One of my long standing clients, Donna, has generously offered to share her experience with you. I hope you find it useful. The email and newsletter are reprinted with permission. We encourage you to have regular breast exams.
I’ve been a long-time BE gal and have just loved the stuff. HOWEVER, I
recently had some blood work and a complete hair analysis done. My hair analysis
showed that I was off-the-charts with bismuth levels. I couldn’t understand
why, as I never use antacids. A little internet research led me to
www.beautyblisscosmetics.com
where I read all about bismuth in most mineral makeups. A quick check of the
ingredients to my beloved BE products, and almost every darned one of them
contains bismuth.
Being curious, I thought I’d order some Beauty Bliss products in the
wonderful and inexpensive sample sizes……….WOW, love the stuff! I was distressed
about giving up me BE, but not any more! Beauty Bliss is much better and you
also get much more product for your money! The foundations are so smooth and
silky on your face (Cafe is my color), the Mattifier is an absolute dream to
soak up the extra oil on my skin, and the Deep Bliss EASILY replaces my old
veil and bisque from the other company.
There are so VERY many colors to choose from with the shadows, blushes and
foundations. Every single thing I’ve tried keeps me saying, “Oh, I love this
stuff!” With generous and inexpensive samples, there is no reason to order a
wrong color. Shipping is pretty quick, too…about a week’s turnaround time from
order to doorstep.
Great stuff! Loving my new mineral makeup brand!
~Donna
All~
The
commentary in this e-mail is written by me to all of you, but the newsletter is
borrowed from a reputable company. I hope you will read on and consider what
I’m saying….
Most
of you know that I’ve had to make some drastic changes in my cosmetics/personal
care use over the last few months because of some shocking results from blood
and hair analysis tests that I had done over the summer. You also know that I
live a pretty healthy life.
October
is breast cancer awareness month, and I encourage you to read the newsletter
below and consider what it says. There is a strong possibility/probability that
many of the products you use, such as your deoderant, your body wash, your
body/face lotion, your foundation/powder, your eye shadows and even your
shampoos, contain a toxic mix that, over time, builds up in your body to sound
alarms—such as was done in my blood and hair tests—or can even lead to many
other health issues—including cancer and disease.
Below,
you will find a newsletter from a company that makes a couple of the products
that I now use. I’ve been able to gather a wealth of knowledge from the
articles and research posted on this company’s website (www.alchemistsapprentice.com) and www.beautyblisscosmetics.com
along with many other natural care companies. I do not “sell” any of the
products from these companies; my only “profit” in your reading the info and
visiting the sites, is that you will be more educated on this subject and that
this education will lead to a few educated and healthy choices in the future
when you purchase your everyday products.
Ingredients
such as bismuth oxychloride, parabens of any kind, laurel/laureth sulfates,
propylene glycol, and aluminum-related ingredients can wreak havoc on your
health over time. As a woman, I’m asking that you prioritize about 30 minutes
of time during the month of October, and read the info from this newsletter and
the other mentioned site, and then just check the ingredients that I’ve mention
on the products in your own bathroom—just start with these five ingredients.
There are many other potentially-toxic ingredients, but let your research begin
with these. Please do it for yourself and for your health.
~Donna
From: Pamela
Cronan-Maddox
Reply-To: pamela@alchemistsapprentice.com
To: dherto@hotmail.com
Subject: News from Alchemist’s Apprentice
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:45:27 -0400 (EDT)
The Alchemist’s Apprentice
|
This One’s for the Girls
|
Breast Cancer: Take
Charge of Your Health!
October 2006
|
|
Self-Education
and Self-Empowerment
::
< >Knowledge is Power
::
< >Navigating the Sea of Pink Ribbon Promotions from the Cosmetics
Conglomerates
::
< >Breast Health: Thermography
::
< >The Environment and Breast cancer
|
[http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/spacer.gif]
|
<
>Oct. 1
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in
it.”
Margaret Fuller~journalist and women’s activist
In honour of the nuturing spirit of
women, this newsletter celebrates mothers, daughters, sisters and
girlfriends everywhere as we embrace life and fulfill our dreams.
