Pinktober Revolution
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Maybe they should be put on our "education" list next October. I'm not into marketing ploys for making money off any disease
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jackieB, You can wake the thread up any time next year that makes you happy. Generally, there is someone around to join in
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Blondie, Hi chickie, Hope you are doing good? The box>>>topic box. Redid the topic box and name of the companion thread to this on Charities and pinking organizations. I don't think the topic will ever work, but it has a better chance now than the way it was written before.
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ok-Sas- I'm waking it up one more time this year for old times' sake. Here is an op-ed I wrote,published this morning, in the online publication "Truthout".
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/33442-americ...
My personal mission this month, though I object to everything pink, was the ACS participation in the LFGB program. Please share this with everyone you know. Please drop that pebble in the water Sas has talked about and stop this shameful practice.
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Way to go Katy! Excellent op-ed.
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My my, JackieB, you are amazing. That article will stir up some Board rooms. Would love to be a fly on the wall HAHAHA. Please cut and post the whole article here. Some folks on the boards don't like to do links. Plus, sometimes links break. If it's put here in it's entirety solves both problems. Jackie nothing has to be closed down here. My post earlier was to let you know it tends to slow down once Nov comes around. I'd say keep going when your energy is high. Do whatever fires your burners
Trips your trigger:) Floats your boat:) :):):) Did you see Divine's piece? It was powerful too. She put it in a topic box. Bingo I'll put your's in the topic box too after you bring it here. If you have trouble with cut/copy and paste let me know and I'll get it I think several will be along with you. My guess is Traveltext isn't slowing down either.
Divine, would you put the link to your op-ed piece here again. I forgot to put it in my favs. I wanted to put it in the topic box.
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Beautifully written, Katy. I'm so proud!
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Sas- Yes TheDivineMrsM had a big part in motivating me. Such an inpsiration!
Here is the entire op-ed. I am sorry it takes up so much space? And thanks for copying it over like you said, Sas.
American Cancer Society, Stop Giving Carcinogenic Cosmetics to Women With Cancer
Thursday, 29 October 2015 00:00By Katy Skahill, Truthout | Op-Ed
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(Image: Jared Rodriguez / Truthout; Edited: LW / TO)I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in December 2014. My whole world changed in 15 minutes. I underwent a bilateral mastectomy that same month and soon thereafter began chemotherapy.Not long after I started chemo, my hair fell out. My eyebrows and lashes disappeared. I felt alone, scared and sick. It wasn't pretty. I started noticing posters at my hospital advertising a program calledLook Good Feel Better, which is run by the American Cancer Society and the Personal Care Products Council, which I learned later is the largest trade association for the cosmetic industry. The idea behind the program is to offer free beauty tips and complimentary makeup kits to women in cancer treatment.The way the Look Good Feel Better program works is that member companies of the Personal Care Products Council, like Estee Lauder, Smashbox and Mary Kay, donate cosmetic products for the kits given to cancer patients like me. The American Cancer Society administers the program nationwide. Cosmetologists donate their time to run the workshops.The American Cancer Society and cosmetics industry lobbyists are hiding behind marketing and PR ploys.
I decided to attend a Look Good Feel Better workshop mostly because I felt alone and thought it would be good for me to get out. Maybe I would meet some other women going through the same thing. Maybe I would learn to draw some eyebrows on that didn't look fake. Perhaps if I dressed up nicely and put on some makeup expertly I would feel more "normal" - and it would help ease me through the pain of six-hour chemo treatments.And indeed, the class attendees were women like me, who were undergoing cancer treatment, and had lost their hair - all of it. We learned how to wear wigs, tie scarves and apply makeup. We were also each given a bag of over a dozen different cosmetics products. I left the class feeling less alone and more prepared to face my treatment, but most of all, like somebody actually cared.Quite by accident, while researching a safe sunscreen to wear during chemo, I discovered a cosmetics database that independently evaluates over 60,000 products for safety, including cancer risk. I decided to check out the products I had been given at the Look Good Feel Better class. I discovered that a majority of the products contained chemicals linked to cancer. And if that's not bad enough, some even included chemicals that could interrupt the effectiveness of Tamoxifen - an oral cancer drug I take today and will take for years.I was mortified. I threw the majority of the products in the trash and cried. I cried for hours. That was one of the most painful moments I have experienced since my breast cancer diagnosis.
