It’s November, er, my mustache got in the way. Make that, Movember.

The month of harvest, fall decorations, Thanksgiving, and yes, hairier faces. Sure, beards are hot these days. But in Movember they are actually doing more good than just looking good.

As part of the Movember campaign, Mo Bros let their mustaches grow for a cause by setting aside their razors to raise money for men’s health issues. (No Shave November is a different campaign that encourages men and women to forgo their facial and body hair maintenance for the month, and donate what they would have spent on razors and waxing to the American Cancer Society.)

Great causes, but all of this extra hair needs some tending to. Unless you plan to get your Grizzly Adams look on, you are going to need some good grooming products. And thanks to the facial hair fad, natural men’s grooming products abound.

Movember Natural Beard and Skin Care Essentials for the Hairy Man

Beard Oils: As with facial oils, beard oils are hot on the organic personal care scene. These healthy oil combos keep skin and hair soft and moisturized, and help to maintain a well-groomed look. They also smell terrific. Some to try are Brooklyn Grooming Beard Oil – Red Hook, Honest Amish Classic Beard Oil, and Valor Beard Balm – Firewood.

Beard Balms: If you like a bit more structure to your ‘stache or beard, or have a longer beard you need to wrangle, a balm may be more up your alley. Emollient like an oil and not quite a wax, a decent balm will help with hair maintenance while giving a smoothed effect. Try Beard Balm’s selection of waxes, or Badass Beard Balms in an even wider selection.

Mustache Wax: So you’ve decide to go full on handlebar for this whole no shave deal, huh? Okay, you are going to want to invest in a ‘stache wax. Get some firm hold going with Badger Mustache Wax. It also gives a glossy shine.

Beard Soap: Keep your scruff sparkly clean with the help of Brooklyn Grooming Beard Soap. The perfect way to start your day. Or suds up with a slab of Honest Amish Beard and Body Soap.

As for you ladies…if you do decide to take on the no shave challenge, at least it is pants and long sleeve season. To help keep your spirits up while enduring the fuzziness, have a scroll at these hairy beauties.

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Image of man with beard and mustache via Shutterstock

The post Movember Essentials: Natural Beard and Skin Care for All That Hair appeared first on EcoSalon.

June is Cancer Immunotherapy Month. Why boosting the immune system is the new big thing in cancer research.

Immunotherapy is, much like it sounds, cancer treatment that utilizes the body’s immune system. Also known as virutherapy, the idea behind this type of treatment is getting the body’s own system to attack cancer cells and, ideally, leave normal tissues unharmed.

Immunotherapy was first used in 1891 by New York surgeon, Dr. William Coley. Bacteria were injected into cancerous tumors with the goal of prompting an immune response to the infection that would attack the tumor.

The immune system produces T cells which track down and eliminate problematic cells. But cancer cells are masters of defense, expressing proteins that suppress T cells around a tumor. The immune system doesn’t recognize the tumor as being harmful and leaves it alone. Efforts to create a vaccine that would warn the immune system of cancerous changes have failed, but the race to create advanced immunotherapy treatment is in full swing.

Earlier this year the FDA approved the use of another drug, Opdivo (nivolumab), to treat advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The drug was approved last fall for the treatment of melanoma that is either in advanced stages or inoperable. Opdivo blocks the protein that normally suppresses T cells, making cancerous cells detectable by the immune system.

So far it appears immunotherapy is effective for several types of cancers, including certain lung cancers, melanoma, kidney and bladder cancer, lymphoma, and possibly breast cancer. The therapy does have its drawbacks. The immune system can attack healthy cells, causing serious side effects and even immune-related death, though this is rare.

Common side effects of immunotherapy drugs are fatigue and rash. Much less severe than those of chemotherapy. While long term data is a ways off, survival rates of 3+ years have been reported in lung cancer patients, longer in melanoma. It appears that T cells seem to remember how to defend the body against cancer even after the therapy has stopped.

Because every body and immune system is different, doctors are researching ways to personalize immunotherapy treatments to each patient. Of course, the biggest drawback right now with the use of these new therapies is cost. $12,000 for one round is raising many eyebrows, but candidates may be placed on a patient assistance program.

