Breast Cancer

My mother is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed almost 3 years ago and had a short but intense round of chemotherapy. She’s doing very well, and has had a clean bill of health for going on 2 years. I can’t begin to describe the effect it’s had on my life let alone hers. Once this disease gets close to you, it never really goes away. My mom is extraordinarily strong and since the diagnosis she’s been able to move forward with her life….. and so have I.

These days it seems that every time I stumble upon information pertaining to or playing a part in furthering our awareness about breast cancer, I jump at the opportunity to read it. There are various small adjustments we can make in our day to day routine to improve and maintain our health that don’t interfere with our general enjoyment of life. For example, by switching out certain cosmetics for more “green” and healthy alternatives, we can trim the fat……so to speak, and perhaps prevent complications in the future.

Having said all that, I came across a small, yet gem of a publication specifically dedicated to Breast Cancer patients, survivors, and all those affected by the disease. The writer, Julia Chiappetta, also a Breast Cancer survivor, collaborated with an Oncologist, Dr. Merrick I. Ross, M.D., F.A.C.S, and wrote Breast Cancer The Notebook. It’s a comprehensive and simple way to get as much information about Breast Cancer, treatments, healthy living suggestions and maintenance into one place as possible. She covers all the bases including information on certain chemicals in cosmetics to avoid as well as clarifying why we should really try to stay away from antiperspirant deodorants.

“Antiperspirants contain chemicals and toxins that are absorbed into your body in your armpit area and may cause a concentration of toxins that lead to cell mutations.” Julia Chiapetta

Most antiperspirants contain aluminum.

“Despite its natural abundance, aluminum has no known function in living cells and presents some toxic effects in elevated concentrations. Its toxicity can be traced to deposition in bone and the central nervous system, which is particularly increased in patients with reduced renal function. Because aluminum competes with calcium for absorption, increased amounts of dietary aluminum may contribute to the reduced skeletal mineralization (osteopenia) observed in preterm infants and infants with growth retardation. In very high doses, aluminum can cause neurotoxicity, and is associated with altered function of the blood-brain barrier.[61] A small percentage of people are allergic to aluminium and experience contact dermatitis, digestive disorders, vomiting or other symptoms upon contact or ingestion of products containing aluminium, such as deodorants or antacids. In those without allergies, aluminium is not as toxic as heavy metals, but there is evidence of some toxicity if it is consumed in excessive amounts.[62] Although the use of aluminium cookware has not been shown to lead to aluminium toxicity in general, excessive consumption of antacids containing aluminium compounds and excessive use of aluminium-containing antiperspirants provide more significant exposure levels. Studies have shown that consumption of acidic foods or liquids with aluminium significantly increases aluminium absorption,[63] and maltol has been shown to increase the accumulation of aluminium in nervous and osseus tissue.[64] Furthermore, aluminium increases estrogen-related gene expression in human breast cancer cells cultured in the laboratory.[65] The estrogen-like effects of these salts have led to their classification as a metalloestrogen. “ Internet research

I know it’s a difficult concept, especially in a city like New York where you’re running around all day, to consider switching from antiperspirant to regular deodorant but here’s why it should be something to think about. Let me explain by summarizing what Julia Chiappetta has written:

Armpits are one of four areas in our body where toxins are released in the form of sweat. Armpits are also the closest of these areas to our breasts. If we clog that area with an antiperspirant, we are literally stopping the natural occurrence of toxin release. Therefore the toxins build up and deposit themselves throughout the body, most commonly in the lymph nodes that are closest to the armpit. To quote Julia Chiappetta, “ A high percentage of breast cancer tumors are found in the upper outside quadrant of the breast area because about 80% of breast tissue is located in that area.”

There are a few chemicals found in cosmetics that I was unfamiliar with that Julia Chiappetta lists as ingredients to avoid:

To quote:

“ Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea
These are the most commonly used as preservatives after the parabens. They are well established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis. Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde at just over 10 degrees.

