Every morning I wake up and stumble to the bathroom to begin the morning ritual that prepares me for the day. This ritual is centered around the application of cosmetics to my face. The application process generally begins with the cleansing of the face using face wash followed by lotion. Then the real works begins as I pull back my hair and start applying foundation, eye liner, mascara, blush, etc. Recently I have come to the realization that my morning ritual may be detrimental to the environment. Considering the amount of waste I create with the used cotton balls, tissue paper, empty bottles, and discarded water, my wake-up makeup is rather wasteful. In addition, the process is repeated in order to remove it all in the evening. I also pollute the water with non-biodegradable products that leave poisonous chemicals in the water systems. These products must be shipped to Ulta, the store I buy from, in order for me to purchase them.
My whole morning routine is centered around one thing: the product. Cosmetic factories are known for their waste production as well as for their use of animals in product creation. Some cosmetics are made with plant material while other products are created from animal tissue. Most of the products on the market today contain parabens, chemical preservatives that have been linked to certain cancers, which are washed into the water systems. These products are harmful to the wildlife as well. Studies show that waste from human personal care products is increasing cancer rates in the wildlife. Another recent study found that 10 percent of the World's coral reefs are being killed by chemicals found in the sunscreen that washes off the swimmers. (Than)
The products themselves are only part of the pol...
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...The easiest step I can take is to begin using Aveda and Origin products so that I am supporting Eco-friendly companies and using environmentally friendly products. I can also take measures to limit my waste production in the morning by doing things like using less cotton balls and product. Another great way for me to lessen the impact that my cosmetic consumption has on the environment is to recycle all of the bottles and containers I use.
The amount of pollution is increasing at such a high rate, the hope of reversing the damages is almost in vain.(Doucette) Every day millions of people across the planet go through a routine similar to mine, each contributing to the amount of litter and chemicals poisoning nature. As Captain Charles Moore says, “no matter where you are, there's no getting over it, no getting away from it. It's a plastic ocean now.”(Doucette)
Did you know, the personal care products you use every day have dozens of toxic chemicals that link to cancer, asthma, learning disabilities, and more? A campaign community working to build a healthier planet called The Story of Stuff and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, created a seven minute film called Chemicals in Beauty Products: The Story of Cosmetics. The purpose of this campaign film is to inform its viewers, specifically women and moms, about the toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo, that we may not know about. It addresses the top harmful chemicals that we are putting into our bodies, the products they are most likely found in, and
Briney, C. (2005). Air care's fresh start. Global Cosmetic Industry, 173(3), 48-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196442096?accountid=38569
"Toxic Chemicals Used in Salon Products." Women's Voices For The Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
These solutions include recycle and reuse, walk or use public transportation turn off your electronics when you are not using them, eat less meat and to
We all know that cosmetics existed thousands of years ago. Cleopatra used a heavy arsenal of beauty aids to help her shake the foundations of the Roman Empire. Yes, cosmetics and perfumes have a long history, but the consumer industry we live in is relatively recent, a creation of the decades 1890 through 1920. The products hawked in the 19th Century by druggists, perfumers, barbers, physicians, and a colorful assortment of other enterprising individuals were primitive by our standards. Certainly, active ingredients were used with abandon, notably arsenic, lead, and mercury. These were products that really made visible differences, and the consumer was well-advised to be wary of the majority of these mysterious concoctions.
Every time we throw away a plastic bottle, drive our cars, and even burn those millions of fossil fuels to operate all those huge factories, there is a chance it will pollute the ocean and eventually affect the way we live. There should be stricter laws regulating human pollution, in order to protect our ocean ecosystem. The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousands of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. National Geographic: Pollution, especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem.
Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a whole, has been notorious from green issues caused by their lack of sensitivity to the environment, conspicuous and unnecessary consumption of materials, encouraging an “throw-away” society and image issues that support women and young adults to look a certain way to feel “beautiful.” This is an issue that has increased over the past decades. Not just women, but men also feel the uncontrollable need to do whatever it takes to look like the celebrities they see on television and on the runways. The thought that the materials to make those desired items may have caused the life of animals or the destruction of mother nature does not come into mind. Countless people are concerned about conserving planet Earth and keeping it healthy. The fashion world has been targeted for many corruptions.
