When it comes to beauty treatments, humans sometimes show … questionable … judgment. Some of the most famous ‘beauty’ treatments in history involve such delicacies as turtle dung, ground up beetles and cow urine. The eight beauty ‘secrets’ below aren’t that bad, but some are quite dangerous, while others just might make you feel gorgeous for your high school reunion.
The Gleaming, Golden Tan That Can Lead To Cancer
In tanning beds and booths it is the ultraviolet (UV) light bulbs emitting UV radiation that causes the tanning. This, essentially, is artificially produced UV light similar to that coming from the sun. The problem is that a tanning bed or booth subjects your skin to approximately 3-10 times as much UV light as the sun.
Over time, the effects of too much UVA exposure can lead to eye damage, immune system changes, cataracts, wrinkles and premature aging of the skin – and skin cancers.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and approximately 90% of all skin cancers can be traced to UV exposure. Skin cancer most often occurs on the face, and almost never on the buttocks, inner thighs, or under the arms. The three main types of skin cancer are melanoma, basal-cell carcinoma, and squamous-cell carcinoma. Malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and its incidence is rapidly rising in women under 40.
According to the National Cancer Institute, “Almost everyone who frequents a tanning salon or exposes themselves to the sun is putting themselves at risk for skin cancer.” {http://www.nci.nih.gov/newscenter/tip-sheet-tanning-booths}
According to Newsweek magazine “the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) sees an opportunity to recast the public’s view of tanning. Even though skin cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the country, the trade group is trying to make the case in TV and newspaper ads, as well as on two new Web sites, that UV rays prevent cancer rather than cause it. Any messages to the contrary from dermatologists, oncologists or sunscreen makers are just part of a “sunlight scam,” designed to make people fear the sun, the ITA insists. ‘We are not advocating on behalf of tanning beds,’ says ITA spokesperson Sarah Longwell, ‘but on behalf of the sun.’
Here’s the real truth: indoor tanning is a $5 BILLION per year industry and the relentless drive to convince the public that indoor tanning is safe isn’t going to stop any time soon.
OUR VERDICT: avoid indoor tanning like the plague it is!
Cleo Adored A Donkey Milk Bath
Donkey milk has a centuries-long reputation as a potent beauty substance and was supposedly beloved by history’s most famous beauty, Cleopatra. {Cleo apparently loved milk in any form and spent lots of her time bathing in it. We have to wonder when she had time for queenly duties since she supposedly spent so much time bathing?}
Donkey milk hasn’t, as yet, hit the US market, but is almost certain to be a big hit when it does. Supposedly, it contains 60 times more vitamin C than cow’s milk plus high concentrations of vitamins A, D and E. It’s also a rich source of calcium and phosphorous and is more like human milk than any other milk.
It also contains high amounts of ceramides and phospholipides. These two substances are fats that are found in the cell membrane and if they are present, the cell looks ‘plump’ – meaning less wrinkled. This is the only time we ever want to look plump! :-)
One problem with donkey milk is that it will undoubtedly be expensive since donkeys produce far less milk than cows. In spite of the cost, companies pushing beauty products will most certainly jump on the donkey bandwagon, as a Swiss company has already done, by manufacturing donkey milk skin care products for distribution in Europe.
OUR VERDICT: most likely a helpful product but since it isn’t yet on the market results are uncertain.
A Poison Kiss: Lead In Lipstick
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics {http://www.safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=26} tested 33 brand name lipsticks for lead, a heavy metal, and found that 61% of these common lipsticks did, in fact, contain lead. None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient, by the way.
The top offenders:
* L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
* L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
* Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
* Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm
An apologist for this states: “… although some of the colorants the FDA grants approval to do contain lead, it is present in such miniscule amounts that is has no adverse effects on consumers.”
Not true!
Lead is a heavy metal that builds up in the human body over time. The human body cannot use lead but will absorb and store it, as if it was calcium or phosphorus. In fact, lead is devastating to the human body, inhibiting oxygen and calcium transport and altering nerve transmission in the brain. The lead builds up in soft tissue — kidneys, bone marrow, liver, and brain — as well as bones and teeth. The gastrointestinal tracts of adults typically absorb 10%-15% of ingested lead, while those of pregnant women and children can absorb up to an astonishing 50%.
“Some common symptoms of chronic overexposure include loss of appetite, metallic taste in the mouth, anxiety, constipation, nausea, pallor, excessive tiredness, weakness, insomnia, headache, nervous irritability, muscle and joint pain or soreness, fine tremors, numbness, dizziness, hyperactivity and colic. In lead colic there may be severe abdominal pain.” {From the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act’s (WISHA), Standard for Inorganic Lead in the Construction Industry, WAC 296-155-17650 (2)(b)(i)and(ii)}
Is lipstick lead really that dangerous? Perhaps it wouldn’t be – IF we weren’t constantly bombarded with tons of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, polluted air, etc. But take the huge variety of toxic garbage that goes into our systems and stir it around at a very warm 98.6 degrees and what do you have? A biological time bomb!
