Think Before You Go Pink

It sounds noble: a cosmetics company promises that if you buy one of its products, a portion of the sale will go toward “the fight against breast cancer.”

But what if that cosmetic contains chemicals that might actually increase your risk of developing the disease?

Many cosmetics contain chemicals known as parabens and phthalates, which recent studies indicate may be linked to cancer development.

• Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. (Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.)
• Phthalates are known to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive impairments in laboratory animals that are exposed to these chemicals during pregnancy and after birth. Phthalates are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals, many of which disrupt normal hormonal processes, raising concern about their implications for increased breast cancer risk.
• There are numerous other chemicals of concern in personal care products. BCA is particularly concerned about lutein (progesterone), formaldehyde and coal tar due to their links to cancer.

The Environmental Working Group recently released Skin Deep, a report on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. Astonishingly, 1/3 of products tested contain on or more ingredients that are known, probable or possible human carcinogens.

Cosmetic companies will argue that we don't need to worry about harmful chemicals in their products because they are only used on our skin and hair.

For example, the cosmetics industry has long stated that their widespread use of parabens and phthalates is not harmful because they remain on our skin and are not absorbed into our body.

• ----> However, a recent study found parabens in human breast cancer tissue, raising obvious questions about the ability of parabens to accumulate in our bodies (Darbre et al. 2004).
• ----> In September 2000 scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found phthalates at surprisingly high levels in every one of 289 people tested, especially in women of reproductive age.
• ----> The authors concluded that "from a public health perspective, these data provide evidence that phthalate exposure is both higher and more common than previously suspected" (Blount et al. 2000).
  
  Many cosmetic companies will also argue that the level of a harmful chemical in any one product is not enough to harm you, based on studies of chemical exposure in adults.
• ----> However, science is finding the timing of exposure is crucial, and that even a very small dose of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women who are still developing.
• ----> Also, we are rarely exposed to a chemical just one time. We may use the same product every day, several days a week, for months or years.
• ----> In addition, we use dozens of personal care products daily, not just one. So while exposure from one product on one day may be small, the fact is we use numerous products a day for extended periods of time. As a result, scientists are finding chemicals such as parabens and phthalates accumulating in our bodies.

Many diseases like cancer, asthma, birth defects and learning disabilities are on the rise, and there is growing evidence that these health problems are linked to the chemicals we are exposed to in our air, water, food, and everyday products. It's time we start acting to protect human health. The Precautionary Principle, a common sense approach to chemical use, says "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". It guides us to take action to prevent exposure to chemicals we know or suspect are harmful to our health. In the case of cosmetics, when a product ingredient is known or strongly suspected of being harmful to our healthy, our top priority should be eliminating the use of this chemical and finding a safe substitute to replace it. In many cases, we know safe alternatives do exist and are already being used by some cosmetics company (Nicole Miller is one such line). The notion of "safe" or "acceptable" levels of hazardous chemicals in our products should only be introduced when we cannot find alternatives. We are entitled to products that won't hurt us. We can't let companies have it both ways.

Avon markets itself as “the company for women,” claiming to be the largest corporate supporter of the breast cancer cause in the U.S. But many Avon products contain parabens, according to its own website (including Soy Milk Hand & Foot Therapy, Asian Pear with Ginseng Body Cream, Skin-So-Soft Moisturizing Hand Cream, and many others). Evidence suggests that young females with developing breast tissue are particularly vulnerable to the increased breast cancer risk associated with exposure to external estrogens. Last year, Avon launched a new cosmetics line called “mark,” aimed at young women ages 16 to 24. The company is recruiting teenagers as sales representatives in this program. For more information on Breast Cancer Action’s campaign, see the Follow the Money campaign.

UPDATE: Be aware of dibutyl phthalates in product lines. Avon has reported that they plan to remove this chemical. This is a small but important step by a corporate giant. It's important for the people Avon markets, too. Many of their customers are women of childbearing age, and removing this chemical is important for future generations. BCA applauds this first step, and will continue to push Avon to remove other harmful ingredients from their products.

Revlon sponsors an annual 5K Run/Walk for Women that in part funds the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program—which, according to http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/, works toward “the control and consequent elimination of women’s cancers.” Meanwhile, The Safe Shopper's Bible, warns against carcinogenic ingredients in several Revlon products, including Revlon Powder Crème Blush, Revlon Powder Crème Make-Up Pressed Powder Full Matte, and Revlon Colorsilk Salon Formula Ammonia-Free Haircolor. UPDATE: in EWG's Skin Deep report, products were assigned scores from 0–10 based on the health concerns associated with their ingredients, with 10 being of highest health concern. Over 80% of the Revlon producs tested were rated 7.2 or higher. Revlon High Dimension 10 Minute Permanent Haircolor scored 9.6 and contains both known and suspected carcinogens.