PVP/VA Copolymer
A petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, wave sets and other cosmetics.

Triethanolamine
Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH level, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base, for a cleanser. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin and could be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time. “

I’d like to thank Julia Chiappetta and her collaborators for this book. It is a great resource for so many people and it’s accessible, not too clinical. Here’s the website for the book:
www.breastcancer-thenotebook.com

and just a reminder, from her and from me….please read your labels! Make sure you know as much as you can about the ingredients you are ingesting and absorbing everyday…..

continuation of Vegan...

while i'm starting a new skincare regimen to blog about...I though I'd post a list of some vegan companies that I've used/discovered recently.

1. Lime Crime (www.limecrimemakeup.com)
this line is 100% Vegan

2. OCC/Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
this line is 100% vegan

3. Urban Decay
much of this line is Vegan....the products that are vegan have a Paw print on the packaging

4. Tarte Cosmetics
again, same as with urban Decay...some of their products are Vegan so just check the website that has all of their vegan products listed on one page

Vegan

About 3 months ago I was hired by my first strictly vegan bride. What I thought would be a cinch, turned out to be a whole new lesson in reading labels and understanding ingredients. Initially when we had our first consultation, I used all of my minerals on her. I knew the minerals from La Bella Donna (www.labelladonna.com) were fine for vegans because that particular company only uses 4 minerals in their makeup and only plant derived emulsifiers in their lipsticks/glosses. But when she contacted me closer to the date of her wedding, asking me to re-think the lip color, that was the start of a search for the true definition of vegan cosmetics that I've been continuing to investigate. Her main concern as we decided on the lip color was to ensure that not only were the cosmetics we were using cruelty-free (no animal testing) but free of any animal byproducts as well. I spent the week before her wedding scrambling around, reading labels and hunting down Vegan cosmetic brands only to find that unless one is a vegan and familiar with the terminology, it's a challenge to truly understand the minute details of these ingredients.

As a meat eater, I occasionally forget that when I'm reading labels for this blog that just because a company is "green" doesn't mean that they are cruelty and animal byproduct free. Furthermore, you can read all the ingredients on the planet but if you don't know exactly what they are on their own, then you can't really know if the particular product you are reading about is precisely what you are looking for. For example, one instance where I was reading ingredients at Sephora, I read that there was "Carnuba Wax" used. Well I automatically assumed that "Carnuba" meant animal because the word I associated with it was Carnivore. When I went home and looked up Carnuba wax on the internet, it defined it as a plant based wax. I was a bit embarrassed with my uneducated assumption of the word and was reminded of the horrible grades I received in my high school biology class.

Having said that, it's weeks later and I've done some reading on Vegan cosmetics and here's what I've learned so far:

A specific company can say it's cruelty free but the thing is that a lot of cosmetic brands are owned by one large corporation, such as Loreal. Loreal tests their products on animals so even if your smaller label says it doesn't test on animals, the company that owns it may. So make sure you know whether or not the company you buy from is owned corporate or not. On the other hand, MAC cosmetics is owned by Estee Lauder and MAC has absolutely no testing on animals whatsoever. And it's a fact. So it's important to do your research and if you're curious you can always contact the customer service number for whichever company you are using.

Ingredients made from animal byproducts were more of a challenge for me to find. But here are some that stood out as relatively common: Beeswax, Honey, Dairy products.

here are a few that were a mystery to me and so i took some bits from wikipedia to make the definitions as simple and straight forward as possible:

1. Lanolin

Lanolin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lanolin (German, from Latin lāna, "wool", and oleum, "oil") also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax or wool grease, is a yellow waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. Most lanolin used by humans comes from domestic sheep. Lanolin is also frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as ‘Wool Fat’ by many of the world’s pharmacopoeia even though it has been known for more than 150 years that lanolin is devoid of glycerides and is in fact a wax, not a fat.[1][2] Lanolin's waterproofing property aids sheep in shedding water from their coats. Certain breeds of sheep produce large amounts of lanolin, and the extraction can be performed by squeezing the sheep's harvested wool between rollers. Most or all of the lanolin is removed from wool when it is processed into textiles, such as yarn or felt.
Lanolin’s role in nature is to protect wool and skin against the ravages of climate and the environment – it also seems to play a role in integumental hygiene.[3] It is therefore not surprising that lanolin and its many derivatives are used extensively in products designed for the protection, treatment and beautification of human skin.[4]