OUR VERDICT: lead lipstick should definitely be avoided! Ask questions and make sure you know what you’re using.
Using A Sewing Machine On Your Skin [Ouch!]
Getting a tattoo is like using a sewing machine on your skin. The skin is repeatedly punctured with needles that are connected to a machine filled with dyes. With every prick of the needle, very small ink drops are inserted into the skin.
This is not a risk-free procedure since the skin is the main protective barrier of the body and it is definitely under attack during the tattooing process.
In addition, there is no regulation of the dyes and nothing is approved or investigated by the FDA {if you live in the US}. Nothing is really known about what’s in these colors or what effects they might have on your body over time.
Specific tattoo risks include:
* Diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, tetanus and even HIV can be acquired from unclean machines that have been used on ill customers ahead of you. Conversely, you might spread an ailment to someone else. Insist on sterilized equipment, although it may sometimes be impossible to tell if the machine is as clean as the operator states.
* Granulomas are bumps or nodules that form around substances that the body perceives as foreign – like tattoo ink, especially red.
* A keloid is defined as “an abnormal proliferation of scar tissue, as on the site of a surgical incision.” These are quite common with tattoo owners.
* An allergic reaction (or two or three) as a result of bacterial infections at the site of the tattoo is frequent. Pus, swelling and painful redness are frequent reactions, especially with unskilled or unlicensed tattoo artists. Some folks have gotten hepatitis as a result of what seems to begin as a simple allergy. Oddly enough, an allergic reaction can develop years after the tattoo was given.
* The allergic reaction mentioned above can morph into infections that may be quite serious and result in blood disorders, pneumonia and a horrifying condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which literally destroys flesh and is extremely painful.
* Removing a tattoo, in spite of modern lasers, is expensive and usually involves multiple treatments and some pain. Scarring is inevitable in many removals. Keloids are a frequent result of removal.
OUR VERDICT: yeah, tattoos are ‘hot’, but think long and hard about the consequences. Don’t make a casual, ‘what-the-hell’ decision.
Why Catherine Zeta-Jones Has Spectacular Hair …
Gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones attributes her spectacular hair to castor oil. She claims that the oil moisturizes her hair, making it lustrous and healthy. It can be added to your conditioner or simply brushed through your hair.
Many claim that castor oil smells bad, but pure oil is both odorless and tasteless. It is a vegetable oil from the “castor bean” {although it is technically a seed, not a bean}. Castor oil is used for all kinds of skin problems such as tears, cuts and abrasions, as well as sunburn, rashes and more. The oil is also used as a rub or pack for various ailments, including abdominal complaints, headaches, muscle pains, inflammatory conditions, skin eruptions, lesions, and sinusitis.
Edgar Cayce, the “Sleeping Prophet”, made castor oil primary in his health cures with his castor oil pack. Having used this often myself, I can tell you that it absolutely works for such internal ailments as congestion and stomach ache.
How to ‘do’ an Edgar Cayce castor oil pack:
1. Obtain a piece of flannel that is big enough that it can be folded a couple of times over the affected area. The flannel must be 100% wool (I itch just thinking about it!) or 100% cotton.
2. Pour enough pure castor oil on the flannel to get it quite damp – but obviously you don’t want it ‘dripping’ oil.
3. Put the flannel on the affected area.
4. Cover the castor oil pack with a couple of baggies (this is to protect the heating pad in #5 from the oil).
5. Cover the baggies with a heating pad, turned on ‘high’.
6. Relax and watch TV or read for 46-60 minutes.
OUR VERDICT: pure castor oil is a wonderful product with a multitude of uses. Feel free to use it whenever necessary.
Shortening Our Lives With Poison So We Can Look Good While We’re Here?
Botox, also sold as Dysport and Myobloc is a poison. In fact, it is one of the most poisonous naturally occurring substances. It works against wrinkles by – literally – paralyzing the site – and blocking the action of muscles.
Here are some of the more common symptoms:
* Bruising
* Dizziness
* Skin rash
* Tiredness
* Muscle spasm
* Numbness
* General Weakness
* Drowsiness
* Flu-like syndrome
* Feeling generally unwell
* Dryness of the mouth
* Sickness
* Headache
* Stiffness
* Drooping upper eyelid
* Drooping brow
* Mild inflammation of the surface of the eye
* Difficulty in completely closing the eye
* Overflow of tears
* Dry eye
* Sensitivity to light
* Inflammation of the surface of the eye
* Turning out (Eversion) of the eyelid
* Turning in (Inversion) of the eyelid
* Double vision
* Facial weakness
* Facial droop
* Blurred vision
* Swelling of the eyelids
* Ulcers develop on the surface of the eye
* Eye pressure increase (Glaucoma)
There have been hospitalizations and deaths from Botox, as well as some evidence that Botox is traveling to the brain!