Katy Skahill expresses her outrage over the carcinogenic makeup that she received from the American Cancer Society. (Photo: Katy Skahill)I was in utter disbelief that I was invited to a workshop for cancer patients, told that I was cared about and then given a bag full of potentially harmful products. I did some research to find out how such an unethical practice could be taking place and, in the course of doing so, learned that others were already engaged in efforts to challenge these "pinkwashers" - the corporations and organizations that peddle products linked to breast cancer while claiming to care about women with the disease.Much of this activism has been coordinated by Breast Cancer Action, a grassroots education group that is calling on the American Cancer Society and the Personal Care Products Council - industry giants that claim to care about women like me - to stop this shameful pinkwashing. I decided to get involved in the group's "Poison Isn't Pretty" campaign, demanding that the American Cancer Society and the Personal Care Products Council refuse to allow companies to participate in the Look Good Feel Better program if they make products with chemicals linked to increasing our cancer risk, and risk of recurrence, by interfering with our cancer treatment.The American Cancer Society has issued a seemingly cynical response to the campaign, stating that they believe the "benefits of Look Good Feel Better outweigh the minimal risks."I was betrayed by a program I trusted: a program run by the largest cancer charity in the nation.
This comes right out of the cosmetics companies' playbook. They claim that exposure to chemicals linked to increased cancer risk at low doses, like those found in these makeup kits, is harmless. But agrowing body of scientific evidence points to the role of carcinogens and hormone disrupting chemicals - even in low doses - in increasing women's risk of cancer and recurrence. And a new study recently found that a group of common chemicals used in cosmetics can stimulate breast cancer even more than previously thought. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin and mimic the hormone estrogen, which causes cells to multiply and increases breast cancer risk.
The "Look Good, Feel Better" kit. (Photo: Katy Skahill)
It is not the American Cancer Society's role to evaluate my risk and make that decision for me. I expect them to set the highest of standards. Not hide behind the lowest.When I saw their response, I was outraged once again, but this time also deeply saddened. I thought that once this practice of giving toxic cosmetics to cancer patients was pointed out in the media, and it was shown that people strongly objected to the practice - and that the objections were evidence-based - that these organizations would do the right thing. Instead, the American Cancer Society and the lobbying arm of the cosmetics industry are hiding behind marketing and public relations ploys.For its part, the Personal Care Products Council issued a press release claiming that all of its products comply with current Food and Drug Administration standards. This is ludicrous because these standards are so weak, not to mention outdated, that companies are not even required to demonstrate a product is safe before it lands on store shelves - or in makeup kits. And the Personal Care Products Council spends millions of dollars lobbying against cosmetic safety regulations to make sure it stays that way.These pinkwashers' poor excuses are unacceptable. It has been six months since I discovered the harmful chemicals in the makeup kit I was given, but I'm still furious that I was betrayed by a program I trusted: a program run by the largest cancer charity in the nation. I have made phone calls and written dozens and dozens of emails, blog posts and Facebook posts to stakeholders of the program.A hurt like this is not so easy to heal, especially when these pinkwashers go on denying the truth. I'm working to keep the pressure on them so no woman will have to experience what I went through. Now that's what would really make me feel better. - font size
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Katy, space is not a problem. It's important to have it here. I'll put a link to it in the topic box. As time and pages move on, it won't be lost
Please, I need a favor. Could you check out this ingredient list for any carcinogenic ingredients?
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Well, "Fragrance" can contain all kinds of bad stuff, and they don't have to tell you what it is. Fragrance can irritate sensitive skin. How stupid is that? EWG's web site gives fragrance a red 8, the highest score for potential problems with a cosmetics ingredient.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702512/FRAG...
