In the making of vegan products, words such as ‘natural’, ‘animal free’, and ‘free of chemicals’ come up quite frequently. That, in a nut shell, is what vegan cosmetics are. Getting the right material and blending them in just the right manner, however, is not as easy as it sounds. There are many simple recipes you can follow at home, but since some ingredients are hard to come by, it is easier to just visit your friendly Canadian vegan cosmetic web site such as www.oresta.ca

Tea tree oil and thyme essential oil are natural preservatives. Therefore, you will find these in most cosmetics vegan or otherwise. Grapefruit seed extract and rosemary extract when combined with certain vitamins, such as E or C, can also be used as preservatives. Always check the expiration date, as shelf life can vary.

When making vegan cosmetics, companies only produce small batches. This ensures that the product will be used or sold well before any danger of bacteria can grow. Many companies offer an ‘on demand’ option. This means the product will not be made until it is ordered, ensuring the utmost in freshness! Sure, you can rub strawberries on your checks as blush, but the result will be more scary than attractive. It’s better to follow the instructions of the professionals, or buy the cosmetics readymade.

True beauty is natural

Making vegan cosmetics is all about helping women lead a healthier lifestyle. Everything you put on your skin will soak into your bloodstream or be washed into the water supply. Once in the water supply toxins affects every aspect of our planet: plants and animals. Then, the toxins come back to us a second time and further affect our health and welfare.

I’ve read about it and written about it, but I think it can be said again: we should be as careful about what we put on our skin as what we put in our bodies. The other day I noticed a great blog post by Harnn & Thann on parabens.

Another great place for information on parabens is the EWG cosmetics database. See what they have to say about each of the parabens mentioned in the Harnn & Thann blog post.

-> Methylparaben

-> Propylparaben

-> Butylparaben

There are so many fabulous companies that use safe ingredients, we don’t need to use products that will eventually do us harm. You can find many great cosmetic and skin care companies in our directory. There are many, so try searching by city to narrow it down to your local area.

Liked this article? Try these…

8 tips for choosing the best sunscreen

Luscious lips and a healthy planet

Pretty Nails, Potent Cocktails

Choosing sunscreen isn’t easy. The number of brands – old and new - packing the shelves seems endless and researchers are constantly churning out new findings on what ingredients are deemed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for our health.

Here are 8 tips to keep in mind for choosing a safe, effective sunscreen to protect your family this summer.

1. To get the most from your sunscreen, look for ‘broad spectrum protection’ meaning it protects against both UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and UVA rays, the leading cause of premature aging of the skin. All sunscreens protect against UVB rays, but only some protect against UVA.

2. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are minerals and sunscreens containing minerals are best, according to the National Geographic Green Guide. These two minerals reflect ultraviolet (UV) rays before they reach your skin, while other sunscreens use chemicals that absorb UV rays. Minerals also block both UVB and UVA rays. However, it’s worth noting that recent medical research has identified some concern around titanium dioxide.

3. You really want a sunscreen as chemical-free as possible. Avoid brands containing parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and benzyl-) as they can interfere with your hormonal systems and more. Other chemical ingredients to avoid include: benzophenone, oxybenzone and octinoxate. Chemical sunscreens don’t always protect against UVA rays. In fact, evidence shows that some - including those containing the chemical Avobenzone, or Parsol 1789 - can break down in sunlight in as little as half an hour. See the Green Guide for more ingredients to avoid.

4. Choose a sunscreen that is water resistant because let’s face it, even if you’re not near water, you’re more than likely going to sweat at least a little with the heat or while working out. Keep in mind that water resistant and waterproof are not the same. Waterproof is actually considered an incorrect term when applied to sunscreen products, says the Environmental Working Group, as no sunscreen product is completely waterproof.

5. If you’re swimming in the ocean, choose a biodegradable sunscreen with plant-based ingredients to avoid damaging coral and other marine life. Any doubts, check out this great article about sunscreen and coral from National Geographic that explains why.

6. Doctors recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of a minimum 15. Higher SPFs will give you more protection, but once you reach SPF 30, there isn’t a huge difference between products with higher SPF values. An SPF 50 product, for example, only blocks about 1.3% more UVB radiation than a SPF 30 product. When you start seeing 50, 70, 100 it seems the numbers are more about marketing than effectiveness. Keep in mind SPF is a measurement of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays. It does not cover UVA rays.

