[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Promo Banner” _builder_version=”3.17″ background_color=”#f0d110″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”bottom_center” background_blend=”soft-light” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” locked=”off”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.15″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”bottom_center” background_blend=”overlay”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17″ link_font=”|600|||on||||” link_text_color=”rgba(12,12,12,0.59)” header_2_font=”Dancing Script||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#847f83″ header_2_font_size=”32px” header_2_line_height=”1.5em” text_orientation=”center” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”top”]
WHAT’S IN YOUR LIPSTICK – THE MOVEMENT FOR “CLEAN” PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
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[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Our Specialties Section” _builder_version=”3.17″ background_color=”#f4f0e9″ background_image=”https://dermabrightclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Icon-under-headings.png” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_center” custom_padding=”60px||60px|” custom_padding_tablet=”40px||40px|”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Title Area” _builder_version=”3.17″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17″ animation_style=”zoom” animation_direction=”left”]The past 10 years have been a journey, one related to improving my overall health, wellness and wellbeing. It began when I was pregnant with my son and realized I had this imminent responsibility for another human being. That realization made me look outside of myself for the first time probably ever. I think this is one of the biggest things about parenting – the self absorption has to step aside to make way for another being, one that will need and rely on you 24/7 for the foreseeable future.
With this in mind, I started to look at my environment and began making some changes to my environment including removing all toxic chemicals and cleaners from my home (except bleach as there are times when only bleach can whiten!). I started to educate myself about toxins in our environment and made a list of the things I wanted to do to make my home a wellness home (better air, water, food, etc).
When my son was about 4 I had my first “holistic” experience with Dr. Flores of Flores Health Services. This first visit led to a series of changes for me related to diet, exercise, lifestyle, supplements and eventually even my livelihood today. One of the proactive steps I took was a series of what I felt were baseline tests, including food sensitivity and heavy metals offered by Dr. Flores. When I received my heavy metals test results, I was shocked to see my lead reading was off the charts! I thought mercury may have measured high, a result of all that delicious Vancouver sushi consumption (it was elevated) but I would never have guessed lead. The question then became, how did I get this?
In my research, I discovered there could be a variety of culprits including: exposure to lead gasoline and paint as a child; lead is often found in silver jewellery (I used to wear a lot of silver from Mexico) and frying pans (I ditched my cast iron pan).
Around this same time I won a book from the Suzuki Foundation entitled “Not Just a Pretty Face” by Stacey Malkan who is involved with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. This book opened my eyes to the world of nasty ingredients used in our personal care products. Here is a video of Stacey on ABC News discussing her book and the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF9qazMRCjg. To learn more, check out the Skin Deep Database to see how your current skin care products rate in the database. Also, the David Suzuki Foundation has its Dirty Dozen Campaign here locally which is designed to raise awareness of this issue.
I was recently reading Stacey’s blog and was appalled to read about the common problem of lead in lipstick. I found my likely culprit! I used to wear a lot of YSL lipstick! Wow, I could not believe it! I was livid that these companies on the one hand produce toxic products and then on the other promote their involvement in women’s health causes such as breast cancer, etc. This is called “pinkwashing” and to me it is outrageous. Companies need to be congruent and have some integrity.
And it raised the question, how many other women were in the same spot as me, poisoning themselves with toxic makeup, potentially lead containing, and not even know it? I fear it may be A LOT!
The frightening side of this also is that I did not have any major symptoms of lead poisoning other than the odd flare up of eczema (which I had mildly as a child). So why was it important I do something now to treat the lead poisoning? Well as I learned from Dr. Flores, if I didn’t do something about the issue now it could lead to major health problems down the road including dementia and Alzheimer’s.
So my journey these days involves getting the lead out of my system through a natural chelating approach that involves the use of supplements (namely chlorella, homeopathics and EDTA), vitamin IV drips, lymphatic drainage and “sweating” and moving as much as I can meaning exercise, sauna, massage, a rebounder, etc.
The more the realization of the lead poisoning news sunk in, the more livid I became in relation to the notion that harmful ingredients in cosmetics may be responsible for this predicament. This notion has now turned into a quest to share and educate the public about these issues.
In 2012 I opened my holistic skin care practice, Derma Bright Clinic, in what was then Dr. Flores’ office in Vancouver. Talk about a full circle moment! Our mission is to provide holistic skin care services using “clean” products and services and refer to holistic practitioners when it makes sense.
I am also calling myself the “Queen of Living Clean” and I am on a mission to educate the general public about toxic ingredients in our personal care products including cosmetics, skin care, hair and body products. I will be speaking anywhere I can to get the awareness out there.
We are also now working on our next venture, an online store promoting clean skincare products and supplements – www.myskinsalon.com should be live in June!
My message is twofold: get tested for heavy metals and pay attention! Read your labels, know what it all means, make changes and support companies who are doing things “right” with values such as integrity, transparency, sustainability and not just profit motivated. You have a choice and a voice – use them!
Estie Gonzalez is the owner of Derma Bright Clinic (www.dermabrightclinic.com) and My Skin Salon. She can be reached at 604.306.7718 or info@dermabrightclinic.com
For additional information, check out:
http://www.ewg.org/
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