Elizabeth A. Leib

By Elizabeth A. Leib

The American Cancer Society estimates that one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer over the course of their lifetime. Self-employed, the $8,000 a year we now spend to buy catastrophic health insurance for our family helps me appreciate what a gift it is to enjoy good physical health. And so far – the three of us have been incredibly blessed. But more and more I’m engaged in a struggle to maintain our health by weeding out copious amounts of toxin to be found in our food, household and personal care products. Never mind the child-labor that produced the Ralph Lauren Polo shirts given as presents to Jeremy for his birthday – more on that in a later post.

Hall’s Haunted House (our neighbor across the street)

If there is one dominant message I’ve taken from observing the atypical lives of my parents, both of whom have enjoyed exceptionally good health, it’s that daily we make our own choices. And by paying attention and taking responsibility for those choices, we can satisfy our needs, give consequence to our values and live in a way that contributes to the happiness and well-being of others. Why shouldn’t we live well and do good?

These days, all available time left over after fulfilling work and home responsibilities is spent identifying and weeding from our family life the abundant varieties of environmental toxicity. A month ago, a new friend introduced me to a website produced by the Environmental Working Group called Skin Deep (http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/) designed to help women identify carcinogenic chemicals found in their personal care products. What I learned about the products I’ve been using called for immediate action. Like most women I know, changing my hair stylist is something I do rarely and with great trepidation. But I was freaked out by what I’d learned about the toxins I’ve been putting on my scalp uncomfortably close to my brain. Unfortunately, the staff at the salon I’d been going to wasn’t very interested in my concerns about toxins and animal testing. Happily this week I discovered Julie at Asonipse Aveda Concepts Salon. Her work is really good and the salon is more attractive and less costly than the one I was using.

I’ve signed up to receive alerts from EWG and on Halloween they sent out a notice about lead in lipstick. “An October report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, of which EWG is a founding member, found lead in 61% of the 33 top-brand lipsticks tested — including L’Oreal, Cover Girl, and Christian Dior. Lead is linked to learning and behavioral problems, but alarmingly, FDA doesn’t regulate it in cosmetics.” Eureka! Now I know why I couldn’t follow the rules in high school - it was the lead in the lipstick!

But seriously, this can of worms just keeps getting messier. Information found at the website Caring Consumer (http://www.caringconsumer.com/) has this to say: “Hundreds of thousands of these animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed every year in outdated and ineffective product tests for shampoos, household cleaners, cosmetics, hairsprays, and other personal care and household items. Although more than 500 companies have banned all animal tests forever, some corporations still force substances into animals’ stomachs and drip chemicals into rabbits’ eyes. These tests are not required by law, and they often produce inaccurate and misleading results—even if a product has blinded an animal, it can still be marketed to you.”

I haven’t been a big cosmetics user since high school. Some years ago I gravitated to the plant based product line sold by L’Occtaine for my skin care needs. Happily I just learned the company maintains the highest standards, avoiding the use of toxins and has pledged against animal testing. Forget about the misogynistic behavior of cosmetic companies who continue using unregulated toxic ingredients in their products. It’s disgusting, but predictable. But now with so many companies offering better options, how can I, or any thinking, caring person be comfortable choosing to buy and use products to look attractive when cruelty is involved?

No fan of ideologues, and nothing shuts the lights off on a party like demagoguery - I’m not suggesting we drain away our fun and joy with obsessive preoccupation with causes. Few of us by circumstances or birth have the calling or platform to take-up action on a grand scale. But if many ordinary people make decent informed choices about what we consume and what we place in and on our bodies, the collective result is likely to make a better world. Now who wants to fix the healthcare system - anyone?

Resources

Aveda:http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=220&MajorSub=1&CompanyName=Aveda

My skin care company of choice: plant based products: http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Content/Philosophy/respect.aspx

Good report/overview on personal care products: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=31891

Local company Aubrey Organics produces toxin, cruelty-free products! http://www.aubrey-organics.com/

The following companies either openly use animal-tested chemicals, or fail to demonstrate that the finished product and the ingredients they use have not been tested on animals since a fixed cut-off date. For more information visit: http://www.uncaged.co.uk/crueltyfree.htm Avon Cosmetics Jeyes Beiersdorf Johnson & Johnson The Body Shop / L’Oreal+ Lancome Chanel Lever Fabergé Christion Dior L’Oreal / Nestlé Clinique Miners Cosmetics Colgate Palmolive PZ Cussons Coty Reckitt Benckiser Ecover* Revlon Estée Lauder SC Johnson Virgin Vie Garnier Yardley Givenchy Proctor & Gamble Yves Rocher GlaxoSmithKline Yves Saint Laurent Helena Rubenstein Unilever