Agggggr! This infuriates me!!!
The entire beauty industry needs a shake up.
When does enough become enough? We have so much knowledge available to us as human beings, but... somehow marketing giants still get away with pushing products that have major health question marks over them.
I've been skin crusading for over 10 years now. Exposing the truth behind the big brands and educating people with ways to take care of themselves naturally and it makes me really cross, that so many brands don't even list what's in their products, nor do they warn people of the associated risks with using their products.
We used to think smoking was harmless, and we now know better. Health warnings are plastered all over cigarette packaging. Why are the same warnings not enforced for products that we lather all over or body's largest organ... our skin?
Evidence suggests that it takes only 26 seconds for what you apply to your skin to be absorbed into your bloodstream.
As consumers, we should be presented with the truth, so that we can make educated decisions of how we spend our money and how we take care of ourselves and our children.
If there are risks associated with using certain ingredients, then products should be labelled accordingly. Instead, we are told that these products are "good" and even in some cases, like Lucas Paw Paw (see below), we are led to believe products are natural, when in fact they are not.
Buy the save our skin ACE 4 FACE range and detox your skincare regime in one clean sweep.
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay Over Failing to Warn of the Risks Associated with Using Baby Powder
Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a Los Angeles jury to pay $US417 million ($525 million) to a 62-year-old woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the company's talc, in the first California trial over the product.
The jury found the parent company and its consumer-products unit liable Monday for failing to warn a woman over the alleged risk of the baby powder. The verdict includes $US347 million in punitive damages. J&J, which faces 5,500 claims in US courts, has lost four previous jury verdicts in St. Louis for a total of $US300 million. See full report here.
Baby Oil is Made of Mineral Oil - What The XXXX?
Mineral oil is something completely foreign to the human body. It is a synthetic oil which is a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. Wait, gasoline? crude oil? Why do we slather this stuff all over our children? Well, mostly because its cheap and abundant so manufacturers sell it to us and tell us it's 'good' for our skin.
The honest truth is baby oil is actually harmful to our health.
Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin. It is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores, which slows the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. Our skin plays a large role in the body's detoxification through sweat. If pores are blocked, the toxins remain in the body for a longer period of time. This alone can be harmful. If mineral oil is ingested, it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract. Once in the intestines, mineral oil can absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. So all those organic foods and vitamin supplements you spend all your money on will get robbed by mineral oil and your body never gets the benefits.
Lucas Paw Paw - 4% Paw Paw, Over 90% Petroleum Jelly
Take Lucas Paw Paw for example. This product is pretty much a household name here in Australia and is making waves abroad in Asian markets... the product contains only 4% paw paw... and the main ingredient is petroleum jelly a cheap and nasty filler.
Petroleum Jelly, has so many health question marks over it, but yet we are told that Lucas Paw Paw is good... and led to believe it's actually paw paw and natural.
Nowhere on the label are we as consumers told it contains a base of over 90% petroleum jelly? U have to sniff around on the company's website to dig up the dirt. The packaging promotes that the product is made with Fresh Fermented Fruit and that the papaya used in Lucas' Papaw Ointment is Queensland grown fresh fruit.
Shouldn't honesty be the best policy here and as consumers, don't we have a right to know exactly what ingredients are in our products?
Check out my article for a full list of ingredients and brands to steer clear of.
Take Care + Njoy
Anastasia skin crusader
About the Author
Anastasia Lambadaridis is the founder and director of save our skin + the world we live in and is ardent about making a difference. Anastasia embarks on educational campaigns targeted at local community groups, parents and business networks… prompting people to make small changes in the home about the way they care about themselves + the planet. Anastasia is also not shy at exposing the truth behind the brands that lead the public to believe that their products are natural, good + healthy.
Anastasia has worked in marketing communications in both government + private sectors + is a specialist in the creation + delivery of behavioural change programs and is currently the Marketing Communications Manager at Melbourne based digital marketing agency BizWisdom. She is passionate about creating unique brand experiences and gold standard campaigns that drive behavioral change. In this fast paced digital age, Anastasia aims to add back the ‘human touch’ in our interactions and connections. Anastasia holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Applied Science, and innately understands social norms and emotional triggers that drive and impact consumer behavior.