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Go Katy!!! Excellent job!!!
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Shetland Pony is right. Fragrance can be anything. They are not required to list the components. I back off whenever J see that word. A chemist friend of mine who used to work for a large oil and gas company says fragrance is almost always petroleum based. Uh. No thank you.
Since this is a prescription item it is not evaluated on the skindeep site. Some of the ingredients appear to be naturally occurring substances, but that is no guaranty of safety.
Of the most concern based in my very limited knowledge, is phenoxyethanol, which some feel is more dangerous than previously thought. Ewg ranks it orange, moderately dangerous, but i came across several articles challenging it's safety.
The single most powerful accomplishment that is within reasonable reach, is to legislate the requirement of fragrance ingredient disclosure. But "they" are very big and powerful. They claim these are trade secrets. No other industry gets away with this kind of shit.
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Excellent article JB. Let's hope the ACS Look Good Feel Better campaign will now reevaluate the products it uses in the program rather than again deny the role of toxic cosmetics in both exacerbating and potentially causing the disease.
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A question came up on skin care during rads. I've never studied it. Multiple people recommended this product. So, I took a look. Plus, I looked at recommendations for skin care from Mayo, Sloan Kettering, University of Penn., and BCO's. They're is a wide divergence in care as well as some commonalities. I also talked with the regional burn unit in my old town. Just as I feared the recommendations could be improved by input from standard outpatient burn center. Physical therapists in a burn center do differently than PT's at large. Also, there's next to nothing that's evidence based. Looks like another project.
This was my post "I need to explain why I didn't jump in with a recommendation re: skin care with rads. Three areas I won't tread are 1. Lymphedema 2. chemo drugs. Both require serious study. I don't wish to take on either study. 3. Skin care in rads. It's beyond burn care. It's a burn that is continually being burned until rads is over. The use of a wrong product can make the burn worse. I used to teach paramedics. Each year I met with the Burn Specialist prior to her doing the lectures. The question was "What are we teaching this year?" Within the Burn Community, it was(is) a constant evolution of management.
If I were having rads, I would get the info for skin management from the RO's team. I would also seek counsel from the regional burn center to see if they concurred with the recommendations.
Many regional burn centers have outpatient burn care. If it was me, I would schedule an appointment with them to evaluate the burn and write a treatment plan. The short and long term outcomes of burn care management are too important. This may seem radical and overkill, but it's not. It's the safest approach."
Something as simple as a fragrance. If fragrances are petroleum based, and petroleum is contraindicated for skin during rads, This chemical that is widely used, shouldn't be.
phenoxyethanol Hmmmmmmmmvery questionable chemical.
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New Study
Estrogen-mimicking chemicals called parabens, which are commonly found in an array of personal care products, may be more dangerous at lower doses than previously thought, according to a new study.
Read the article HERE.
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Traveltext- YES!!!! One of the reasons I mentioned that in my piece.
Thanks for all if your support
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it may be a reason why professional Cosmetologists carry a 5 times higher risk for breast cancer than the average population.
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Go, Katy! I can well understand the desire to feel better about one's appearance while in the morass of a devastating disease...all i ended up with was shyness about changing in a public locker room. To the ACS and cosmetics companies: But for pete's squeaks, don't make things worse!
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And let ME make the decision about risk, not the ACS. Their easy answer about rewards outweighing the risks is debunked in Traveltexts' article above. Not true, and morally reprehensible.
It's all about money. They are afraid to call out people who make big donations. Like the big cismetics companies.