2. Royal Jelly
also from wikipedia
Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens.[1] It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of worker bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony.[2]

Royal jelly is collected and sold as a dietary supplement, claiming various health benefits because of components like B-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). The overall composition of royal jelly is 67% water, 12.5% crude protein (including small amounts of many different amino acids), and 11% simple sugars (monosaccharides), also including a relatively high amount (5%) of fatty acids. It also contains many trace minerals, some enzymes, antibacterial and antibiotic components, and trace amounts of vitamin C.
Royal jelly can also be found in some beauty products.
Royal jelly may cause allergic reactions in humans ranging from hives, asthma, to even fatal anaphylaxis.[14][15][16][17][18][19] The incidence of allergic side effect in people that consume royal jelly is unknown. However, it has been suggested that the risk of having an allergy to royal jelly is higher in people who already have known allergies.[14]


3. Carmine
also from wikipedia
Carmine (pronounced /ˈkɑrmɪn/ or /ˈkɑrmaɪn/), also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the carminic acid produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for a particularly deep red color of the same name. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, paints, crimson ink, rouge, and other cosmetics, and is routinely added to food products such as yogurt and certain brands of juice, most notably those of the ruby


To conclude, i'd like to thank my vegan bride for sparking my interest in uncovering the general mystery of Vegan cosmetics and i look forward to knowing more....unfortunately as far as food goes...i don't think i could ever give up meat and dairy...but thanks all the same!!! :)

Jurlique

Jurlique

It’s been a bumpy ride with Jurlique. No pun intended. Well, maybe a bit intended.

I stumbled across this luxurious natural skincare line at Whole Foods about a year ago. I thought the packaging was pretty so I bought a bottle of their lavender hydrating mist. After using it during the sweltering summer months, I found that my skin really liked it. So I went back to Whole Foods to find out more about this stuff.

Initially I went with the travel size starter kit. It’s a great price for what you get. The kit is $50 for about a 2-4 week supply. They have 4 different formulas that the starter kit comes in: Oily, Dry, Sensitive, and Normal. They were sold out of most of the kits so I was left with the one for Normal skin. I figured, it’s all-natural, how can I go wrong? Well something I’ve been discovering lately, just because the product is natural, doesn’t mean your skin can’t get irritated.
The products in the “normal skin” kit all irritated my skin. My face was red, dry, and I broke out in little whiteheads all around my chin and forehead. But I had seen Jurlique written up in a bunch of magazines so I didn’t want to give up. I went back to Whole Foods and bought the starter kit for dry skin. I figured the dry skin kit would help soothe the redness, and it did.

These are the products that come in the kit:
Cleanser
Exfoliater
Hydrating serum/mist
Day cream
Night cream or and eye cream depending on the kit

My skin began to heal and all seemed better for about a month. The one thing I didn’t like in the kit was the exfoliater. The consistency felt like a fruit spread that would be better on toast than on my face. When I rinsed my face it felt as if no dead skin cells had been exfoliated. I still had dry flakes of skin on my forehead after using it.

But I really liked the other products. They seemed to be working, so I went back to Whole Foods to see if Jurlique had an alternate exfoliater that felt more like what I was used to. I’m accustomed to the exfoliaters with tiny granules that as you spread them across your skin you can feel a slight scratch, and you know its removing the dead skin cells.

I finally found a different exfoliater in their age-defying line. It was exactly what I was looking for. I used it during my “before bed” skin regimen and everything felt fine. My skin was smooth and clean. About a week later, I used the exfoliater again and 2 hours later I broke out in hives all around my chin, mouth, forehead and jaw line.

