My mother was a lot of things. I mean really - actual careers.
She was a single mother, with six small children (in 1978 she had six kids aged 12, 10, 4, 3, 2, and a new baby), during the height of the global economic crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s. For those of you who don't recall: the Bank of Canada rate was 21% in 1981 and the GDP dropped 5% in that same year. The national unemployment rate was 12% in 1983.
For over seven years I've been writing about the over-exaggerated marketing claims made by cosmetics companies. I am, most certainly, not the the first or only writer to discuss how cosmetics companies market their products, but let me be clear - I am all for using well formulated, safe cosmetics. In fact, I am a bit of a cosmetics junkie myself.
Many of you know that one of my favourite past times is to wander through cosmetics departments just to hear the pitches the sales staff use to sell the very expensive cream and lotions and such.
I always preface with: I don't think the sales people are actually telling un-truths, even though these sales pitches are complete fiction, as they are trained to use these sales pitches. I blame the companies for over inflating their claims of the products and, of course, the marketing teams which create the "story" behind products.
I had a great walk through my local drug store last night. I was on the hunt for a white body sponge to use in the shower (I recently switched the decor in my bathroom to all white). I didn't see any white sponges in the assortment on the shelf and asked the cosmetician if she might be able to locate one for me.
When I am shopping, for cosmetics I look for certain ingredients in the formula, which I consider "must haves." While this list is different from body care to skin care to makeup to hair care, there are some key ingredients for which I am always on the lookout in all categories of products.
Newbeauty.com published an article last week with a list of cosmetics ingredients "on their radar." To be fair, the website did not pass judgment or offer an opinion on the efficacy of these ingredients, they simply published a list of ingredients, the products in which they are currently found, and the claims the manufacturers make regarding the use of these ingredients.
I own a makeup company. That is pretty common knowledge. What most people do not know about me is that I formulated skin care products long before I got into the makeup business. Often I am asked what the best way is to care for skin. Of course, there are some simple rules, but what amazes me is how many mistakes people make with skin care. These mistakes are not caused by a lack of knowledge or care, but rather terrible misinformation being constantly sold at cosmetics counters.
Retinol is one of the best ingredients you can use on your skin for resurfacing, collagen synthesis, and protein development. I have been a fan of retinol for many years.
