by Christine Carpenter

The Environmental Working Group’s database, Skin Deep, pairs ingredients in more than 37,000 products against 50 definite toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.

Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require companies to test their own products. An estimated 100,000 synthetic chemicals are currently registered for use in the U.S. Fewer than 10% of them were tested for their effects on human health.

The use of chemicals in cosmetics and beauty products is NOT regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has no authority to recall products with questionable ingredients. It does not require manufacturers to disclose them as ingredients or list product ingredients.

Skin care companies do their own testing and no independent testing is required to insure safety before a product is brought to market. "Natural" implies ingredients are extracted instead of being produced synthetically. A product with even one ―natural‖ ingredient may use the word.

A "Certified Organic" label must contain 95% organic ingredients – herbs or plants grown without conventional fertilizers and pesticides. The other 5% may include either synthetic or natural ingredients – but only if they are not readily available in organic form.

Leading beauty care products frequently contain two classes of synthetic chemicals known as parabens and phthalates that can cause serious health problems.
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Parabens are used as preservatives to make products stay fresh longer, inhibit bacteria growth, yeast and molds and enhance skin absorption. It is found in underarm products. Phthalates are plasticizers and, in cosmetics, add texture and luster and disperse fragrance.

Parabens are shown to disrupt both male and female hormone functioning. Parabens also mimic estrogen which increases the risk of breast cancer. Other studies have found parabens in human breast tumors.

Phthalates were shown to cause cancer and birth defects in some animals, and sperm damage in adult men, childhood asthma, and allergies. There is evidence of phthalates’ dangerous effects on male reproductive development during pregnancy and after birth.

The average American woman applies about nine to 12 products every day that together average between 126 to 168 ingredients. Combined with air and water toxins, the exposure adds up. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, www.safecosmetics.org lists.

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by Kitty Ott

It wasn’t going to happen. I had participated in a five year study of Tamoxifin. That would take care of breast cancer for me! I should have known better.

I have four older sisters, three of whom had breast cancer. My fourth sister suffered cancer of the mouth and then a second bout with brain cancer. My youngest sister died too young, at age 49, from breast cancer. My older sister had a double mastectomy. She is now an active 91-year-old volunteering at her local Georgia nursing home, thinking up fun and games for the "old folks." I was surprised when my annual mammogram showed breast cancer - ductal carcinoma in situ. I felt nothing on my monthly self breast exam just a week before. I was told by Dr. Duven the lumps were too small to feel. Shows the importance of a mammogram! I’ve now had two surgeries and just completed 33 radiation treatments. Thank God for no chemotherapy.

My experience at the cancer center was a mostly happy one. The gals in radiation were my "clinic angels." Getting to meet them was an added bonus. They are a pretty lot - - always upbeat, pleasant and a joy to be around. I thank them and the doctors for making me feel important and making my visit to the cancer center pleasant. I’d love seeing them again, just not under the same circumstances!

The word "cancer" scares us all. Taking radiation treatments had me feeling a bit apprehensive, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It took longer to take off my blouse and put on a robe than it did to have the treatment. I love to tell that on my first visit I got "marked" to show the area on my breast for radiation. I told the girls that if I can’t have a butterfly marking I don’t want any markings at all. Would you believe the next day I received faux tattoos of butterflies? Pretty neat, huh?

​I don’t consider myself a victim of cancer and my experience hasn’t been unpleasant. A quiet, early spring morning drive to the clinic looking at the flowering trees, and then later, the blooming flowers, was magnificent. I loved checking on the mallard drake roaming the yard backing onto Ridgeway Avenue. You may think I’m a bit daft to find pleasure in these things at this time! It’s nice to have the treatments behind me. And I hope I have the cancer behind me too. I thank God I’ve gotten past this chapter in my life. I also thank God that he gave me cancer in the spring instead of the nasty, dark winter. There is some good in all things and I’ve been very blessed.