Viva Woman

One of the key reasons I’m uncomfortable with using chemical sunscreens is because studies at all levels have proven that chemical sunscreens penetrate the skin, get into the bloodstream and are harmful to the body.  As a matter of fact, a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called Oxybenzone, also known as Benzophenone-3, has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage with a new study recently published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to back it up.

According to this analysis from Environmental Working Group (EWG), findings of the CDC study indicate that Oxybenzone reacts negatively with sun exposure and have negative impacts on our bodies such as: 

- triggering possible allergic reactions by sun exposure.
- forming free radical chemicals that may be linked to cell damage.
- disrupting the hormone system.
- absorbing through the skin in significant amounts.
- accumulating in the fatty tissues in the body for many days. 
- helping other chemicals penetrate the skin.

A companion study released a day earlier also revealed that mothers with high levels of Oxybenzone in their bodies were more likely to give birth to underweight baby girls.  And what’s also alarming is on top of the many sunscreen products in the market that contain this harmful ingredient, companies also use the toxic chemical in other personal care products, including lip balm, lipstick, moisturizers and fragrance for women.

I know many have criticized EWG as a scare mongrel, but I’m in support of their stance especially since they’ve always back their analysis with studies as in this case.  Moreover, just think about the amount of sunscreen you have to slap on just to get adequate protection and think about how much toxins you’re subjecting yourselves to in the longer term if yours contain Oxybenzone.   

So gals, let’s do ourselves a favor.  Read the ingredient list of your sunscreens and for the matter, all your personal skincare products and look out for Oxybenzone to avoid.  Afterall, we do have plenty of safer choices. 

For a safe list of sunscreens, look up Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Database.

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I grew up hating to eat oats and would never take a second look at this foodstuff even though I’m aware that oats are nutritious and are good for our health, with over 40 studies showing that eating oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.   However, I recently developed an interest in them after learning from my husband that eating oats can help to reduce weight.

My husband has been jogging and exercising on a regular basis but found it difficult to get rid of some stubborn fats around his tummy.  He then decided to try out a diet of oatmeal after reading about this from a man’s magazine.  After taking it once a day for a week, he noticed that the fats around his tummy were significantly reduced and he attributed this to the reduction in his appetite as a result of eating oats.

After hearing his story, I dug around and found this bit of relevant information from QuakerOats.com:  

Some emerging research suggests that eating oats may help control appetite. The soluble fiber in oats and oat bran absorbs a considerable amount of water, significantly slowing down the digestive process. The result: we feel full longer. A number of clinical studies since the early 1960’s have evaluated dietary fiber and support that some fiber sources, those which contribute significant amounts of soluble fiber such as oatmeal, are effective aids in enhancing satiety (fullness). To the extent that feeling full prevents one from taking in more calories, this could contribute to weight loss.

So if you’re thinking of losing weight the natural way, you might want to consider a diet of oatmeal combined with other fat-free health food like fruits and vegetables.  However, it should be noted that while taking oats can help to curb appetite and reduce weight, other factors such as metabolism rate has to be taken into consideration as someone with a low metabolism rate may take a longer time to lose weight on such a diet.

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I’ve read about how some ladies in Singapore have been going for this whitening injection on a beauty forum and was rather leery of the idea. 

I don’t have much idea about this treatment but it just didn’t sound right to me, to have something injected into our bodies to reverse the skin tone (think Michael Jackson.)  And my suspicions were right because yesterday, I learnt of a warning over the news from Hong Kong that such non-regulated cosmetic treatment could be fatal if improperly used.  Even if it doesn’t cause death, there are possible side effects including liver failure.

The key ingredient in skin whitening drips is glutathione, a strong antioxidant for treating cancer and AIDS. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting and stomachache and may even be lethal if overused, according to the Hong Kong Department of Health. Another ingredient, tranexamic acid, could lead to liver failure if overused.

Source: Killer cosmetics warning from consumer council from The Standard.

Besides the drips or injection, there are also these L-Glutathione super whitening pills which serves the same purpose of lightening the color of the skin when consumed along with vitamin C for three to six months or more.  Apparently this is a very popular treatment in Asia especially for many celebrities and models.  I remembered Barbie Hsu had also mentioned about it in her second beauty book.

What was even more scary to me was that some ladies on the beauty forum were actually recommending services of some non-qualified beauticians for such treatments.  I certainly hope none were silly enough to take such a big risk.  

Like all invasive treatments, whitening injections or super whitening pills ought to be taken with the recommendation of qualified dermatologists or professionals.  Even then, you want to make sure you find out exactly what the treatment entails and what sort of side effects you could be exposed to.

Mirror mirror, on the wall, how can I be safely fairer than them all?

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I don’t use perfume but I’m a sucker for scented products.  Sniffing is probably one of the first things I do when testing a product.  Those that smells good usually get my attention.  But fragrance in a product isn’t always good news especially if they’re of synthetic formulations.

According to Safecosmetics.org, synthetic fragrances can contain chemical compounds with harmful ingredients such as neurotoxins, allergens and phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive problems, early puberty in girls, and breast cancer.  This is why fragrance is always single out as a major culprit when a product is considered as unsafe and is always listed as an ingredient to avoid if possible.

So for olfactory sensitive women like me, what are the alternatives?

The best alternative to synthetic fragrance is those derived from plant-based aromatic compounds such as pure essential oils which are sometimes called fragrance oils.  Depending on the product, some of these maybe certified organic.  Examples of essential oils include chamomile, eucalyptus, geranium, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, lime, orange, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, tea tree vanilla, and ylang ylang.  However, I need to highlight that although essential oils may have more benefits and are not known to be toxic, certain oils may not be suitable for everyone especially under certain conditions like pregnancy or high blood pressure.

Another alternative is to pick synthetic fragrances without harmful ingredients, such as phthalates.  But since the companies are not required to list any of the chemicals used in their fragrance mixture on their product labels, it maybe difficult to tell.   In addition, cosmetic manufacturers are also free to label a petrochemical replica of an essential oil as natural; such as apple fragrance, peach fragrance and so forth.

Of course, the extreme measure is to go for products that are unscented but even then, you want to be aware that some manufacturers use masking agents that block our ability to perceive odors; so not only is fragrance still in the product, but even more chemicals are present.

Personally, I have taken the approach of choosing products that are natural or organic and looking out for essential oils as ingredients for fragrance.  But I acknowledge.  There are still instances where it just isn’t possible.

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