I’m stumped about what caused the sudden breakout. I don’t know if the fragrance was too much, or perhaps it took a few weeks for my skin to figure out what was being applied to it and then it decided to reject it. It’s been a month since the breakout and I still can’t figure it out. I’m disappointed because Jurlique is one of the top natural skincare lines on the market right now.

Luckily, my mom was searching for a new skincare line and I had recommended Jurlique to her. I gave her everything I had and here’s what she has to say about it.

Andrea’s thoughts on Jurlique

"After experimenting with a number of paraben-free skin care lines, my daughter Anita turned me on to Jurlique. I have been using these products for the past four months. As an older woman, I was interested in the “Purely Age-Defying” products in the line and began with them first. These include the Refining Treatment (exfoliator), the Facial Serum, Eye Cream, and the Night Lotion. The Refining treatment is a very gentle exfoliation of the skin that leaves my skin soft without irritation. It works as a once a week facial and does the job. The Facial Serum provides a layer of protection that actually allows the Night Lotion to get absorbed. These two products create a rich combination and really moisturize my skin at night. I’ve noticed that my skin has begun to take on a much more youthful glow since I’ve begun using these products. I particularly like the Eye Cream. A small pearl of the cream goes a long way. It is easy to use; the tube allows you to use a tiny bit without contaminating the rest of the product. It goes on smoothly and soothes as well as moisturizes the delicate under eye area. It is not too rich for daytime use either.
The Jurlique line has several cleansers. I’ve tried two of the three: Replenishing Foaming Cleanser for dry skin and Soothing Foaming Cleanser for sensitive skin. While the Replenishing Cleanser certainly is gentle and helps get rid of the tell tale signs of make up at the end of the day, I actually prefer the Soothing Cleanser in terms of how my skin feels after using it. It doesn’t leave a film and I feel as if my skin is more ready to absorb the Serum and then moisturizer.
There are at least two moisturizers for daytime. The Moisture Replenishing Day Cream is extremely rich. It feels terrific but takes a bit of time to absorb into the skin. I need to wait about a half an hour before applying make up. There is the Soothing Day Care Lotion that is a much lighter moisturizer and may be more appropriate as a preparation for foundation and powder".









Jurlique

After experimenting with a number of paraben-free skin care lines, my daughter Anita turned me on to Jurlique. I have been using these products for the past four months. As an older woman, I was interested in the “Purely Age-Defying” products in the line and began with them first. These include the Refining Treatment (exfoliator), the Facial Serum, Eye Cream, and the Night Lotion. The Refining treatment is a very gentle exfoliation of the skin that leaves my skin soft without irritation. It works as a once a week facial and does the job. The Facial Serum provides a layer of protection that actually allows the Night Lotion to get absorbed. These two products create a rich combination and really moisturize my skin at night. I’ve noticed that my skin has begun to take on a much more youthful glow since I’ve begun using these products. I particularly like the Eye Cream. A small pearl of the cream goes a long way. It is easy to use; the tube allows you to use a tiny bit without contaminating the rest of the product. It goes on smoothly and soothes as well as moisturizes the delicate under eye area. It is not too rich for daytime use either.
The Jurlique line has several cleansers. I’ve tried two of the three: Replenishing Foaming Cleanser for dry skin and Soothing Foaming Cleanser for sensitive skin. While the Replenishing Cleanser certainly is gentle and helps get rid of the tell tale signs of make up at the end of the day, I actually prefer the Soothing Cleanser in terms of how my skin feels after using it. It doesn’t leave a film and I feel as if my skin is more ready to absorb the Serum and then moisturizer.
There are at least two moisturizers for daytime. The Moisture Replenishing Day Cream is extremely rich. It feels terrific but takes a bit of time to absorb into the skin. I need to wait about a half an hour before applying make up. There is the Soothing Day Care Lotion that is a much lighter moisturizer and may be more appropriate as a preparation for foundation and powder.

