Guest guest Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 An eye opener for those of you use beauty products. > > Dear Sunil, > >  > > A book, I red, recently > on which the following is based, will be an eye opener for > people who use > beauty products. So I thought of writing a review on the > book. Of course this > may not look like a conventional book review. But I like to > call it so. > > > You can use it for > Navneetham or post in the group, both if you think it is > good for our members. Let me know your decision. what ever > you do, do it fast. > > > > Thanks. > >Udhayabhanu Panickar > > ------------------ > >  > > Book Review, Toxic > Beauty. > >  > > There was a > saying that when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon thinking > that he was first human > to be there, he found a tea shop operated by a Malayalee > there. Now there is > another saying that, even lady workers going to the paddy > field to work and definite > to get dirt all over there body including the face go to > beauty parlor on their > way to work and get a facial done. > >  > > In my childhood > we never sow a beauty parlor. They were not visible even in > the big cities in > bhAratham before late 1980s. Now they are every where. > > >  > > During the 1990s > seven ladies from bhAratham were winners in the so-called > beauty pageants, around > the world. Were there not beautiful ladies before that in > bhAratham? Why not that > many winners before or after that period? > >  > > The cosmetic > industry organizes these contests with just one aim and > that is to increase > their business and there is always a noticeable increase in > the sales of beauty > products in the country from where the winner is. In other > words they select the > winners from the country where they want to increase their > business.  And they did increase > their business in bhAratham > by seven fold. The beauty pageants are in actuality only an > advertising gimmick > for cosmetic industry. > >  > > Recently, I > stumbled upon an article about the toxic effects of the > products people use to > enhance their beauty. This led me to a book “Toxic Beauty†written by Dr > Samuel S. > Epstein. Dr Epstein is > professor emeritus of environmental health at the > University > of Illinois , Chicago . There is another book published by > a > British author by the same name on same subject which, some > say is a better > book in naming the safer products. Dr Epstein has > authored or coauthored 15 books and published 270 > scientific papers. He has been a consultant to the U.S. > Senate > and is a frequent witness for congressional testimony and > also a consultant for > the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of > Labor. He has won numerous national and international > honors, including the 1990 Rachel Carson Legacy Award and > the 2005 Albert > Schweitzer Golden Grand Medal for International > Contributions to Cancer > Prevention. > >  > > Some of you > may be using beauty products and other daily use items such > as tooth paste, > mouth wash, lotions, soap, moisturizers, shampoos, sunscreens, > hair dyes, and perfumes. In addition Ladies may be > using makeup items > such as powders, lipstick, mascara and eye lashes. For > baby’s the Mothers may > be using baby wipes, diaper creams, lotions, moisturizers > and shampoos supposed > to be safe for babies. Also some of you may be using skin > whiteners, a product > aimed at people of African and Asian origin and many more > items. According to > this book, majority of them are serious health > risk. > >  > > If > you use them, you may be at the risk of getting some toxin > into your body and > passing it on to your children. If your parents used them > before your birth > your exposure to those items was already done before you > were even born. They > may cause cancer and hormonal disruption. But unlike > cigarettes, which carry > cancer warnings on their labels, cosmetics and other > personal-care products generally > have no such labels. > >  > > These are some > of things I sow in the book. Researchers from Centers for > Disease Control & > Prevention and some universities in the US found > ‘phthalate’ [‘phthalate’ is a > chemical compound used as a plastic softener and in many > personal grooming > products. It is reported to be a possible cause of > reproductive or > developmental problems because it mimics a natural hormone] > at different levels, in the diaper > urine of several hundred babies within twenty-four hours of > the use of lotions, > powders, diaper creams, baby wipes, and shampoos and found > that the highest > phthalate levels came from the lotions, shampoos and the > powders. They also > found that higher the number of products used the > absorption of phthalates > increased. This was even more among the younger > infants. > >  > > The book also > says that some products for infants and children were found > to contain ingredients > which have Carcinogens -- a substance or agent that can > cause cancer. The book > also points the readers to www. > cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguidel/ > for information on safer children's personal-care > products. > >  > >  > > In USA , skin > whiteners or lighteners are now being intensively marketed > to women of African > and Asian descent, also some