Estée Lauder's Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), which states its mission as "prevention and a cure in our lifetime," sponsors breast cancer efforts such as the Global Landmarks Illumination Initiative, in which national landmarks such as the Mall of America are spotlighted in pink lights—an effort that is far more likely to generate positive publicity for Estée Lauder than it is to prevent any woman from developing breast cancer. Their products containing parabens include Polished Performance Liquid Makeup and Precision Lash Mascara, according to The Safe Shopper's Bible.UPDATE: Estée Lauder has announced it will reformulate its Clinique and MAC nail polishes to remove phthalates. BCA applauds this step, and will continue to push Estée Lauder to remove other harmful ingredients from their products.

Mary Kay, whose web site proclaims that the company’s charitable foundation is ”committed to eliminating cancers affecting women,” does not make it easy for consumers to find out if its products contain potentially harmful ingredients. It’s extremely difficult for a consumer to identify what is in Mary Kay products: the cosmetics are not available in stores, their product descriptions on the web site do not list ingredients, and repeated attempts to get information about product content from a sales representative were unsuccessful.

UPDATE: After BCA began this project, Mary Kay representatives contacted us to let us know about an ingredient guide that is available on request. Call 1-800-MARYKAY for more information. Also, a concerned consumer sent us a web link to their product, which is housed on a part of their web site restricted to Mary Kay sellers only. The web link has since been made inactive, and the public and consumer part of their web site does not list this product guide. Lastly, in 2004, BCA co-sponsored important California legislation (AB 2012) regarding the public's right to know about carcinogenic and reproductive toxins in cosmetics and personal care products. Mary Kay was a vocal opponent of the bill.

Source:
Think Before You Pink. a project of Breast Cancer Action

Black Circles Under Eyes?

source: wikihow

Skin discoloration under the eyes affects just about everybody at some time or another. For some of us, however, these “dark circles” are a near-constant bother. While these conditions are occasionally symptomatic of other illnesses, the usual cause is allergies, tiredness, or, unfortunately, heredity. No matter what the cause, you can still reduce the appearance of dark circles, and in some cases, you may be able to get rid of them altogether.

Steps

1. Schedule a blood test with your physician. Dark circles around your eyes may point to iron deficiency anemia which is a potentially serious medical condition that requires treatment. Especially important is to discover the cause of the anemia. Begin with seeing your family doctor to schedule blood work.
2. Establish whether or not this condition runs in your family. Dark circles are believed to frequently be hereditary. This doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about the conditions, but you should be prepared for minimal success actually trying to get rid of them. Dark circles under the eye may also, in fact, be light carbon deposits that result from incomplete protein digestion. Incomplete protein digestion may result from insufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach that may be caused from a lack of primarily B6 and Folic Acid. About 30% of the population does not absorb regular B6 (pydroxine) or folic acid and need to take in these vitamins in a different form or another way.
3. Identify allergens. Allergies may be the most common cause of skin discoloration under the eyes. If allergies are the root of your problem, you simply need to treat them or remove the allergen (i.e., the thing to which you are allergic). Seasonal allergy problems such as the hay fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications. For other allergies the best course of action is usually avoidance. If your dark circles or puffiness are constant, you may have an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace. Talk to a dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to. People with allergies also tend again to be deficient in B6, folic acid and B12 on occasion. Taking a multivitamin, if you don't already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.
4. Get plenty of sleep nightly. It’s not entirely clear why inadequate sleep results in dark circles under the eyes, but we’ve all seen it happen either to ourselves or someone we know. For one thing, lack of sleep tends to cause the skin to become paler (thus increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes), and it reduces circulation. It’s also believed that too little time lying down is a cause in itself. Determine how much sleep you need (it’s usually 7-9 hours per night, but varies throughout different people) and try to get that amount regularly for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Remember that alcohol and drugs can adversely affect the quality of your sleep; abstain from these products or use only in moderation for best results. A lack of sleep, coupled with poor vitamin absorption also tends to reduce adrenal function. The less adrenal function you have the less B6 you tend to absorb, the less B6 you absorb, the less well your adrenal glands work and alas you end up in a vicious circle. Sleep, regular vitamins for those that need them, and good calcium/magnesium support in the form of milk or good mineral supplement restores adrenal function. So if you want to break the cycle and the black circles under your eyes, you've got to reduce your stress, sleep more and take the proper vitamins and minerals to support the adrenal function in general.
   
5. Treat your skin while you sleep. There are overnight facial masques available that may help reduce the appearance of puffiness or discoloration, but you can also make your own. Just before you go to bed, take a washcloth and wet it just a bit with cold water. Then squeeze out any excess water and place it over your eyes as you sleep. Treating your skin may help, but the real problem may also be that you have a poor vitamin and mineral absorption problem that must also be corrected. Seeing a naturopathic physician may help for those people who suffer other ailments such as miscellaneous aches and pains that come and go and a general run down feeling.
   