7. Steer clear of products that combine bug spray and sunscreen. Bugs may not be a problem during the hours that UV exposure peaks plus sunscreen may need to be reapplied more frequently than bug spray, or vice versa. An even bigger concern is that sunscreens often contain penetration enhancers. According to the EWG, studies indicate that concurrent use of sunscreens and pesticides leads to increased skin adsorption of the pesticide.

8. Look for a sunscreen that is safe for adults, children, babies – the whole family. This saves you buying more than one bottle, which is in many cases non-recyclable.

Be sure to check out your current brand or any you’re considering on the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It offers some good information and rates 400+ sunscreen products. The #1 brand is Soleo and it’s available online here. Interestingly, the traditional brands we all used growing up like Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic rate low on the database because of their ingredients.

Louise Campbell is co-founder of Vancouver-based online lifestyle boutique Lavish & Lime, specializing in eco-friendly products for green living and giving. Join their email list for a chance to win a $100 eco shopping spree.

When I started www.ethicalconsumer.ca one year ago today, I was unaware of the impact such a resource could have. I had been seeking out ethical businesses as part of my own quest to live a sustainable life and create a sustainable planet for everyone. When I realized that I had collected several hundred, I decided to start www.ethicalconsumer.ca. It would be a shame to do all that work and not share. Since I started paying attention to the number of visitors last July, the traffic to the site has grown by almost 200%. Obviously, there is a need for this type of resource in Canada and I am thrilled to provide it.

Thank you to Canadian consumers who have referred their favourite businesses to the directory, reviewed businesses, commented on the blog, sent in questions and requests and used our directory to find sustainable products and services. This is what a site like this is all about. Next year, we will be asking you what else you would like to see so that we can develop the site into the resource that each ethical consumer can rely on to find what s/he needs.

Thank you to all of the Canadian businesses that have added themselves to the directory as well as referred their colleagues. I am constantly amazed at their dedication to creating jobs that pay fair wages, to providing products and services that do not harm the environment, to offering outstanding customer service all while running a profitable business that feeds their own family. They have also provided inspiration and information to me when I needed either.

Thank you to all the support systems that have given me the ability to get through this first year. I have had business support from service providers such as SnapTech and wedohosting.com. Geneva Bokowski, who is our most popular blogger and buying guide author, has help whenever and wherever needed. Zoey Ryan has guided me through some tough times including the deterioration of my mother’s health, who after a long year of illness and many hours of care giving on my part, moves into an extended care hospital today. Lastly, but definitely not the least, to my family. I have the best two daughters a mother could ever ask for.

I am excited about what year two brings and invite all of the ethical consumer community to join me in shaping this resource that will, I hope, do it’s part in shaping a new economy and a new culture that will bring us all into a sustainable future.

As my mother used to say, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” And as more people find the will to change, the way will become a clear path.

My best to you,
Melody Owen
melody@ethicalconsumer.ca

Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment. They are a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean I want lead or arsenic in my toothpaste. Heavy metals are prohibited as ingredients in cosmetics in Canada but still make their way into the products we put on and in our bodies. They start out as impurities in the raw materials used and end up in the final product. Health Canada is currently consulting with interested parties on proposed guidelines for heavy metal levels in cosmetics sold in Canada.

We can absorb heavy metals in three ways, through our skin, orally or through inhalation and the level of exposure, manner of absorption and the effect differ from metal to metal. Each heavy metal has a tolerable weekly intake outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on body weight.

For example, lead affects numerous organs such as the kidneys, and systems including the central nervous system. As with all heavy metals, children are at more risk due to their size, hand to mouth habits and developmental stage.  Lead can be tolerated, according to WHO, at 25 micrograms of lead per kilogram of body weight per week for children.

Girls Painting Nails

Other heavy metals that Health Canada are looking at include arsenic, cadmium, mercury and antimony. Absorption and effect depends on the heavy metal in question, the manner of exposure (i.e. oral vs. skin), the amount of product used and site of application (i.e. around the mouth vs. on legs) as well as the number of products used with heavy metal impurities.

