Pinkwashing...

Two weeks ago, I wrote about GREENWASHING.  Then I realized that October, the month of Breast Cancer Awareness was coming to an end - which leads me to the topic of PINKWASHING. 

Look at all the companies and spas that are promoting their products and services in support of breast cancer research.  Are they practicing what they're preaching or are they just using Breast Cancer as a tool to generate more sales?

According the most recent statistics issued by the Susan G. Komen foundation, breast cancer is the leading cancer among American women and second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths.  Race is not considered a factor for increased risk of this disease, but differ among ethnic groups.  For instance, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among African American women, exceeded only by lung cancer.  Among Hispanic/Latina women, it is the most common cancer.  Breast cancer in men is rare but it does happen. 

Unfortunately only a small fraction of breast cancer can be linked to genetics and we have yet to find a cure.  However, what we are sure of is that many cancers are linked to environmental exposure and chemicals present in items we use daily. 

What is within our control are the lifestyle choices we make beginning with the products we use.  My last blog In US, On Us, Around Us, clearly illustrates how everything we use on our body, feed our body and surround ourselves with has an effect on our health.  Cosmetics and skincare are the items that women utilize most on a daily basis.  In fact, even during a recession, women will scrimp on food and household items before they sacrifice their favorite toiletries. 

But how does the regular consumer begin to wade through they myriad of ingredients and false labeling that skincare giants have successfully masked?  At the recent Green Spa Network Conference, they gave us a few tips which I'd like to share...

The Dirty Dozen are ingredients to avoid in personal care products - Parabens, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Phthalates, Nanoparticles, DEA/TEA/MEA, Coal Tar Derivatives, Formaldehyde/Formaldehyde Donors, Hydroquinone, BHA, Octoxynols,  & Ethyl Acetate.  

Did you know that the Beauty Industry is not regulated by the FDA?  This means that companies must list ingredients in order of use but are not required to test their products.  I can't speak for you but I certainly don't feel like being a guinea pig.  So what is the alternative?

Familiarize yourself with this word - INCI... International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients.  Many countries including the US, Australia, Japan and the members of the European Union, require manufacturers of cosmetic ingredients to submit all new ingredients for registration in the INCI system.  If you intend to sell your cosmetic products for LEGAL LABELING REQUIREMENTS, you need to use the official INCI name of the ingredients on the label.  This cosmetic regulation law is important for consumer safety.

How do we know whether an ingredient is bad for us?  A great source is the Safe Cosmetics Campaign Database.  What percentage of the ingredients are natural?  "Plant Derived" does not = natural.   How were they extracted?  That makes a difference too.  Do they use Fragrance Oils or Essential Oils?  Fragance oils are synthetic, so definitely watch out for those.  Also remember that unless a product is designed to be use within the next 48 hours, companies must utilize a minimum amount of synthetics to preserve the shelf life.

There are 3 basic rules - Avoid the ingredients that are not good for you.  Look for full disclosure ingredient listing, preferably INCI.  And when in doubt, select the product with a higher percentage of natural ingredients.

So back to Pinkwashing... just like Greenwashing, we need to concentrate on the issue and how we can resolve it rather than getting sucked into the hype and the marketing gimmicks that come with it.  As in any cause, make a conscious effort to support those who truly believe and are working towards the cause.  Personal and social responsibility is the key...

In Me, On Me, Around Me

The title refers to three basic mantras to follow when considering any lifestyle choice, according to Sustainability Strategist Lewis Perkins.  He and several other 'Green' advocates gave us an amazing amount of information to ponder on at the recent Green Spa Network Conference (http://www.greenspanetwork.org/).  For instance, did you know that the rise of autism and ADHT has a significant correlation to the increased usage of pesticides?  Am I surprised?  Not at all!  Growing up, I had 3 relatives who had autism and at the time (70's and 80's) no one knew anything about it.  And although Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an austistic savante in the movie Rainman brought Autism into the spotlight, the Center for Disease and Prevention issued findings that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 110 births in the United States and almost 1 in 70 boys.

In Us...According to Lohas (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) 90% of our main crops are genetically engineered so much so that pollen has drifted and tainted the native crops of Mexico.  Pesticides if you didn't know it yet, come from petroleum products.  Cloned animals are already in the food system.  And 25% of global warming is attributed to our food production system.  On the other hand, organic farming utilizes 30% less energy and organic food is 30% higher in antioxidants and 25% more in 11 essential nutrients.  Conventional milk contains 3 to 5 pesticides while organic milk provides 35% more in essential fatty acids.

On Us...what did you use this morning?  Studies show that the average person uses 10 cosmetic products (including hair care, skin care and perfume) which immediately exposes them to 126 different ingredients.  There are 85K synthetic chemicals in commerce.  Of the 12.5K that exist in cosmetics, 80% have not been assessed for safety.  If you don't believe that products on your skin can have that much of an effect on you, Beauty & Wellness Expert Rona Berg suggests that you cut a piece of garlic and tape it to the inside of your wrist for ten minutes.  You will notice that eventually, the taste of garlic will be in your mouth.

Around Us... Over 400 billion gallons of polluted chemically laden laundry detergent water are released into water systems that enter rivers, lakes and the oceans every year.  That same water feeds the fish we eat, seeps into the groundsoil where our plants take root, and it evaporates into the air we breathe. 

So why aren't we being more socially responsible and looking out for ourselves?  Is it because organic and natural tend to be more expensive?  But think about this, would you rather pay the farmer or the hospital?  If you haven't watched it yet, then you need to watch 11 year old Birke Baehr speak about 'What's Wrong with our Food System" on You Tube http://bit.ly/9FFavO.  If he gets it, then so should we.

Unfortunately, Greenwashing (the perception that the environment is being taken cared of) has made us less discerning of our choices.  Even more, each one of us wonders what we can do to make a difference.  Visionary Mineral Cosmetic Maven Jane Iredale who began in 1994 created this mission statement for her Green Team - "One person can't save everything, but every person can save one thing...".

Being "green" is no longer a trend.  It's a lifestyle...

Who am I?

I've been meaning to blog for the longest time.  Writing has always been a passion of mine but somewhere along life's way like everything else we believe in, we forget what really makes us happy.  My last ten years in the spa industry have been such a learning experience about wellness and lifestyle choices, and I've always wanted to find a way to share it.  So I came up with the Sprinkle of the Day - droplets of information that I can shower you with.  Sometimes it will be relaxing and refreshing just like a pacific rain shower and other times it might be deep enough to create puddles and pools of information that you can immerse yourself in.  But the inspiration will always be water - which happens to be the origin of the spa lifestyle but more important, it's about us and the world - both made up mostly of water.

Just like water, this blog will flow freely where life directs it.  For instance, I happen to have two beautiful dogs - a golden retriever and a chocolate lab.  Those two aim for the water and take so much joy in it and consequently, watching them gives me that inner sense of peace.  Animals can be an integral part of your wellness and they certainly are mine.  So at times, I may blog about my two 'boys' as I fondly refer to them, and hopefully share the same sense of well-being they bring to my life.

I've read so many tips on how to blog and how to tweet and most of them tell you to come up with ONE general direction.  Like water, I'll flow towards the spaces that need to be filled.  Now and then I may appear to digress, but like the water in a shallow river, I may slip through the rocks and even travel up the banks but I will always flow back to the source.

I hope to be part of your day's ritual and shower you with enough information to help cleanse your body, soul and mind.