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BEAUTY INSIDE AND Ou”

Cosmetics that kill

An extensive look at the cosmetic industry in duping the consume

By Stephanie Trembath,
Life and Style Editor

he beauty business is a
‘Ts one; we purchase

tools claiming to transform
our physique into a more desirable
appearance despite our better
judgement. Want legs like Kate
Moss? The answer is easy; simply
purchase L’Oreal’s new lotion for
firmer, suppler skin. Wish you had
Audrey Hepburn’s doe eyed lashes?
Ask for Revlon’s lash intense
mascara this Christmas. It sounds
absurd because it is, yet despite
our extensive educations, women
and men alike spend a staggering
amount of money on cosmetic
products every year.

Although it isn’t necessarily
wrong to waste your money on
make-up (I am partial to MAC
products) it is very wrong and
dangerous to be naive in what
you’re slathering on your body and
powdering your face with day in and
day out. While cosmetic products
come with a label, the information
is not always correct and sometimes
left out completely so that the
consumer is left in the dark.

One particular product that has
consumers all over North America
worried about their personal health
involves a hair serum that stylists
were charging a staggering $150
- $300 per treatment. After large
quantities of the toxic chemical
formaldehyde were found in the
popular Brazilian Blowout hair
treatment, the serum was pulled off
shelves in Canada and countries in
Europe due to the negative health
effects caused to consumers.

The serum, which claims to use
nutrients that improve the condition
of hair by creating a protective
protein sheath that covers the hair
follicle to eliminate frizz, has been
a source of controversy over the last
few months as lawsuits are being
filed against the company due to
false claims, advertisements, and
labelling of the product being sold
all over the world. While Canada

and countries in Europe have
already pulled the toxic treatment
from their shelves, the U:S is still
allowing consumers to purchase the
Brazilian Blowout in stores and over
the internet.

The toxic chemical
formaldehyde is present in the
hair serum, and as customers have
discovered, formaldehyde was
not included in the label as it is a
cancer causing agent. Formaldehyde
has many short and long term
effects associated with inhaling the
chemical, as well as the absorption
through the skin. Headaches,
burning or irritated eyes, ruptured
linings of the nose, sore chest,
and difficulty breathing are all
minor effects of formaldehyde,
while reduced pulmonary function,
damage to the lungs, as well as an
increased risk of cancer are more
serious effects.

The World Health Association
has linked formaldehyde with
cancers that attack the lungs, blood,
and nasal passages. After Canada’s
federal health agency re-called the
Brazilian Blowout serum, the U.S
Federal Drug Administration was
asked to investigate. Unfortunately
the cosmetic industry is a self-
regulated business and the FDA has
no position in providing rules and
regulations.

In October, more than 21,000
hairstylists in the U.S were required
to submit their Brazilian Blowout
serum for chemical testing. Of
the 105 samples collected, every
salon’s serum contained large
amounts of formaldehyde levels
from the Brazilian Blowout and
the Acai Professional Smoothing
Serum despite their labels reading
“formaldehyde-free”. Thankfully,
Canadians are safe from the blown-
out Blowout in salons, although it
is still able to be purchase through
the internet. For more information
on this topic check out http://
safecosmetics.org/index, and pick
up another issue of the Other Press
next week for information on
perfume!

 

FE ona SCYIE