Using Beauty Products With Phthalates While Pregnant Could Affect Baby

Every woman wants to be beautiful and we all have different opinions about what beauty is. It can be a couple of things - looking good, being healthy, or helping others. These are the things most of us try to do everyday.

Photo courtesy of Sciencedaily.com.

This post - like many others that I write - is about what’s in the things we buy, and how they might affect us, our families, or unborn children. As part of that, I came across a study which found that higher prenatal exposure to phthalates seems to contribute to behavior problems in children between the ages of four and nine.

The study, Prenatal Phthalate Exposure is Associated with Childhood Behavior and Executive Functioning, was conducted as collaboration between Mount Sinai, Cornell University, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals that are known as endocrine disruptors that can interfere with the body’s hormone system. Phthalates are a family of compounds found in a wide variety of consumer products, such as nail polish to increase their durability and reduce chipping; and in cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and shampoos to maintain fragrances.

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Urban Decay Receives PETA Honors for its Cruelty-Free Production Practices

The Urban Decay cosmetics in the photo are: (from left to right) Flipside Eyeshadow, Quickie XXX Shine Cooling Lip Gloss, Ransom Deluxe Eyeshadow, Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Big Fatty Mascara, Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Air Guitar, Lip Envy in Greedy, (in front) 24/7 pencils in Electric (turquoise blue) and Zero (black). Photo courtesy of Urban Decay.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Urban Decay Cosmetics has been honored with the Libby Award as best cruelty-free cosmetics company from peta2, the youth division of the animals rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Norfolk, Va.

“We asked our users on peta2, which range in age from 13 to 21 to nominate and then vote for their favorite companies, brands, celebrities, etc. for all of the different categories of the Libby Award. When it was time for our voting round, we had about 7,000 people vote and Urban Decay came out on top for best cruelty-free cosmetics company,” said Lara Sanders, assistant manager for youth marketing at PETA.

There were 30 Libby Awards this year, according to Ms. Sanders, which included: Best Vegan Shoes, Best Vegan Junk Food, Best Student Group, Best Hip-Hop Artist, and Person of the Year.

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Contaminated Make Up Removers Pulled As Guest Amenities from Holiday Inn Express Hotels

Toiletry amenities on a vanity at a Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop, TX. The photo is courtesy of Flickr.com, which contained the following comments, “these were the instructions at the holiday inn express in Bastrop. Unfortunately, when Jennifer tried to use the makeup remover pad, it stunk like puke. So, she used a washcloth anyway.”EASTON, Md. - simplySmart “Remove” Make Up Remover, a guest amenity at Holiday Inn Express hotels in the United States and Canada, has been recalled by its manufacturer, Celeste Industrial Corporation. The product is packaged as a single towelette with hiexpress.com shown on the packet.

The issue was discovered after a consumer complained of an odor coming from the towelette packet, said the manufacturer. Product samples tested positive for a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The bacteria may cause serious infections in areas including the eyes, skin, and respiratory systems. Individuals at highest risk are those who are immunosuppressed. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the problem, according to the manufacturer.

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10 Makeup Tips for Looking Great and Staying Healthy

Photo courtesy of shu uemura.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As women, we all do our best to look great everyday of the year. During the holidays, this is especially true. We go shopping for new clothes, try to exercise a little bit more, and spend a little more time on our makeup for those festive gathering.

In honor of this time of year, so that we are as healthy as we are beautiful, the Federal Drug Administration has come out with a list of health tips regarding cosmetics that I felt compelled to share. Most of the list deals with our eyes because that is were we have the biggest chance of infection.

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