6. Apply cool tea bags, an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth, or cucumber slices to your eyes daily. The tannin in tea bags has been shown to reduce swelling and discoloration, and cucumber slices have long been used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes. Lie down, preferably in the morning, and leave fresh cucumber slices or cool, damp caffeinated tea bags (you can refrigerate them overnight so they’ll be ready) over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed.
7. Try to relax the space. You can do this by wetting a cotton swab and then freezing it for a little while. Then you should gently wipe under your eyes in the areas where the circles are occurring. When wiping, close your eyes and try not to flinch.
8. 

   
   Apply an eye cream containing vitamin K and retinol. Dark circles may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Regardless of the cause, however, recent research has shown that skin creams containing these two ingredients reduce puffiness and discoloration significantly in many patients. Long-term daily use seems to have the greatest effect.
9. Avoid rubbing your eyes. Usually rubbing of the eyes is brought on by allergies, but not always. Regardless of the reason, stop doing it. The rubbing irritates the skin and can break tiny capillaries beneath the skin, causing both puffiness and discoloration.
10. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water. A whole host of cosmetic problems can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies. Dark circles and puffiness are often attributed to lack of vitamin K or inadequate antioxidants. Also, a deficiency in B12 (usually anemia-related) can result in dark circles. Be sure to get plenty of fruits and vegetables—especially cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables—and take a daily vitamin supplement if necessary. Get adequate fluids to improve circulation.
11. Reduce salt intake. Excess salt causes the body to retain water in unusual places, and this can result in puffiness under the eyes. Too much salt can also impair your circulation, and cause the blood vessels under the skin to appear bluer.
12. Quit smoking. Smoking causes vascular (blood vessel) problems that can not only threaten your life, but also make your blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer beneath the skin.
13. 

    
    Cover the problem up with cosmetics. If all else fails, use a yellow or flesh-toned color which will camouflage the problem under your eyes.

Tips

• Try drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day, you will need to do this for at least a week before you start noticing a difference.
• Using Blistex's Lip Medex under your eyes also helps reduce the dark circles. Just make sure you put it on in the morning before you put your make up on and allow time to calm down because your eyes will water but it works.
• Food allergies and sensitivities play a major part in under-eye circles. Processed foods with artificial colors and preservatives as well as milk allergies can cause this problem.
• Search the Internet which abounds with home remedies. While the most common are cucumbers and tea bags, there are a number of others. Feel free to test them out, as some may work for some people, but use common sense.
• Vitamin K cream helps to diminish dark under eye circles.
• The ingredient in Preparation H that once could shrink the area around the eyes is no longer put in the product in the US, according to their website, so unless you live in Canada, just pass on the Hemorrhoid creams.
• Cutting onions can help you to cry out some of the moisture under and around your eyes. However it isn't recommended that you carry out this procedure daily but done short-term, it will reduce the darkness under the eyes somewhat. Using the tea bag method under your eyes straight afterwards also helps. The puffiness may not reduce immediately but it will shortly afterwards.
• Another trick is to put two tablespoons in the freezer for few minutes and apply on the eyes for few seconds, until they are warm. Re-apply if necessary.
• Dark circles may be caused by inflamed or enlarged veins beneath the skin. Try taking butcher's broom. Taken daily, this common herb (used to treat weak circulation, hemorrhoids and varicose veins) has been effective in reducing dark circles.
• Wear sunscreen under your eyes, and if you wear it all the time(as you should), try to put a stronger spf under your eyes than you do on your face. This way, the skin under your eyes does not darken as quickly as the rest of your face; so your circles seem lighter. If you do this all year, you may end up not needing concealer at all.
• Try eye exercises. It can rejuvenate your periorbital skin by improving circulation.
• Many facial makeup products these days contain some level of spf. Read the labels carefully to determine if your makeup is protecting your skin already. Usually, they contain 10-15% spf.

Warnings

• Be careful about what type of teabag you use. If you have allergies, a tea bag full of chamomile may cause your eyes to swell.
• Do not apply ice or extremely cold water directly to the skin around the eyes for more than a few seconds.
• Exercise caution when using a new cosmetic product or trying a home remedy. If the condition worsens, or if you exhibit other symptoms, discontinue use immediately and contact your primary care physician or dermatologist for severe or persisting symptoms.
• Consult a physician before considering using any expensive or invasive treatments. Not all Eye Circles are formed equally, and understanding and discussing the root causes of your dark circles with a qualified professional will ensure you don't waste your money.
• We should all wear sunscreen daily, but if you usually don't apply sunscreen to your face never forget under your eyes. As your skin picks up color, the dark areas seem to fade because they are not getting as tan as the surrounding skin. When you go to the beach apply numerous times during the day. Eventually most using this technique won't need concealer and you are protecting your skin from sun damage.

Related wikiHows

• How to Cure Puffy Eyes
• How to Fall Asleep
• How to Sleep Better
• How to Drink More Water Everyday
• How to Prevent Wrinkles
• How to Exercise Your Eyes
• How to Take Care of Your Eyes
• How to Apply Mineral Makeup