One should be mindful, not wasteful, and attempt to purchase and eat as little as necessary. Cutting back unnecessary food intake overall will help reduce an ecological footprint in itself.
Landfills in America have taken many square miles of what used to be fertile land, forests and communities and that trend does not seem to have an end. The waste, we as Americans, dispose of each year is in the tons and that number rises annually. One of the reasons why this occurs is actually quite simple; population. Population in modern day America has soared to well above three hundred million, in 1915 that number was hundred million. Urbanization and industry has given way to deforestation and landfill creation. The need for more landfills has caused many health concerns, issues, and problems to not only those living near and
The topic of research on animal testing in the cosmetic industry has long been a controversial and prominent topic. While some believe that it is necessary to test the products on animals before trying them on humans, the others stand by their support for the animals. Even though many major cosmetic companies have claimed to discontinue the practice due to new alternative ways, it still continues around the world. Companies like L’Oreal, Lancôme, Max ...
Flipping through the pages of Vogue's latest edition, 23 year-old Susan seems quite upset. She struggles with the thought of lacking the perfect body and delicate features in order to be considered attractive. Surprisingly, Susan is not alone in this kind of an internal struggle. In contemporary society, every other woman aspires to have the lips of Angelina Jolie and the perfect jaw line of Keira Knightley. Society today looks down upon individuals that do not fit in, whether in terms of body shape or facial attractiveness. This forces them to consider the option of 'ordering beauty.' Since cosmetic surgery is no longer a social taboo in America given its widespread popularity, more people are promoting it which ultimately affects the rest of the world due to the unwavering influence of American culture. Cosmetic surgery should be deterred in the US because it promotes the idea of valuing appearance over ability, gives rise to unrealistic expectations, and brings with it high cost to society.
At present, cosmetics are always used in daily life. When we talk about cosmetics, most people will think of the things that only use for make-up such as lipstick, eye-shadow, mascara, blusher etc. But in fact cosmetics are not only mean to the things that only use for make-up but also shampoo, lotion or sunscreen. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains “Articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body… for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” (2014) The reason why people use makeups have different ways such as some people use for more confidence, some people use for protect the sunlight, and some people use for maintain their skin. However, there are a lot of people still worry about using the cosmetics since they believe that cosmetics are contained the dangerous chemicals that damage their body so they afraid of using them and try to avoid to use them. Although many people will be concerned that applying cosmetics may destroy their health, in fact, many experts have been confirmed that the use of cosmetic is not harmful to the human’s body. Moreover, cosmetics are also useful for users.
Nowadays environmental pollution plays a very important role in the biggest questions in our everyday life. It is easy to find there is so much trash around us even in our beautiful campus. For example, these days I usually see some cans, wine bottles, and some paper trash like packaging bags in my way to class. I wake up every day with a smiling face, but at the time I see them, I can not smile anymore. I think no one can stand the green trees, the red flowers growing in the sea of the trash.
It is time, at last, to speak the truth about toxic chemicals behind personal care and beauty products. The daily products of an average person consists of face wash, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, floss, toothpaste, and deodorant. Surprisingly, all of these products listed contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to our body. If we use these products to maintain our hygiene, does that mean we are not clean without these products? For example, a common shampoo many people use is Head and Shoulders. However, do we know if the shampoo is cleaning our hair from beginning to end or is it damaging our hair? How often do you read the ingredients labeled on your personal care products and wonder if they are safe to use? More importantly, if you
Research from the University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that species in the ocean consume a projected 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year in the Pacific Ocean (Nall, 2014). Pollution of recyclable materials in the oceans is one of the leading causes of why some marine species are nearing extinction. Many authors of articles and books analyzing this topic tend to agree that pollution of our oceans is a problem. The future of this problem is where their ideas tend to differ. The following four literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support my belief that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there are things that we as humans can do to change this. Imagine a world where we didn’t have to constantly worry about the vicious cycle of humans affecting animals and then animals in turn affecting us through consumption.