Turns out when the purse strings are tight, women reach for the lip pie as an affordable beauty fix rather than the expensive get up on her proverbial Saturday High Street splurge.
Go figure.
What interests me a bit more though is what it is exactly that the ladies are reaching out for.
According to the latest market research from Lucintel, the global beauty care products industry is forecasted to reach around $265 billion by 2017.
Nearly half what the USA spent on war in this fiscal year (54 percent of all federal discretionary spending).
Needless to say - that is a lot of cosmetic face bomb!
I could rant on about why women even feel the need to put on their daily war paint, could get a little critical about what it is to be female in the world we live in today and not to mention our very, very challenging unobtainable conditioned concepts of beauty that can tear down a woman's self esteem and bring a whole plethora of issues and dysfunction in to the collective psyche of humankind.
But I might be here all day.
What I'm intrigued by - right now - is what the hell is in all these cosmetics so many of us are consuming?
I wear make up too sometimes (if not often) and when I decided to take a look at the ingredients of some of my beauty gear, I realised there were a lot of words that I never learnt at school, are unpronounceable and are missing from my vocabulary.
Harmful ingredients in your makeup drawer that should be avoided at all costs include (but are certainly not limited to): Butyl acetate, Butylated hydroxytoluene, Coal tar, Cocamide DEA/lauramide DEA, Diazolidinyl urea, Ethyl acetate, Formaldehyde, Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl), Petrolatum, Phthalates, Propylene glycol, Siloxanes, Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulfate, Talc, Toluene, Triclosan, and Triethanolamine.
And no one really knows how certain chemicals affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination. Some chemicals have known dangers: Phthalates, for example, which are often found in artificial fragrances, are a class of hormone disruptor which can be linked to birth defects, sperm damage, infertility, and the feminization of baby boys, for instance. Oh boy.
As I've scratched beneath the surface, I've learned a few more things:
It gets worse: the list of toxic additives present in many cosmetics is jaw-droppingly huge.
- According to the Environmental Working Group, 89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the FDA
- In fact, the US federal government doesn’t require any health studies or pre-market testing on personal care products
- As a result, many cosmetics are thought to contain carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and other chemicals that may pose health risks
- Up to 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into the bloodstream
U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals. Pfff.
Harmful ingredients in your makeup drawer that should be avoided at all costs include (but are certainly not limited to): Butyl acetate, Butylated hydroxytoluene, Coal tar, Cocamide DEA/lauramide DEA, Diazolidinyl urea, Ethyl acetate, Formaldehyde, Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl), Petrolatum, Phthalates, Propylene glycol, Siloxanes, Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulfate, Talc, Toluene, Triclosan, and Triethanolamine.
Blimey! Quick!! Open your vanity case and start reading labels like a Walmart shopper on the Atkins diet. In the frozen foods aisle…
With a microscope…
Would you choose to eat any of the stuff put on your face and body?
Now this is when I usually get brushed off with a shoulder shrug label such as 'hippie' or 'tree hugger'… not that I don't appreciate a good tree hug :)
But unfortunately for me, the Gods gave me brains too.
And while thinking hurts sometimes and can take one on wearisome tours, these deep dives really can illuminate ways in which we may be causing harm to ourselves and being very out of harmony with nature.
The average woman uses 13 products per day with 515 ingredients. That's a lorra lorra of stuff.
And no one really knows how certain chemicals affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination. Some chemicals have known dangers: Phthalates, for example, which are often found in artificial fragrances, are a class of hormone disruptor which can be linked to birth defects, sperm damage, infertility, and the feminization of baby boys, for instance. Oh boy.
So what now?
Well, Mother Nature apparently has a cure for nearly everything, and fortunately these days there are many beauty brands that are keeping their ingredients list as close to the earth as possible.
Some options include:
- Dr Organic (I'm a big fan of their range, especially the deodorant, it actually works ladies!)
- Burts bees (I'm also a fan)
- RMS Beauty
- Tracie Martyn
- Seventh Generation
- J.R. Watkins
- 100% Pure
- Balanced Guru
- Suki
- Kora Organics
Mainly due to my lifestyle - I make for a terrible beauty queen. Much to my mother's disappointment. "Yesssssica - you really need to do your nails!" she says to me when I roll in from a flight having spent the last month or so camping in the wilderness. But I'm ok about my tidy naked nails.
A lovely travel friend persuaded me to give away all my make up in 2011 while I was travelling through India and all I held on to was eye liner, mascara and the occasional blush. And I do really like to use simple natural ingredients on my skin worthy a mention such as:
I've become so sensitive to the chemical smells we squirt around lately, airport Duty Free's can actually give me a head ache and don't even get me started on household cleaning products.
I've not convinced Mum on the wonders of vinegar and other alternatives - partly because I made her house smell like a fish and chip shop the last time I got evangelistic. But I tried.
Perhaps I might invite you dear reader to spare a thought for what it might be you're putting in your system and what other informed choices you might wish to make in the future…
Nature has a wonderful way of bringing out our natural beauty and thankfully these days, there are options for us to take that might also be healthier for our insides too.
Tree hugger. Over and out.
Useful link: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/6-crazy-facts-about-the-toxins-in-makeup/
A lovely travel friend persuaded me to give away all my make up in 2011 while I was travelling through India and all I held on to was eye liner, mascara and the occasional blush. And I do really like to use simple natural ingredients on my skin worthy a mention such as:
- Jojoba Oil - a natural hydrating face oil also good for hair
- Coconut Oil - great for dry hair and on skin but only in warm climates (otherwise it solidifies!)
- Avocado/olive/coconut oil, essential oil, salt and ground coffee - a yummy homemade body scrub that leaves the skin so soft
I've become so sensitive to the chemical smells we squirt around lately, airport Duty Free's can actually give me a head ache and don't even get me started on household cleaning products.
I've not convinced Mum on the wonders of vinegar and other alternatives - partly because I made her house smell like a fish and chip shop the last time I got evangelistic. But I tried.
Perhaps I might invite you dear reader to spare a thought for what it might be you're putting in your system and what other informed choices you might wish to make in the future…
Nature has a wonderful way of bringing out our natural beauty and thankfully these days, there are options for us to take that might also be healthier for our insides too.
Tree hugger. Over and out.
Useful link: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/6-crazy-facts-about-the-toxins-in-makeup/
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