Health Canada has come up with the following limits

• Lead: 10 parts per million
• Arsenic: 3ppm
• Cadmium: 3ppm
• Mercury: 3ppm
• Antimony: 5ppm

These levels are based on

• review of other country’s limits (such as Germany which has already implemented a program),
• levels found in products sampled in Canada,
• safe levels for susceptible groups such as children

If you would like to submit comments about the proposed guidelines, you can send emails to cosmetics@hc-sc.gc.ca or for more information you can read the Consultation Document. They are accepting comments from January 19th to March 4th.

Lipstick has been around in one form or another for about 5000 years. Back then some of it was toxic. In that regard, not much has changed. However, one thing has changed. Five thousand years ago, the packaging wasn’t promoted as eco-friendly, delivery wasn’t touted as green, and the makers didn’t donate money to their favourite charity. These promotional campaigns are new. Although I appreciate the efforts of companies to work on all of the issues including packaging, shipping and community involvement, I believe that we should start with the product itself.

In that spirit, I have reviewed 8 lipsticks based on ingredients, location, and retail price. I will also try to mention if they are involved in regulatory campaigns such as the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, but may not get it all since there are so many options in this area.

To be consistent, I have used the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database to evaluate ingredients. I have looked up each ingredient individually to find it’s rating. I will indicate the number of ingredients in each lipstick brand that have been rated 3 or more which is considered moderate or high hazards in the database.

As for location, some of these companies are international in scope and some are Canadian-born. All of them have offices somewhere in Canada, and it is their Canadian office location that I have listed. Not all of them make their products in Canada.

The retail price, in the end, is often the deciding factor and the prices listed here are exclusive of taxes and shipping, where applicable. We all understand the need to spend carefully. However, I hope the prices listed here allow us all to rethink the myth that has evolved that “Green is too expensive” and “It’s not easy being green.”  These slogans are really just promotional campaigns and don’t reflect reality.

And we start on the east coast of our beautiful country…

Cosmic Tree in Dartmouth, N.S.  makes a lipstick that did not have any ingredients of concern. Instead they make all natural, artisan crafted, vegan lipsticks. They have four shades all of which you can find on their website along with the ingredients. They cost $12.50 for 4 grams. If you believe that you should be buying local and you live in the Maritimes, then this is your lipstick. They are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Pure + Simple is currently reformulating their lipsticks to make them smoother and creamier. Until that is done, this Toronto, Ontario company still offers their four lip glosses at their four locations at a cost of $19.95 for 4ml. Although I couldn’t find the ingredients listed on their website, a quick call and an email later, I can tell you that the ingredients in these lip glosses check out. Pure + Simple are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Plant Love lipstick by Cargo had a total of 8 ingredients that had ratings of 3 or more in the Skin Deep database. Another disappointment with this product was the one month it took them to respond to my request for an ingredients list. When the response came, it simple directed me to the website, where I had already looked. I did eventually find the ingredients without the help of their customer service centre. You can find their head office in Toronto, Ontario and you can pick up their lipstick for $20.00 for 0.14 oz.

Arbonne is an international company so the product is definitely not made in Canada, but they do have offices in Mississauga, Ontario. They are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, which means that they follow the European Union’s ingredient restrictions, a good thing. Nevertheless, their About Face Sheer Shine had 4 ingredients that had ratings of 3 or more in the Skin Deep database. I did not find their ingredients listed on their Canadian website. However, when I emailed for an ingredients list, I was impressed not only with their rapid response but also the excellent set up they used for the list. They listed out the ingredients, what it was derived from such as plant, mineral or science and they listed the purpose of adding this ingredient into the product such as conditioner, colour and so on.

Suncoat Organic Lip Shimmer had one ingredient that earned a rating of 3 or more in the Skin Deep database. Besides that they have an excellent website that makes it easy to find the information you want. They have six colours to choose from with each costing $8.99 for 4.5 ml. Located in Guelph, Ontario, they are also signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Pure Anada lipsticks are free of suspect ingredients. This company makes its home in Morden, Manitoba, and has a large array of colours to choose from, more so than any others I looked at for this review. For $12.00 you get a 3 gram lipstick. The website is chock full of excellent information for consumers who want to know more about what they are buying.  They are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Organic Beauty Plus is located in Lethbridge, Alberta but the products are originally from Australia, where each product has been certified independently for its organic content which is either 70% plus or 95% plus, depending on the content of ingredients that can’t be certified such as minerals, since they are not organic matter to begin with. The website has lots of consumer information and when I contacted them with a question, they were more than happy to oblige. One thing I really liked was being able to click on each ingredient to get more information. Organic Beauty Plus lip crème comes in six colours at a price of $28.95 for 5 grams