As a woman and cancer Survivor I believe
that the end to breast cancer lies in prevention and the lifestyle
choices I make everyday.
My intent with this newsletter is to
share information that empowers you to make your own informed, healthy
decisions that will make a difference in your health.
|
|
|
The facts about
breast cancer.
As women, we
can all put a check mark next to the very first breast cancer risk
factor. Despite increased awareness, the statistics continue to get
worse. Today, nearly 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in
their lifetime.
Breast Cancer Facts:
*In 1940, a woman’s lifetime risk of Breast Cancer was 1
in 22. Sadly today, it’s 1 in 7 and rising. A new breast cancer case is
diagnosed every 1.9 minutes. Every 13 minutes, a woman dies from this
disease.
*Breast Cancer now strikes more women in the world than
any other type of cancer (excluding skin cancers).
*An estimated 3 million women in the United States today
are living with Breast Cancer. Two million have been diagnosed with the
disease and one million have the disease but are not aware of it yet.
*Breast Cancer does not discriminate. It knows no
boundaries of race, class, or gender.
*In the U.S., breast cancer is the second leading cause of
cancer death among women (lung cancer is the first).
*Every woman is at risk. More than 50% of breast cancers
occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors other than age. Only
5 to 10% of breast cancers are linked to inherited mutations.
*Mammograms do not prevent breast cancer. They detect
tumours, but can miss more than 1/4 of all breast cancers. Breast cancer
tumours can exist for 6 to 10 years before they grow large enough to be
detected by mammography. Mammography is less effective in younger women
than in older women.
*Of the 100,000 chemicals in commercial use today, 90%
have never been tested for human health effects. Complete toxicological
screening data exists for only 7%. Environmental estrogens, chemicals
foreign to the body that mimic estrogen (which controls the growth of
breast cells) are found in what we eat, drink, breathe, and in personal
care products used daily.
*Some risk factors for breast cancer have been discovered.
These known risk factors account for only a small percentage (30%) of breast
cancer cases.
Current research has determined that the key to breast
cancer survival is early detection. If discovered in its earliest
possible stages, 95% cure rates are possible.
|
[http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/spacer.gif]
|
|
Early Detection
“Early
detection saves lives.” Most of us are familiar with Mammography. And yet despite
increased awareness and yearly mammograms breast cancer rates continue to
rise. We know that early detection of breast cancer is crucial to
survival. A technology you may not be familiar with is Breast
Thermography. Approved by the FDA since 1982, I believe this test
should be a part of every woman’s breast health plan.
Thermography provides an “early warning” of changes in
breast tissue 8-10 years before being detected by any other test. A
yearly Breast Thermography has the ability to detect the chemical and
blood vessel changes in pre-cancerous as well as breast cancer tissue.
Breast Thermography uses no radiation, or intravenous injection,
is completely safe, non-invasive, and pain free. Given the increased
incidence of breast cancer, every woman can benefit from this valuable
screening. Since this technology poses no health risks, younger women
with genetic risk factors can have a baseline screening in their teens
and twenties. This would allow detection at the earliest possible stage
of any pre-cacerous conditions. For women who have been on the pill, and
for those who have been exposed to significant environmental pollutants, Breast
Thermography can be especially valuable. This test is highly advantageous
for post-menopausal women because it can reveal hormonal imbalances, a
significant risk factor in breast cancer.
How does Thermography work?
A breast thermogram is a Digital Infrared Image (DII) of a women’s
breasts and upper torso. Images are taken in colour, which reveal
patterns of heat (increased metabolic activity and vascular circulation
in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding the developing
breast cancer). Specially trained Breast Thermographers then review the
information on the images, comparing one to the other, as well as to
typical patterns of heat and vascularity in healthy breast tissue.