To learn more about immunotherapy, read “Harnessing the Power of Immunotherapy” by NPR. If you’d like to support immunotherapy research, find out how at Cancer Researach Institute.

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Image of immune system via Shutterstock

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A recent study has linked birth control pills and brain cancer. Obviously, this study is not going to damn birth control use. But it’s something all women should know about.

The study was released in late January 2015 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The study found that women “who take the pill were twice as likely to develop a rare type of brain cancer called glioma.”

Young women between the ages of 15 and 49 were the subjects of the study. The following is the meaty part of the story:

“They then looked into how many of these women had an Rx for birth control pills, recording the type they took (either the estrogen-progestin ‘combo pill’ or the progestin-only ‘minipill’) and for how long. Finally, they compared them to a control group of glioma-free women in the same age range.

The results showed a 50 percent higher risk of glioma in women who took any pill type for any length of time. Scarily, the risk doubled among women who took progestin-only pills for at least five years.”

While on the surface that doesn’t sound too awesome, it shouldn’t concern women quite yet. More than a few doctors, including Alyssa Dweck, M.D., ob-gyn in Westchester, New York, are saying the study does show correlation, but it doesn’t show causation.

According to Women’s Health Magazine, the following are some of the things to keep in mind about the study’s results:

– “The rates may have been higher in Pill takers because women on oral contraceptives might be more likely to visit their doctor.”

– BMI may have played a role: Doctors often prescribe overweight women progestin-only pills, as they have fewer side effects, “such as blood clots.”

– Glioma is still extremely rare: around five in 100,000 women get it. If the rate is doubled, that means only 10 in 100,000 women will get it.

What do you think about this study? Do the results make you want to toss your pills?

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Image: Nate Grigg

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There are many breast cancer risk factors, and new research has found 102 more of them in common chemicals. But BPA is not on this list.

Researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health have compiled the comprehensive list of chemicals that can be considered breast cancer risk factors—and the list surprisingly does not include BPA (bisphenol A)—the much fretted over endocrine disruptor found in plastic bottles and aluminum can linings.

“Instead, the study draws attention to much more potent estrogenic chemicals than BPA, such as Estradiol-17b, a component of oral contraceptives and hormone therapies, which has entered domestic wastewater—and possibly drinking water—via urination,” reports Forbes Magazine.

The study actually suggests that BPA is not a breast cancer risk factor, even though it’s been pointed to by numerous health organizations. Instead, the study focuses on other chemicals, including acrylamide—a chemical that is created in high heat cooking of certain starches (like potato chips). Also on the list in benzene, which can be produced in the presence of sodium benzoate when in combination with vitamin C. Sodium benzoate is a preservative in many food and skin care items. The authors write in the report, “these 102 comprise a diverse set of chemicals and exposures, including components of automobile exhaust, gasoline, and air pollution (1,3-butadiene, benzene, PAHs, nitro-PAHs), chemicals in food and drinking water (acrylamide, ochratoxin A, heterocyclic amines, styrene, 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone [MX]), chemicals in consumer products and building materials (flame retardants, aromatic amines, perfluorinated compounds), pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and some chemicals with important occupational exposures (halogenated solvents, ethylene oxide [EtO]).”

Even the “best-established risk factors for breast cancer are associated with fairly modest increases in risk” the study authors note. And reports Forbes, “weak associations based on long-term chemical exposures are going to be very hard to detect, and risk producing many false positives.”

The study once again proves that prevention is key: avoiding chemicals in food, water and personal care products, as well as having a regular physical activity practice.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post Is that All? Breast Cancer Risk Factors Connected to 102 Chemicals Besides BPA [Harvard Study] appeared first on EcoSalon.

With concerns over the negative health effects of BPA (bisphenol-A) on the rise, news that exposure may lead to breast cancer doesn’t bode well for the plastic industry.

According to the research from the University of Texas at Arlington and published in a recent issue of the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, when breast cancer and mammary gland cells were exposed to BPA, the chemical worked with naturally occurring molecules, including estrogen, to create a more hospitable environment for breast cancer growth.

