Inner Beauty: The Slogan is "Think Pink" Not Buy Pink
Far be it from me to critique a worthy cause like raising funds for breast cancer research but has anyone else noticed that the entire month of October that one is inundated by "worthy" purchases of lipglosses, eye shadow palettes, shower gels, and other beauty products by companies hoping to gain publicity and better sales rates through participation in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
Now real beauty addicts don't need an excuse to add to their collection of cosmetics but it is a worrying trend that one can now find literally hundreds of products purporting to donate a portion of sales to worthy breast cancer charities.
If you are really in the market for a new pink lipgloss or shower gel then by all means this October make sure it is one that is participating in fundraising.
But if you are buying out a genuine desire to help fund breast cancer research then perhaps you should donate the entire amount of your purchase to a charity like the Susan G. Koman Foundation. Better yet, you can get yourself a mammogram and use the money to buy yourself a nice shot of wheatgrass or an antioxidant rich smoothie and log online to find ways to help reduce your own risk of getting breast cancer.
Otherwise the funniest possible product for a breast cancer month tie-in surely has to be a breast firming cream but that doesn't have the same public relations ring to it as a nice pink lipgloss now does it?
How to Be a Natural Beauty: Almonds Contribute To Good Skin Care From The Inside And Out
From Hispanic PR Wire: Almonds have long been lauded for their beauty benefits. From ancient Egypt to the Victorian Age to modern times, they’re a popular ingredient in lotions and potions that cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and nourish.
Lately the approach to healthy skin is changing fundamentally. Skincare experts emphasize that not only topical applications such as cleansers and lotions, but also dietary choices can affect the skin’s moisture level, youthful appearance and general health. This is good news for the multi-tasking almond which is a common ingredient in some of today’s most popular skin-care products and an ever-increasingly popular snack for women seeking healthy alternatives.
“With new beauty products as well as new research about certain foods, consumers are hearing a lot about treating beauty both inside and out,” says Connie Gutterson, PhD, RD, author of the New York Times best-selling book, The Sonoma Diet (Meredith, 2005). “Research indicates natural antioxidants from foods may help the skin, working from the inside. At the same time, more beauty products are featuring natural, nutritious foods like almonds and berries to apply to the skin.”
Exfoliation Gone Nutty – The granular texture of finely ground almonds or almond flour can be used as a natural, gentle way to exfoliate, rubbing away dead skin cells and freshening the complexion. Try making a homemade exfoliating scrub by combining 1 tablespoon almond flour or meal, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, stirring into a paste. Rub gently on the face and rinse. Exfoliation is ideal just one to two times per week; otherwise, it may lead to irritation or flaky skin. Find almond flour in some supermarkets, or make it by processing blanched whole or slivered almonds in small batches in a clean coffee grinder or blender, just until finely ground.
Cracking into Moisture – Victorian women were right to love the oil of almonds. It contains linoleic acid, a fatty acid that helps soften and moisturize the skin. After exfoliating, it’s the perfect time to moisturize. Look for almond oil in many high-end and everyday moisturizing lotions, creams, balms and masks.
Would you believe me if I told you that one of the beauty industries biggest companies has a co-founder that used to make a measely three dollars a day returning bottles while living out of his car? Well it's true, and it's the rags to riches story of Jean Paul Dejoria, co-founder and president of Paul Mitchell, the multi-billion dollar beauty biz leader.
Because he is very familiar with what it's like to be in an unfortunate position, philanthropy is very important to him and he does everything in his will to instill it into the legacy of his company.
"It’s about each of us paying more than our share of rent on this planet in order to help many people have much better lives or even have the chance to live one. What a great culture that is!" -Dejoria
Lauren Thompson, student at the Paul Mitchell partner school, Parisian Beauty Academy, shares her personal exposure to the big-hearted nature of the Paul Mitchell family:
Heather: What role does fundraising play in your day to day studies?
Lauren Thompson: Since March, I have participated in two different large-scaled fundraising activities. The first being a fashion show that raised funds for such charitable organizations as Leeza's Place and The Larry King Cardiac Foundation. As a school we each committed to selling 100 bookmarks in addition to the raffle and show tickets. The second fundraiser I just finished was the 2008 Summer Caper, an annual nationwide (all the Paul Mitchell Schools) product sale whose proceeds contributed to various organizations including the Special Olympics and City of Hope. The role it plays is pretty significant. The fashion show is a big event the whole school participates in and even gets graded on. The fact that such a big event is also a fundraiser proves the fundraising importance the structure of the school.
Heather: Does the charitable involvement of Paul Mitchell, both at your scale and the larger scale, give you a sense of pride?
Lauren Thompson: Absolutely, I feel like it makes every effort worth my while knowing that I am contributing my time to an organization that gives back. Upon graduation I would love to continue to be a vehicle of Paul Mitchell's charitable efforts. It is nice to know there are large organizations who respect the importance of giving back to the community.
Heather: Do you feel the efforts are solely based on advancing the image of Paul Mitchell?
Lauren Thompson: No, I know that everyone involved really cares about giving back. We are all inspired by Jean Paul Dejoria's generousity and passion in philanthropy. He wants to create opportunities for those less fortunate. It is very important to him and the rest of the company to instill a sense of benevolance in anyone who is affiliated with the company.
So the next time you are using your super skinny serum (and if you aren't using super skinny, get on it), remember that it's coming from a company that has an enormously altruistic culture. It's always nice to hear about companys who are giving back not only in a PR capacity, but also for the sheer benefit of those they donate time and effort to.
