of sunscreens through the eyes of a testing facility, focusing on the detail of what can and can’t be controlled in the laboratory and how that translates to the product wearing public.
In my previous review of the scientific challenges facing the Halal market I looked at the specifics of ingredient design, manufacture and application questioning their suitability for a product that may enter the bloodstream of the wearer. This work and rationale still holds true for sunscreen development but in addition to that we have to consider the relevant long-term systemic health affects of sunscreens as therapeutic products. Upon doing that we finish by producing a working definition outlining how a Halal sunscreen should look, feel and perform as we seek to safely and respectfully reclaim our place under the sun.
Tomorrow – Skin, the perfect sunscreen.
Malaysia Post Natal Massage
Last week when I was in Malaysia I was lucky enough to join in a workshop teaching Malay post natal massage. Well, it wasn’t far into the training when I realised how barbaric both the Australian and English post-natal get-out-of-bed-and-back-to-work culture really is. Just have a listen to this:
In Malay society immediately after giving birth the mother is placed in confinement. Not to the un-initiated that sounds like some kind of prison sentence and like no fun at all but there is more……
The Berpantang (confinement) lasts for 44 days and during that time the new mother is pampered, nourished and emotionally supported by her nearest and dearest – this is a tradition that has been practiced for thousands of years and passed down through generation to generation in each family. In times gone by the care was always given by the new mothers close female relatives – her mother, mother-in-law, sisters or aunties. However, times in Malaysia as with the rest of the world have changed and now many hire in this care at around $1000 Australian per confinement. Still not a bad deal I don’t think!
During confinement the mother goes through several rituals to help her regain her strength, figure and to bolster her milk supply. These rituals include:
- Herbal Leaf Baths
- New Mother Massage focusing on warming up and healing strained muscles and speeding up healing.
- Abdomen Boreh wrap to encourage the stomach to return to its pre-baby shape and to support the new mothers spine.
- Hot stone press – heat is key in these treatments. New mothers are not allowed to get cold.
- Saunas (tangas) again this is to increase the body temperature and encourage heeling.
- A strict diet of rice, fish and warm water. Very healthy, very fresh.
- Jamu drink and pills. This is a fresh herbal cocktail that consists of Finger root (Cekur), Thai Ginger, Betel Lead, Coconut oil, Onion and an array of other herbs and spices (Tumeric, Tamarind and sometimes chilli also).
The Malays also believe that the new mother needs help to expel the excess wind as if this stays inside her she will be weak and sick and the baby might not thrive – Maybe that’s the kind of treatment that I needed…..
I was completely blown away by the detail, structure and intensity of this post-natal care and felt quite ripped off that I only managed the occasional luke warm bath during my recuperation. Almost worth getting pregnant again for…….
The training was carried out by the Ayer Spa who also teach at the Langkawi International Spa Academy. If you are interested in learning more or experiencing it for yourself why not give them a buzz.
As many of you readers will know I am a chemist with a green heart. That doesn’t mean it is mouldy, formaldehyde pickled or jealous it means that I do actually consider the environment before I formulate. I have been working as an independent consultant in the cosmetics realm for four years, a move that I made after never really feeling like I ‘fit’ into corporate life. I am happy to tell you, my lovely readers that at times my own value system was compromised by being part of a ‘big machine’ - not necessarily because these big companies were doing anything wrong, it was just that I felt that I could do so much more right away from them and that was because of culture. A corporate works like an army, it has few leaders and many foot soldiers and those foot soldiers must be highly efficient at manning their posts. I could never keep my brain still enough to stay on my post and soon realised that I longed for the mental freedom that only consulting could give me. I also thought (and rightly so) that being an independent mind for hire would allow me the freedom of thought to question everything without fear of being pulled up for not towing the party line or for spending too much time on non-core business activity. And so that’s what I do.
So, when the other week I questioned the Safe Cosmetics Australia group and was then joined by a couple of my peers I wasn’t surprised to find that things started to get personal on the facebook page. I’m not egocentric enough to think that it has everything (or even anything) to do with me but as a former ingredient seller - natural as well as synthetic, I felt that it was only fair to comment on this all too often used tactic of attacking your detractors on moral grounds.
I can categorically state that neither I nor any of my group of cosmetics industry peers are lacking in moral fibre. We (chemists/ sellers of ingredients some natural and some not) do not come from another planet where cause and effect are unrelated. We are not all wizened up barren spinsters and their partners who hate the world so much that we want to poison it so that there is nothing left for your children. We are not godless science monkeys that wouldn’t know an altar if it came up and whacked us in the face and we are not all so divorced from nature that we think that real grass IS plastic. So why feel the need to try to paint us all that way?
There is and has never been any doubt in my mind that we as a cosmetics industry could do better when it comes to environmental issues (and when it comes to ‘natural’ cosmetics the environment comes first as that feeds into our personal health). I don’t think that this statement is scandalous or an admission that we really are the moral equivalents of black holes. I just think it is common sense that as our collective awareness grows about sustainability, resources, efficacy and safety so too should our chemistry and believe it or not that is exactly what is happening although you wouldn’t hear it on these ‘fear’ based sites as that doesn’t fit with the message.