men remember Mr Michael > Jackson. Now these are the > world's fastest growing product and in Asian market it > has 10 percent of the > market. This product contains “two active ingredients, > the potent natural > hormone cortisone and the frank carcinogen hydroquinone (an > ingredient banned > in Europe that poses risks of leukemia and > genetic damage). This combination > inhibits the natural production of melanin, the compound > responsible for dark > pigmentation of the skinâ€. > >  > > This book also > says that many brands of mascara, eyeliners and > skin-lightening creams contain > mercury. This is also legal (in USA ) > and it is used as a preservative and germ killer. But > remember Mercury is known > to retard brain development in children and can cause > neurological damage in > adults who experience high or long-term exposure. So, many > toxicologists > recommend avoiding any contact with mercury, even low > level. > >  > > Even from small > doses, mercury accumulates in the human body over time and > mercury fumes that > collect in jars of skin cream or in tubes of mascara, and > are inhaled when the > containers are opened; add to the cumulative body burden. > Placing mercury > directly on exposed skin, as with eyeliners and skin > creams, heightens the > absorption, the book says. > >  > > As per this > book, a study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that > most brand-name > lipsticks contain detectable levels of lead that can be > toxic to the wearer. > Some Cosmetics lipstick contains the potentially > contaminated ingredient > lanolin, a fat extracted from sheep's wool.      > > >  > > According to the > book, products used in hairdressing, beauty and nail salons > are serious threats > to the health of the stylists and, to a lesser extent, > their clients as per > this book. Eye lashes are > potentially > dangerous, because of the toxicity of the glue used. Some > products used in > hairdressing and beauty salons contain many unlabeled toxic > ingredients. They > include carcinogens, [a substance or agent that can cause cancer. Radiation > and some > chemicals and viruses are carcinogens] > phthalates, [a > chemical compound used as a plastic softener and in many > personal grooming > products. It is reported to be a possible cause of > reproductive or > developmental problems because it mimics a natural > hormone] allergens and penetration enhancers. > As per the book, Professor Paul Elliot of the Imperial > College London had found > male infants of hairdressers and beauty salon therapists > exposed to hairsprays > during pregnancy developed genital abnormalities attributed > to the endocrine > disruptive effect of phthalates [a chemical compound used as a plastic softener > and in many > personal grooming products. It is reported to be a possible > cause of > reproductive or developmental problems because it mimics a > natural hormone.] > >  > > Book also says that > there are substantial evidence of toxic effects experienced > by salon workers > which include respiratory illness and asthma, nausea, sleep > disorders, fatigue, > and numbness and pain in the fingers. > > >  > > Now > coming to a product a lot of our people probably use is > hair dye, in US, Japan and Europe > about 35% of women and 10% of men use this product. And > what are the effects? > According to the book inflammation and serious hair loss is > one bad effect of > this. Black and brown dyes contain numerous hidden > carcinogens [a > substance or agent that can cause cancer. Radiation > and some chemicals and viruses are carcinogens] > including > paraphenylenediamine (known as ppd) known to cause cancers, > particularly > non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple > myeloma, bladder cancer, > and breast cancer. Book also says that there is suggestive > evidence that the > cause of Jackie Kennedy's premature death was due to > the frequent use of these > hair dyes. > > >  > > The > frequent and prolonged use of these dyes has been > associated with significant > risks for a range of cancers, including acute and chronic > leukemia, multiple > lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's > lymphoma, and bladder and breast > cancers, the book says. > > >  > > There are some > lists of safe products given in the book, which some write > that is not much > safe. However the safest action will be not to use any of > these products. The > best for hair is coconut oil, for your tooth it is omikkari > or mavila or neem > stick. And of course you can replace soap with payaru podi. > There are some Ayurvedic > and other natural products with out these toxic ingredients > available in the > market now. > >  > > The book is very > informative and it is worth the price of US $24.95 and some > stores may sell for > less. It is Published by > benbella books and Distributed by Perseus > Distribution. > > > > Sincerely > Udhayabhanu Panickar > aum > namaHShivaaya LET US NOT MAKE OUR STOMACH A > GRAVEYARD. LET US NOT EAT FLESH.LET US BE VEGETARIANS AND > STAY HEALTHY. Animals are to be loved, not eaten. > Eating flesh is good neither for the mind nor for the > intellect, not even for the body. It distorts the basic > character of > human. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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