Further, the enormous popularity – and profits – of botox is creating a huge counterfeiting problem, as the Kaplans discovered: “Within two days of their treatment, they were so devastated, they were flown to a paralysis recovery center in Atlanta. After two months, Bonnie Kaplan can swallow and is regaining her mobility, but she still cannot speak.” {http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Primetime/Story?id=469495&page=1}
Does this mean you will have any of these symptoms? Of course not. But the long term effects, not to mention wisdom, of injecting yourself with poison, are questionable at best.
OUR VERDICT: Botox is a possibly deadly poison and should be avoided at all costs. Don’t do it!
Frowning For Beauty? Say What???
Frownies are cool little pads that don’t involved any chemicals or poisons. The ones I’ve used are for the forehead and you simply apply them at night and allow the wrinkles to “relax”. Simply smooth your forehead and apply one pad, then repeat on the other side.
Do they work for everybody? Don’t know, but they’ve certainly helped us.
OUR VERDICT: These completely harmless pads are safe and have been around for 35+ years, so they certainly work for some folks.
For A Hollywood “Glow” Try Pepto Bismol
Yes, you heard right. Many gorgeous women use the anti-diarrhea medicine. Pepto Bismol’s active ingredient is Bismuth subsalicylate, a form of salicylic acid which is also known as the famous Beta hydroxy acid.
Beta hydroxy acid works mainly as an exfoliant. It causes the outer skin cells be removed, exposing the fresh, new skin underneath – and often promoting new growth. This face peel improves roughness, smoothes out the skin color and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Pepto Bismol is a milder, gentler version of the salicylic acid in expensive skin care products – and you surely can’t beat the price.
OUR VERDICT: Pepto Bismol is harmless and a cheap experiment. Everyone’s face is different but it might truly give you that sought-after glow. If not, no harm done.
Aditya Gupta says
Indeed a very good article, both pros and cons are there, some tips are hard to accept but there is lot more to gain…
Saarah says
It still amazes me what we put ourselves through in the name of beauty. I know I for one was at one time an avid tanner. I still get the urge to tan every summer, but know that it is not good for me. I after all would like to not look like I am 60 when I am 40.
Connie says
Wow.the Pepto Bismo sounds interesting. Actually the whole thing is pretty fascinating. The Pepto caught my eye, because I always have some and the mild word catches my attention. So far I’ve dodged the bullet on my pass tanning, though it was not done in booths. I was still a baby-oil in the sun tanner. Now I’m pale, though the long for a tan still rises every spring.
Nayana says
This is a wonderful and informative article. Some of the information given here are eye opening, and I am going to pass on this article to my family and friends. It is terrifying to know that things used by us in normal day-to-say life can be so harmful.
Molly says
I absolutely love the Pepto Bismal idea. I think I am going to try that today. Great article!
D says
amazing what we do for the sake of looking good…interested article.
carpenter says
This is all very informative, however I found it boring and just skipped to the verdict to avoid reading so much.
yen223 says
It’s sad the lengths some people will go to in order to look ‘pretty’. What’s the point of having good looks if you’re dead?
Carlneka Mills says
I knew that about the lead in the lipstick so that is why I no longer wear it!!! All I do now is lip gloss it looks better on me anyway.
honey says
I’ve seen this news about some brand of lipstick having this lead. I was really shocked, imagine how many women uses lipstick everyday. What was more shocking is that these products came from known companies. What a shame.
Sapphire says
Funny that a couple of decades ago, women who did things like plastic surgery were seen as vain and neurotic. Nowadays, it is glorified and idolized. You’re always one cut, pill, or product away from perfection! It’s such a shame!
Angelina Madsen says
Fabulous article! I am off to the store to buy Pepto Bismol. :-)
Mercie Caldwell says
I quit using regular lipstick years ago because I know the statements in this article are the truth. When you think about it, fellow gals, it’s pretty near impossible to eat or drink without getting lipstick in your mouth. It just ain’t worth it!
Ellie says
Why not go natural and buy some raspberries to stain your lips? (Provided of course that you are not allergic to raspberries!) After application, eat it, unless you need a bit of juicy blush, LOL.
Top that raspberry lip juice with some (safe?) lip gloss. Carrying raspberries in your purse might require a cold-pack and a leak proof container made of something non-toxic, but I suppose it could be done.
Charcoal tablets can be carefully broken and well-mixed with an eye-safe emollient cream to make a (messy) eyeliner, and more diluted with your emollient, a blackish/greyish eyeshadow, that, as long as you do not get the charcoal dust into your eyes, should be reasonably non toxic for that smokey-eye look: Don’t know what would make it stay in place though, it might be easy to smear.
On the other hand, bite your lips lightly and then lick them. They’ ll get redder and look wet (cause they are.) Then lightly pinch your cheeks with clean hands for a blush that really is a match for your skin tone. Blink rapidly to add moisture to your eyeballs to make your eyes sparkle (if you aren’t already tearing up from cheek-pinching.) voila! A very temporary but very natural “make up.” LOL
BlissPlan says
Have you tried the raspberry ‘lip treatment’? I don’t know if it would work or not but it would certainly be delicious. The only problem is that fresh raspberries are really expensive and have a very short life. Would frozen raspberries be the same? Probably not.