Toxicity is always a question of dose and contrary to internet-surfing opinion the cosmetics industry does invest significant amounts of money to establish safe limits of ingredients both on the person and in the environment. Would you believe me if I said that I could prove to you that everything on earth from your organic carrots to your pure mountain oxygen is toxic? Probably not but it is true because everything is toxic under certain conditions – think oxygen injected into your vein, water in your lung, eating only carrots for a month……… Dose, place, form, general health all matter but not to your fear based marketers it doesn’t. This type of conversation usually turns a bit shouty and cross as if we (chemist types) are trying to force you (natural brands) to eat arsenic coated cookies and be grateful for them.
I believe that as someone who trained in chemistry and who invests substantial amounts of their own time and money into my continued chemical education (whether you like it or not) I am morally obligated to speak out when I see the public being mislead and that’s why I question everything up to a point. However, unlike questioning the big brands about their dubious use of petrochemicals in their toxic skin soups attempting to ‘tell it like it is’ isn’t sexy, doesn’t win you many friends and won’t lead you to having your own chat show. Neither will it see you elevated to the title of ‘toxins expert gun for hire’ paid to go on chat shows, radio shows and answer beauty editors questions. No, all that questioning fear based marketing does is get you a virtual whack on the head (and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t turn actual one day). Either way it hurts.
People like me don’t do this for the money or fame. We don’t do this because we are actually trying to cover up something as hideous as the ‘thank you for smoking’ or ‘supersize me’ campaign and we don’t do this for money. I don’t get paid to write this. We call out bad science and toxic fear-based groups because for the most part they haven’t got the evidence required to back up their many beef’s and what do we get in return? Called all the names under the sun. That sucks.
So, before you go calling me and my chemical industry friends morally bankrupt would you please be so kind as to show us your evidence as if it exists and we are killing people (how many people do you know that died of cosmetics poisoning?) I will be the first to apologise, dip my hands in my pockets and start work on the clean up.
No matter how hard you try you can’t block the truth.
Dear Safe Cosmetics Australia….
Dear Amina Leslie and the Safe Cosmetics Australia team,
I just wanted to write to you to tell you how pleased I am to not have to go to an American website now to get my propaganda. Everyone here likes ‘Australian Made’ so I am sure that you will do well. While I support the move to a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future (which by definition means less toxic) after checking out your website and documentation I was left confused and it’s mostly down to one thing. Evidence.
There is no doubt in my mind (as a chemist, mother, tree-hugger and person who doesn’t want cancer- who does?) that we, as a cosmetics industry could do better. However, to make bold claims such as saying that “Chemicals have been known to trigger allergic reactions including skin rashes and asthma attacks” is, absolute nonsense based on how you are communicating it. Do you even know what a ‘chemical’ is? I would be very interested to hear how you are planning to rid the world of such filth but won’t ask you directly as I can’t imagine that you would give me much air time……..
Further I am concerned about the focus on heavy metals – yes I do know that the guys in the states have been running a highly successful ‘get the lead out’ campaign and I have to agree, if people were putting lead into my lipstick I would wish to grab them and shove it where the sun don’t shine (on them, not me of course) but nobody DOES put lead in their lipsticks. For just under $200 per sample my lovely friends at a local testing facility will run any of your ‘certified toxin free’ lipsticks through their machinery and show you the lead. It would be present in pretty much all lipsticks using metal oxide colours (the natural ones usually contain more actually because they less highly refined) because it is natural. OK too much lead is a bad thing and no lead would be amazing but it is practically impossible to do and the levels showing up are in the parts per million rather than bucketload that your responses allude to. Still, there is no need to respond to this because I can already see it coming so I’ll go and say goodbye to my husband and kids now and then bury my (probably toxic) body underground so that your mission to rid the world of chemicals continues unimpeded.
I could go on but doubt that there is any point as hitting people over the head with common sense has the same effect as hitting them over the head with a big hammer. They don’t like it. Therefore I will just carry on doing what I’ve been doing for the past fourteen years and that is learning day by day about how to make things better, safer, more effective and more economical by referring to real, solid scientific evidence.
Before I go I will say this. I am a fair, honest and open-minded person who works as an independent chemist in a world full of ego’s and fear-based prejudices (OK so that doesn’t sound very fair or open-minded but at least it is honest) and as such I would be the first to welcome the body of evidence that you have called upon to draw your conclusions. In the meantime I will not be advising any of my customers to apply to your scheme, to pay money to have you ‘certify’ them or to help you ‘spread the word’. I held off writing this for a good few months (I saw you pop up some time ago but you have been really quiet until the last few weeks) because I am acutely aware at how passionate your supporters can be and I haven’t really felt like starting a fight but now that you have got yourself into the media as an ‘expert’ and that my customers are asking my opinion I feel that a comment is necessary.
I am not against a toxin-free world but I am against any campaign, group or other activity that uses fear as it’s motivator, especially when it is unsubstantiated.
Most of all I am terribly sad about this whole thing because it gives me further evidence (as if I need any more, the stories I could tell you) that the newspapers, media and general public are so easily conned by all of this and rather than question the basis for your assumptions go ahead and give you a platform.
This isn’t a battle. I do not want to ‘win’ but what I would like is to see people wake up. However, I am under no illusion that is going to happen in my lifetime.
Oh, did you know that fear can also give you cancer? No, thought not.
Amanda
PS: If you want to find out more about this group please google them. I am not posting a link as I don’t want to give them any more publicity. Thank you.