People should think twice about donating to the ACS OR BCRF until they cut their "business" ties with a market that double deals this way
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Katy, I think you started a thread with your beginning posts on the cosmetics thing right? If you didn't I suggest that you do, then keep adding all the related articles. The best way to keep them from getting lost in time is to have them all in the topic box. I'll bring a couple of thread links and you can see what I mean Fallleaves and 123justme and I worked on some stuff this past few months. We then linked all are topic boxes. That way they wouldn't fall by the wayside. Plus, all the related research articles were available to whomever was looking.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topics/833612?page=1
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topics/834546?page=1#idx_18
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Here's a web site that's right up your alley.
http://empoweredpatientcoalition.org/Brendatrue shared it on the Just Diagnosed- Get Prepared thread.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/5/topics/748296?page=10#idx_300
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Agree with Sas, the JB's cosmetics material needs a new thread or the topic will disappear for the off-season with the Pink October thread.
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It's to the end of male breast cancer awareness week in some states of the US. Just alerted to the "Nip of Time" campaign HERE.
Now this raises all sorts of questions that follow on from the many of the arguments in this thread about the sexualisation of breasts in promoting breast cancer awareness. Of course, male breasts (chests) are not censored. perhaps because the sexuality is not judged as implicit. Who knows?
I'd like to hear comments on this campaign from interested women here.
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Well, there's two completely different standards for men and women. The idealized version of male perfection is one who has the muscular buff chest complimented by six pack abs and there is no scandal with bare chested me. Women, completely different. We don't cut the grass, paint the house or roam the beaches bare chested. And for women, no nip slips, please! Any time a starlet has one of those 'accidental' nip slips on public, it makes the internet rounds.
Because of my age, in my 50s, I don't really want to see a huge blow up simply of some guy's nipple, no matter who's it is including David Beckham. The photo of Mark Ruffalo is okay, but do people just look at the picture and ignore the message? I don't know. And what about the not so buff dudes and the older gents, are they supposed to flash the nipple, too?
I think everyone is looking for a gimmick to draw attention to their cause. I don't find this offensive until someone takes it to some crude level, there are always those out there and then the purpose of it gets overshadowed by the antics of it.
What are your thoughts on the campaign, TravelText?
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So are there any safe cosmetics (whether makeup or skin care) that actually work and are flattering? Or are we supposed to throw aside any concern with appearance and just tell others that image is in the eye of the beholder, and that perception is strictly their problem? Not judging, just curious.
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Some comments seem like it is being sexualized, also. And no, male chests are not censored, but do we need a close-up of the male nipple? Janet Jackson's little wardrobe "malfunction" will live on in infamy,,, and why??
Jackson reminds dudes everywhere,
Men don't just get man boobs. They can get breast cancer too, so when you're thinking about copping a feel, cop a feel of yourself.
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Certainly there are double standards at work. I'd say a close-up of a male nipple is not much of a message about anything in the same way that displaying just a female breast or nipple is a meaningless sexual exercise with any context. That's why the comparison image that Divine posted on page 80 of this thread is so powerful. And that's why I get my comparison nipple pic out there as much as possible. It's not at all sexy, and it serves as a warning to men that they can get the disease too. Really, though, the power of celebrities to communicate messages is as much about them promoting themselves as the cause they stand up for.
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the power of celebrities to communicate messages is as much about them promoting themselves as the cause they stand up for.
TT, That is the truth! You put perfectly into words what my mind was thinking.
ChiSandy, there are many cosmetics without parabens and other harmful ingredients. Sephora, Urban Decay, Physicians Forumla, even Some of Ulta's brands and others. You can find shampoos and hand cream and body lotion that with less toxic ingredients as well and at reasonable prices. There is a website, skindeep.com, and you can look up different products to see how they rate on the toxicity scale, it's a very easy site to use.
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Beautycounter is a line of products who have banned about 1500 substances from their line. As opposed to the FDAs 11. More of the standard that the Europeans are adhering to. They are "EWG" approved. (The skindeep people)
During puketober, instead of doing sexualized,sensational ads, they devoted a lot if their ad space to education on what is safe, and how to find product for yourself that you can live with.
Instead of donating some bs% of a pink product, they offered matching funds donations, regardless of whether you made a purchase from them. A total class act. They earned my business with their safe product, and they will keep it because they are one of the only companies out there not trying to make a buck off if breast cancer.
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