Dragonfly Dreaming doesn’t really have a lipstick per se, but if you want to keep your lips in tip top shape while adding a hint of colour, this may be the answer. Located in Cobble Hill, BC all of the ingredients of Hint o’ Tint check out in the Skin Deep database. When I called to ask about the ingredients, I was impressed with the product knowledge of the owner, who could very easily answer questions and took the time to explain things. They have also signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. You can purchase 10 ml of their Hint o’ Tint for $4.50.

I am sure that I have missed some fabulous Canadian companies, but then that is what the comments section is about. No matter what you put to your lips, enjoy it.

You don’t have to see one to know it’s there. One good breath will tell you that you are passing a nail salon. Better yet, hold your breath. Do you have any idea what that stuff is?

Nails salons have increased dramatically in number over the past few years and can be seen on every corner, it seems. Mostly women but sometimes men go to have their hands and feet exfoliated, massaged, buffed and polished. But, nail salons are extremely potent work places for the (mostly) women who work there.

Some of the most harmful ingredients in nail products include methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate, formaldehyde, toluene, acetone, and phthalates. These chemicals may cause headaches, confusion, lack of attention span, skin rash, coughing and the list goes on. These are just the short-term symptoms. Not enough study has been done to give workers and consumers a clear picture of all the long-term affects these chemicals have on our health, although some research (PDF) has suggested that women of child-bearing years are putting themselves and their unborn children at great risk.

The very worst offenders are the nails that women have applied to their natural nail: acrylic nails. Although Health Canada advises us to not use methyl methacrylate (MMA), it is up to the consumer. Your clue that you are buying a potent cocktail of chemicals is the price of the nails. MMA is cheaper than it’s somewhat less potent sister, ethyl methacrylate.

Health Canada advises Canadians not to use cosmetic nail preparations containing MMA

If you really want those long nails and the only way to get them is to have them applied, then consider gels or wraps. Also, look for a nail salon that has downdraft tables, so the air is pulled down and away from you and the nail aesthetician such as they have at City Looks Salon and Spa in Winnipeg.

Even if you are not having nails applied, there are still many potent chemicals in many of the products, both polishes and removers. There are alternatives, however, such as water-based polish and natural nail polish remover. Try one of them, the next time you paint your nails. If you want to get a manicure or a pedicure, why not take some of these products with you and introduce them to your favourite nail salon.

Or be beach brave and go au natural.

Just yesterday, Kathyrn Stolle, who is in charge of Media Relations & Special Projects at Leading Spas of Canada, commented on my recent post entitled, Wellness spas, new packaging or a transformation?. Although Kathyrn stated her name, her affiliation to Leading Spas in Canada is not clear to readers. Because Kathryn is more than just a consumer of spa services and her comments promote the industry association that she represents, I wanted to make the affiliation clear. Following you will find her comments in bold and my response to them.

My impression is that the writer has only limited knowledge of the Canadian Spa Industry and this is demonstrated most clearly by her (mis)understanding of Canadian spas that according to her “disguise our aging process, alter who we are through medical procedures and chemical processes”.

Here is a link from Health Canada regarding the use of Botox.
Health Canada reviewing issue of distant toxin spread potentially associated with Botox and Botox Cosmetic

Botox is a medical procedure that has found a cosmetic application, one that is now suspect. I believe that medical clinics that use this procedure should not market themselves as spas and use terms such as wellness in their marketing messages, but it happens. I believe the word spa should be reserved for places where professionals care for our bodies and our spirits in a manner that is noninvasive and natural. However, there is no legal definition of spa or wellness (that I know of), and hence both are used in a variety of contexts.

The reality is that the consumer is dictating a shift from places of pampering to places where people can seek balance and health (Wellness) in a safe and natural environment. And spas are responding in the ways that they provide services and treatments.

Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University gives this definition of wellness: “Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being” and, according to DePaul University, it encompasses six dimensions:
* Social
* Occupational
* Spiritual
* Physical
* Intellectual
* Emotional

I think this is valuable information and food for thought. As a consumer my next step might be to translate this information into a tool that I can use to evaluate a spa to help me decide which spa is right for me. Some people will put more emphasis on spiritual and emotional wellness, while others may be more interested in the social and physical aspects of the spa service. If anyone is interested in more information, here is a link to dePaul’s definition of wellness that Kathyrn refers to.

This conscious shift on the part of the consumer towards spas offering spiritual, mental, and physical health and well-being has found a real and tangible resonance in spas across Canada. It led to the definition of the Canadian Spa Experience as embodied in the Vision Statement of Leading Spas of Canada - Canada’s national spa association: “To be recognized as providing the purest, most natural spa experience in the world, reflecting our clean, unspoiled Canadian geography”.

According to the website, the association’s vision is
“A National Member Organization working together to support and lead Canada’s spa and wellness Industry and to promote Canada as a premier spa and wellness destination.”

Or if you look here, it is slightly different again. I am not sure why.

Leading Spas of Canada has taken the Wellness concept one step further and is presently developing Quality Assurance programs for spas and schools that will give the consumer the confidence that member spas meet the highest standards of safety, hygiene and service available. The program will be rolled out in 2009 at 30 member spas and implemented across the board to all member spas in 2010.

Excellent news! Will the spas phase out the use of products that contain parabens, pthalates and other toxic chemicals? It would be fabulous to see a member organization such as Leading Spas of Canada encouraging their members to use the precautionary principle when selecting products. Could this be part of its Quality Assurance programs? Will the organization educate product manufacturers regarding harmful ingredients and what the safer alternatives are? To go even further, it would be great to see spas select locally manufactured products wherever possible, partnering with local business that hold the same values as the spas themselves.

Is Leading Spas of Canada accepting input from consumers and if so how can we participate? As Kathy stated above, there is “a conscious shift on the part of the consumer.” I believe that part of this will be consumers’ demand for industry to listen to and respond to their concerns with an ongoing dialogue. This is the type of media relations that I welcome at Ethical Consumer.

If anyone would like to contact the association regarding these issues, they can do so using one of the methods outlined on the contact page.

Leading Spas of Canada is committed to environmental sustainability and provides a forum for its member spas to share best practices and encourages spas to examine their operations for ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprints, while endeavouring to keep its own carbon footprint to a minimum by conducting as much of its business as possible electronically (including industry and consumer newsletters).

I would like to invite the writer to visit Leading Spas of Canada’s member spas. The wellness experience she is seeking can be had at most of them across the country.

Yours in Wellness.

I appreciated the invitation and I did just that. I have been a client of more than one member spa and like some more than others. There is one that I have recommended to others for its access to an ozonated pool and the large social room where clients gather between treatments.

I went even further though, and looked at the Leading Spas of Canada as Canada’s National Spa Association. I believe, as the mandate states that Leading Spas of Canada is about …

• Building a National Organization that supports its members from all regions of Canada and spa industry sectors through membership services.
• Setting mandatory member guidelines for education, standards and practices.
• Supporting professional development by providing educational opportunities for its members.
• Increasing the awareness of the enjoyment and benefits of the Canadian Spa and Wellness Experience, in Canada and worldwide through its marketing programs.
• Advocating for the Spa Industry within public and private sectors.

Nowhere in their vision or mandate do they speak of their desire to advocate for consumers, educate consumers, support consumers or protect consumers. In fact, on the ‘about’ page consumers are not mentioned at all. Besides supporting member spas in their efforts to increase market share and sales, how am I, the consumer, part of the equation for Leading Spas of Canada? Don’t get me wrong, I noticed the reference to the consumer newsletter and the invitation to the members’ directory in Kathyrn’s comments. I just don’t see where they have integrated consumers into their mandate other than to market to us.

I believe that spas that join this Leading Spas of Canada are truly passionate and committed to their values and that they have come together as professionals so that they can learn from each other and improve their industry. I see no reason to believe otherwise and my intention is not to diminish their contribution to the spa industry in Canada. Every industry should have a group of committed professionals willing to constantly improve and develop the industry and that is the place of an industry association.

