Review of NO MORE DIRTY LOOKS – The Truth About Your Beauty Products
Now that the truth about what’s lurking on your beauty counter is spreading like wildfire, the publishing houses are jumping on the green wagon and putting more and more information out there. Which is really nice of them. Because as exciting as all this search for safe makeup and natural skincare can be, not all of us have the time/money/patience to do it.
And so I’m very happy to introduce you to a new essential read on the subject that recently arrived on the market.
NO MORE DIRTY LOOKS – The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O’Connor & Alexandra Spunt
So what is special about this book?
It’s practical. It’s fun. Its focus is beauty products and healthy choices, and not a political agenda (though, it’s hard to avoid some politicizing on the subject…) It presents good research with practical applications.
Personally, I love the book’s writing style. As I already mentioned – it’s fun. It uses simple language and simple explanations of convoluted terms and practices. Though I must add a warning for the extra sensitive types – sometimes the language gets a bit PG using s**t type words…. But those are always in context and, in my opinion, used totally deservedly…
The structure of the book is simple and intuitive. In an entertaining (though scary in retrospect) string of personal anecdotes the authors describe how they stumbled into questioning the beauty industry (suffering through the stench of toxic fumes just to get the hair straight should eventually ring a bell for most thinking people… ) and the shock they experienced while uncovering mountains of evidence that this stuff isn’t safe, but no one in power is doing anything about it.
And you know what — I get it. That realization can be nerve-wracking. For those of you still doubting the shadiness of the beauty industry, what do you think of this:
“They’ve read the same reports we have, and then some. So why are they selling us these things? In the words of one industry scientist whose employer charges $250 for a 2-ounce pot of face cream, “Because we can” (p.4).
However, let me assure you. This isn’t just a book about how bad things are and that you should just write to the congress (though you should). It gets practical right away.
There is a very good section on the “dirty” ingredients you should be on the lookout for in your products. (Note: I listed some of the major ingredients to avoid some time ago, but the book’s list is more detailed, plus it includes an ingredient blacklist in an appendix that is really long and scary.) The book has great description of these offenders, including how to spot them, risk associated and studies that indicate that.
No More Dirty Looks covers every major product category relevant to human appearance, gives its background, potential hazards, things to look out for, a list of products you CAN buy in that category and even tips on how to make your own. It even has a recipe for making your own mascara! (! (Disclaimer – I haven’t tried it yet, but the thought is intriguing).
I particularly loved (and was disturbed by) the background story of shampoo. Did you know that it didn’t even exist as a product we know now until 1930s? Me neither…
There is also a very basic diet/lifestyle guide at the end. Some statistics, while true, read like pure entertainment. For example, statistically, all married men are healthier, but only happily married women are (now how is that fair?). And did you know that hugging and other physical bonding has a rejuvenating effect on the skin?
In short, this book is a great overall guide for those who don’t have time to do all the research. Probably one of the most practical and realistic guides I’ve seen. And it’s an easy read – took me only a few hours to get through it.
My only criticism is that the list of recommended products seems to focus too heavily on a limited set of already well known (in the green world) manufacturers. The brand research for things we can use could’ve been wider. I think this is a missed opportunity to introduce the lesser known makers of quality organic/natural products to consumers.
But overall, I recommend this book to any woman who wants to take charge of her appearance in a healthy way. And it should probably be “the guide” given by parents to their daughters when they discover themselves in the mirror.
Related Articles
August 24, 2010 1 Comment
Old Products, New Infection Risks: The Dangers of Expired Makeup
The following is a guest post contributed to Organic Makeup and Skincare by Tisha Dotson. This article discusses the whys and hows of special care required for your organic products. It’s not as simple as buying and putting things on the shelf. So read on to learn some valuable tips that might save you from some very unpleasant bacteria encounters.
When we consider purchasing the best makeup, we often take into account several different factors like price, ingredients, whether or not the product is tested on animals, packaging, and skin type designation. However, once the purchase has been made, just as with other products, we have a tendency to think that the decision-making is over. What many do not consider is that taking care of our products is just as important in maximizing their effectiveness as is purchasing the right kind of products.
When it comes to makeup, proper care is absolutely critical. This is especially true of organic makeup. Why? Simply because organic products do not contain the fillers and preservatives that synthetic makeup products do. As a result, organic makeup products do not have a very long shelf life, and since most manufacturers do not print expiration dates, we must be ever-vigilant about the product’s state on our own.
An article in the Green Beauty Guide outlines the problems with expired makeup. Perhaps because of the lack of an expiration date on makeup, it is very common for women to store cosmetic products for years and years. And of course, makeup, whether or not it’s organic, is expensive. As such tossing products away unnecessarily can hit our pocketbooks pretty hard. But the dangers posed by expired makeup are far more damaging than the economic cost of keeping cosmetics products up-to-date.
According to the article, old makeup can harbor dangerous bacteria. With foundations, expired makeup can cause what is called peri-oral dermatitis, which is manifested by little red bumps that look like acne. Expired mascara can cause conjunctivitis, an eye infection that is also known as pink eye. What’s more, women should be particular vigilant when it comes to lipsticks and lip balms, especially if there’s the possibility that it could have been used by others. In many cases, women can get cold sores through a herpes virus that can easily be absorbed by lip products.
Experts say that when it comes to cosmetics products, go with the smell test. Even if it has only been three months since purchasing, if the product smells strange, then it probably contains bacteria and should be thrown out. It’s also very important to consistently change makeup applicators, which are also breeding grounds for bacteria. While it may be difficult to justify throwing out expensive cosmetics products, the cost will be significantly less than having to deal with a potential infection.
This guest post is contributed by Tisha Dotson, who writes on the topics of medical coding certification. She welcomes your comments at her email: tishadotson86 @gmail . com.
Related Articles
August 22, 2010 1 Comment
