Anticancer Body

Hi Everyone,

This entry has such great information on the Anticancer Body and I apologize that I didn’t pass it along before summer.  Get ready for many links to guides pertaining to personal care products.  But... before I get started, turn up your speakers because I just added a great song to Anticancer Amy’s playlist.  I’m jamming with Florence + the machine.  Cancer is my DOG day- woo hoo- run fast!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization that strives to protect public health and the environment.  Their website is full ( and I mean FULL) of research, documents, legislation, recommendations and on and on.  This is the fifth year EWG releases a sunscreen guide http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/ .  The guide scores sunscreens on a scale of 1-10 which reflects known and suspected hazards of ingredients (chemicals!).  You can use the guide several ways and you will quickly learn if what you are putting on your family’s body is hurting or helping.  Don’t be surprised when you see that some of the worst sunscreens come from Neutrogena, Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, Bull Frog and Banana Boat.  I’m not saying all of their products scored high, but enough for concern.  Some of the best sunscreens come from Aubrey Organics, Badger, California Baby and Kiss My Face.  These products are becoming more available in stores like Target, Kroger and HEB.  Of course Whole Foods sells all the recommended brands.  There is also an app you can download on your phone to look up sunscreens when you are at the market, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ewg-sunscreen-buyers-guide/id378866183?mt=8 .

According to EWG, One to two million Americans develop skin cancer each year (Bikle 2008, Rogers 2010, ACS 2010) and skin cancer is five times more prevalent in the U.S. population than breast or prostate cancers (Stern 2010).  Wow!

From the EWG home page, click on health and then cosmetics database, Oh My!  There are thousands and thousands of personal care products scored based on their known or potential hazardous chemicals.  Honestly, you can spend hours on this site looking up all the products you put on your body.  You can look up your fragrance, nail polish, lice shampoos or even hemorrhoid creams!  Now, some people believe that there are many other ‘bad’ particles floating in our environment that we should be worried about (like the air in Baytown) other than eye shadow or conditioner.  Well, I say to them every particle and toxin counts!  I was in Nordstrom a couple of years ago; this was during my treatment for breast cancer.  At the time, I was looking to change my make-up products to paraben and phthalate free.  I went to Nordstrom of course, because they are current and would know where to direct me.  I told the gal at the counter that I was a cancer patient wanting to decrease my exposure to chemicals in my make-up.  She responded with a lecture that she too was a cancer survivor and that in all the years she had worked in cosmetics she had been just fine.  She said I should focus on other ways to decrease my exposure and that Nordstrom didn’t carry any paraben and phthalate free products.  I was thinking “but you are a cancer patient!”  I couldn’t believe what she was telling me.  I was shocked and told her that the data was there.  I’m sure she thought I was silly, but gosh, really?!  Then she told me to try Sephora.  Lesson learned = be your own advocate.

So what about the hype we are hearing about the Brazilian Blowout.  EWG has an entire section devoted to this hair straightening system and how salons are covering up the dangers http://www.ewg.org/hair-straighteners/ .  This is a must read for those of you (including me) who have had a straightening treatment before.  The brand Brazilian Blowout has come out with a new product called Blowout Zero.  This supposedly has no formaldehyde, only glycolic acid derived from sugar cane; however the data is not yet available to know how safe it is. 

I know this is such a long entry, but don’t forget to look up the information EWG has related to children.  They also talk about baby formula, foods and much more. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/EWG_parentsguide.pdf

Be Well and wear sunscreen!

H-E-L-L-O Houston Microsoft Store!  Here is the family and I at the grand opening celebrations today and Bella and her friend meeting Kelly Clarkson!