Clean Well Hand Sanitizer

As a makeup artist I have to make sure my hands are sanitized every time I start a makeup application. Like most people I was carrying Purell hand sanitizer with me until about a month ago. I received a sample package from Rachael Diamond at Behrman Communications containing a few bottles of the Clean Well Hand Sanitizer. I have to say, it was so generous of her and also such a relief.

I was starting to get frustrated with how dry my hands would get from the Purell after every work day. It felt like I was cleaning my hands with straight rubbing alcohol, and it didn't matter how much moisturizer I used, my hands were still dry.

Since I continuously have to sanitize, I packed the Clean Well in my kit the first day I received it. Funnily enough, a few days after I started using it, I went to my acupuncturist and she was using the Clean Well as her hand sanitizer. Then I saw it at Whole Foods the following day. I don't know if it was a sign or not but I felt like I was being introduced to a great secret that hopefully will not be a secret for long.

What I can say about this product is that it's wonderful. It's alcohol free yet it still kills 99.99% of germs naturally (as stated on their bottle). The ingredients are natural essential plant oils so it keeps my hands moisturized while it keeps them sanitized. I couldn't ask for a better solution for hand sanitation. Not just as an artist but for everyday use. The bottle is a spray bottle so you get better bank for your buck compared to a gel, since much less product comes out with each use.

I truly appreciate the "free goods" but I will for sure continue to buy this product!

www.cleanwelltoday.com

Thoughts on Green Makeup

Over the past few weeks I've done a couple of fashion/beauty photoshoots with professional photographer friends of mine. I asked them (River Clark www.riverclark.com and Shiran Nicholson www.shirannicholson.com) to help me because I wanted to experiment with all of the green makeup I've been blogging about in a more work-related way. In other words, I wanted to see how this green makeup "stuff" would measure up with hi-end digital photography & lighting.

For the most part, the end result is beautiful. The makeup holds up pretty well and photographs nicely. At the same time, as a professional and more to the point a perfectionist and my own worst critic, I noticed slight differences in how the makeup was photographing.

The textures aren't quite as smooth, meaning I see the makeup more. It sits on the surface of the skin even after it's been blended well. I'm sure it has something to do with the ingredients. I found myself manipulating the products a lot more through the application. I kept adding more moisturizer to help me blend the foundation further into the skin. I was alternating between either the Rose Day Cream from Dr. Hauschka or the Rare Minerals moisturizer from Bare Minerals. I found myself working a bit harder to even apply the powder just for setting the makeup so that we wouldn't see any chalky white powder bits in the photo.

In general with hi-def cameras both for still and moving pictures, makeup artists have had to change the way they look at makeup in those situations. These cameras pick up every strand of hair that's out of place so there is no room for overlooking the small details.

There are no unnecessary oils or preservatives in green makeup, which is great, but I'm starting to think that our bodies or skin rather, absorb those chemicals more quickly than we absorb cosmetics that don't contain them. And for photography purposes, plus what we need for time efficiency, we almost require the fast absorption for a more flawless end result.

So not only is green makeup healthier in general because of the ingredients but the fact that our skin doesn't drink it up as quickly is a new discovery. Ultimately I think that is great for everyday makeup and skin care users but I'm still on the fence about it for fashion photography. I have to admit that when I was using the green makeup I was tempted to grab my Chanel and MAC stuff to make it easier. I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't but in makeup artist terms I was just plain frustrated.

Smashbox Halo Powder

I was introduced to the Smashbox Halo Powder about a month ago from one of my coworkers. As far as I know it's the only powder from Smashbox at the moment that's Paraben and Talc free. It is beautiful. You can use it on it's own as a foundation powder or you can use it on top of your liquid foundation to create a beautiful satin finish. It has a bit of a glow and makes your skin look flawless. I love it!!!!

check it out at Sephora...:)