The no makeup selfie has become an internet sensation – and here is ours!
Our donation is going to the wonderful Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign, which is raising funds to build a dedicated breast unit for Worcestershire.
This whole focus on makeup (or lack of it!) has got us thinking though.
We recently saw an article by the Campaign for Safe cosmetics entitled “Pinkwashing Can’t Prevent Breast Cancer” which criticizes cosmetics companies who publicise that they are committed to breast cancer awareness, whilst at the same time selling products that contain chemicals linked to cancer.
As part of our research when setting up the boutique we looked into natural skincare.We knew that a lot of everyday products contained chemical preservatives but even we were shocked to learn the amount of everyday skin products that we take for granted contain unpleasant and potentially toxic ingredients such as parabens, mineral oils, SLS and DEA.
Parabens are used as preservatives in beauty products, but they have been linked to cancer.
Mineral oils are used in bath oils and body creams but they are actually by-products of the oil industry and prevent the skin from breathing properly.
SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) is used as a foaming agent for shampoo, cleansers and bubble bath but it is actually a harsh detergent used to grease car engines. It can strip the skin of “good” oils and leave it dry and sore.
DEA (Diethanolamine) is used to emulsify shampoo, shaving cream and moisturiser, but it is also a hormone disruptor and can be converted into a carcinogen called nitrosamine.
We have learnt that cosmetics companies can make safer products by changing their ingredients and some already have done so – we were shocked when we looked at the labels on some of the brands which we considered to be “natural” and found that many of them still contain potentially hazardous ingredients, despite the fact that they use words like “nature”, “healthy”, “plant extracts” and “kind” in their advertising.
We suspect that most women affected by cancer do not relish the prospect of having to continue using products which contain potentially toxic ingredients and we believe that ALL women should have the choice to buy toxin free products, should they wish to do so.We therefore chose ranges for Embrace from manufacturers who are committed to producing natural, toxin free products.
People often think that the types of natural skincare products available may be limited, that they may not be as luxurious or effective as their usual mainstream brand or that they may even be more expensive.
However we can assure you that this is not the case.We have a wide range of makeup (including compact and fluid foundations), facial skincare (including a chemo and a non-chemo range), hair and body care and even nail polish and self tan.
Current bestsellers include our luscious lipsticks and mascara, our moisturisers and serum, for hydrating the face, smooth skin oil, for toning the body and for use on stretch marks or scars, itchy skin oil, for dry skin or eczema or psoriasis and our funky coloured formaldehyde free nail polishes.
These products are good value for money and, in our opinion, as effective and luxurious as anything you can buy in a mainstream beauty hall.We know – because we’ve tested them personally!
We’d like to encourage you to try some of our products and, from now until midday on Saturday, if you apply the code DETOX at checkout, you will get a 10% reduction on all makeup, skincare, nailcare and bodycare products.