Various patterns of heat and vascularity in the breast tissue can reveal
the earliest stages of abnormalities, everything from hormonal imbalances
to pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue.
|
|
|
The cosmetics
industry is dominated by multi-billion dollar conglomerates. Each October
breast cancer becomes the poster child of corporate cause-related marketing
campaigns to reinforce their brand image and differentiate themselves from
their competitors.
It
certainly sounds noble: a cosmetics company promises that if you purchase
one of its products, a portion of the sale will go toward “the fight
against breast cancer.”
I
find it disturbing that the perfume, skin care and body products marketed
by the giants of the cosmetic industry and endorsed by well known
celebrities contain toxic chemicals that are known carcinogens and could
increase your risk of developing this dreaded disease.
Read
the labels of these promotional products. Most contain a toxic soup of
chemicals. Many of these are estrogenic and can disrupt normal hormone
function by mimicking the function of the naturally occuring hormone
estrogen. It is certainly not surprising that I question whether these pink
ribbon promotions are truly about saving women’s lives or boosting profits.
Over
30 federal agencies and dozens of foundations, pharmaceutical and biotech
companies are conducting billions of dollars worth of cancer research every
year. And yet breast cancer rates continue to rise. Those dreaded words,
“You have breast cancer” are heard by a woman every 1.9 minutes and every
13 minutes a woman dies from this disease.
Fortunately
there are things we as consumers can do to take a proactive stand.
*Donate
funds directly to charitable foundations and organizations.
*Demand
the Cosmetic companies be held accountable for the products they make.
The most effective way to force manufacturers to address the hazards posed
by their products is to boycott purchasing them until they agree to put
women’s health first.
*Use
safe cosmetics. To avoid the toxic soup in most personal care products
search the Environmental Working Group’s report “Skin Deep” to learn about
the products you use.
For
additional information please explore the following websites:
Breast Cancer Fund
Environmental Working Group-Skin Deep
Safe Cosmetics
Breast Cancer Action
Think Before You Pink
The Breast Cancer Site
Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer
For a
variety of 100% pure, toxic free personal care products and cosmetics
please visit this link.
|
[http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/spacer.gif]
|
|
What every woman
should know.
We can no
longer deny the powerful evidence that there is a connection between
chemicals and breast cancer. While the research continues that will lead to
even more definitive answers, we can and should reduce our
exposure to chemicals that cause cancer.
Why
researchers believe there is a link between the environment and breast
cancer:
*70%
of those diagnosed with breast cancer have none of the known risk factors.
The suspected risk factors, like late menopause, having no children or
having them late in life, and genetics are present in only 30% of breast
cancer cases.
*Non-industrialized countries have lower breast cancer rates. Breast
cancer rates are highest in North America and northern Europe. Rates are
lowest in Asia and Africa.
*People who move to industrialized countries from countries with low
rates develop the breast cancer rates of the industrialized country.
For example, Japan has a lower breast cancer rate than the United States.
Japanese women who move to the U.S. have increased breast cancer rates
(there daughters even more so) that approach those of U.S.-born women.
The
facts:
*Estrogen stimulates breast cell growth. Excess amounts of estrogen
are thought to contribute to breast cancer risk. Chemicals in personal care
products such as parabens act like estrogen in the body.
*Production and use of harmful chemicals is on the rise. Of the
estimated 85,000 synthetic chemicals in commercial use today, more than 90%
have never been tested for their effects on human health.
*Ionizing radiation is a proven cause of breast cancer. The effect
of exposures to low levels of radiation can build up in the body and cause
harm. This does not mean you should never get another x-ray, but you should
be mindful of your exposure to radiation.
What
can you do:
*Avoid
exposures to toxins.
Use non- toxic personal care and beauty products. If possible, buy organic
food. Avoid toxic cleaning and pest control products.
*Empower yourself. Educate yourself and your family about the roles
lifestyle factors and personal choices play in cancer prevention.
*Be an advocate in the fight against breast cancer. Tell others and
encourage them to make changes in their lives.
*Spend your money wisely. Think about the choices you make with your
money and support companies with a sincere, dedicated, and demonstrated
interest in ending breast cancer.
|
|