However, I believe that we all have valuable contributions to make, not just those who work in the industry. When Kathyrn starts her comments by stating that as a conscious consumer, I have “only limited knowledge of the Canadian Spa industry” then goes on to say that I demonstrate my “(mis)understanding of Canadian spas” I would ask her to, in the future, engage me in a manner that does not disparage my remarks or attempt to diminish my contribution. As a spa client who cares greatly about the entire spa experience, and a consumer who takes the time to educate myself, I think I have sufficient knowledge of the Canadian spa industry to state my opinion.

I would like to thank Kathyrn for reading and reacting to my piece about spas. I am pleased that I have garnered a reaction and I welcome the dialogue, although I would prefer that she go about it differently in the future.

I have on occasion gone to a spa, which I do enjoy. However, as I look at the concept of salons and spas here in Canada, I can’t help but compare it to other cultures and the historical significance of spa and wonder if we haven’t lost our way somehow.

The word spa may come from the word espa, meaning fountain. As the story goes, an iron master used a natural spring to cure illnesses associated with iron deficiency. He was so successful that he founded a health resort, which became the town Spa, Belgium.

For the Romans, bath houses were social gatherings, the combination of recreation and personal hygiene. When I was eight years old, I found myself on a family trip to England. One experience during those long weeks touring the country was some time spent in Bath, England. Built by the Romans, Bath has public bathing houses and I found myself in hot water, literally. To me, it was a hot swimming pool, large and grand. To the adults though, it was a place of leisure, relaxation, socializing and cleansing.

In today’s world, there are places, Afghanistan for instance, where spas and salons are a place for women to ‘bare all’, uncover their skin and their thoughts and feelings: a safe place to gather with other women. While they cut and primp and polish, they also tell their deepest and darkest secrets, words they wouldn’t whisper elsewhere; they celebrate their successes with expression and emotions not appropriate for public gatherings; and they support each other through the trials and tribulations of being a woman.

Here in Canada, spas and salons have become a place to disguise our aging process, alter who we are through medical procedures and chemical processes. Today we have beauty salons, nail salons, day spas, retreat spas, medical spas and a new term I have been hearing lately, wellness spas.

What is a wellness spa? In my mind it is a place where we can gather and enjoy each other’s company, relax with a cup of tea or a glass of spirits, and cut and primp and polish with time tested natural products that are good for us and earth.

I have not yet found a wellness spa that is right for me. I am looking for a place that does not try to alter who I am with medical procedures and chemical processes. I am looking for a place where I can gather with friends and socialize: a place where I can cleanse my body and my spirit naturally.

If you know of one, let me know and I’ll meet you there.

In my final post about the book, Not Just a Pretty Face, I would like to leave you with some thoughts that came to mind when I was reading the book. Points that I will be pondering as I shop for shampoo, face cream, cosmetics or any other personal care product.

I came away with a few things to think about….

1. Cosmetic companies say that the minute traces of harmful chemicals that they use are not concentrated enough to cause harm. However, add up the number of products you use on a regular basis. Now imagine each one of those has trace amounts of chemicals that cause cancer and other long-term health issues. Now started adding them up. Now what about the other places where you might be exposed to those same chemicals: in your food packaging, in your food, in your furniture, that new car. It starts to add up.
2. Each chemical/product is tested independently. They don’t test how a combination of chemicals, based on the combination of products you use, affects your health.
3. All of these chemicals have more profound effects on our youngsters. Girls are trying out make up, nail polish and hair products at an earlier age. Many of the chemicals affect developing girls far more than they do fully developed adults.
4. Companies that put millions of dollars into public relations campaigns to help find the cure for cancer are making that plus millions more selling the products that may be the cause of the rising cancer rates.
5. The beauty industry tells us that if we are fair skinned we should be using products that give us that healthy tan look, while if we are dark skinned we should be using skin-lightening creams. Both types of products are extremely toxic.
6. The beauty industry pays for image manipulation to create images of women that are unattainable, and then sell you products that they ’suggest’ will help you attain the unattainable. Do they have your best interests at heart?
7. A small group of high school students in California played a large part in enacting legislation that forces cosmetics companies to disclose to the state if their products contain ingredients linked to cancer or birth defects. They were up against a billion dollar industry.

If you would like to talk more about the book, join us at Chapters-Indigo Ethical Consumer Book Club and join in the discussion.