The researchers looked at a molecule known as RNA HOTAIR (HOX antisense intergenic RNA), which is a long, non-coding RNA found in human and some animal DNA. It has some ability through expression to suppress the genes that would slow tumor growth or kill cancer cells. “High levels of HOTAIR expression have been linked to breast tumors, pancreatic and colorectal cancers, sarcoma and others,” reports ScienceDaily.

BPA seemed to assist in the production of “abnormal amounts” of HOTAIR expression. “We can’t immediately say BPA causes cancer growth, but it could well contribute because it is disrupting the genes that defend against that growth,” said researcher Subhrangsu Mandal, associate professor of chemistry/biochemistry. “We were surprised to find that BPA not only increased HOTAIR in tumor cells but also in normal breast tissue,” added Arunoday Bhan, a PhD student in Mandal’s lab.

Used in a number of food containers, thermal register receipts and household products, BPA was recently banned from some baby products sold in the U.S. including sippy cups and bottles. The chemical has been banned or tightly restricted in countries including France, Canada and China.

BPA is known as an endocrine disruptor, which mimics human hormones thus interfering with hormone regulation and function. It has been linked to reproductive issues, including early puberty, obesity and cancers.

“Understanding the developmental impact of these synthetic hormones is an important way to protect ourselves and could be important for treatment,” said Mandal.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post BPA Creates Environment that Promotes Breast Cancer Growth, Study Finds appeared first on EcoSalon.

Are dangerous chemical toxins hiding in your personal care products? Thanks to a new cosmetics database released by The California Safe Cosmetics Program, it only takes a few clicks to find out.

Crazy as it might seem, a large portion of the personal care products sold in America contain ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. These toxins have nearly unpronounceable names and are hidden inside shampoos, lotions, make-up and other products we slather all over our bodies on a daily basis.

To help consumers become more informed about what they’re being exposed to, The California Safe Cosmetics Program (CSCP) has created an online cosmetics database that makes it simple to find out if your favorite lipstick is putting you at risk for a life threatening disease.

“Searches can be done on a type of product, a specific product name, or a brand, chemical or company name. About 475 companies have submitted information for about 30,000 products so far, and the chemicals in the database include phthalates, mercury and mercury compounds, toluene and formaldehyde, among other known toxicants,” reports SF Gate.

Creators of the cosmetics database point out that just because a product contains a potentially harmful ingredient, it’s not necessarily a risk. Manufacturers are required to report the presence of a chemical, even if it’s only trace amounts.  Some chemicals are considered safe at certain levels of exposure. Although amount of ingredient is not listed on the website, it’s important to consider not just the levels of a single exposure, but cumulative exposure over a lifetime.

Encouragingly, the cosmetics database also contains information about about each of the chemical ingredients, and how chemical exposure can affects consumer health. Some health advocates say this website is an important tool for consumers that will continue the fight for safer cosmetics.

“The database reveals a snapshot of a Wild West industry where cosmetics companies can and are using a shocking array of unsafe and cancer-causing chemicals in seemingly innocent products,”  Janet Nudelman, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which is part of the Breast Cancer Fund, told SF Gate. “It will also keep the pressure on companies to reformulate products to remove chemicals linked to adverse health effects.”

Learn more about what’s in your cosmetics and personal care products at: www.safecosmeticsact.org

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The post Dangerous Toxins In Personal Care Products Exposed in Online Cosmetics Database appeared first on EcoSalon.

Laundry day has never been so environmentally-friendly.

One of the sneaky ways you are putting both the environment and your health at risk can be found in none other than the laundry room. Store-bought products are packed with toxic ingredients – some of which are not even noted on the packaging – that irritate the skin and can lead to diseases such as cancer. These five alternatives cover all your laundry needs without much effort, and they take heed to both your skin’s health and your environmental consciousness.

Stain Remover

There are a lot of natural stain removers to choose from, but I prefer hydrogen peroxide for its accessibility and environmental-friendliness as well as for being a panacea of sorts. Hydrogen peroxide has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, and anti-mildew properties, which makes it a wonderful cleaning agent. In addition to cleaning cuts and wounds, it can be used to remove clothing stains. Simply spray the hydrogen peroxide onto the stain, allow it to sit for 10 minutes, and then throw the clothing into the washer. Prior to washing, it may also help to use a toothbrush to scrub the stain while the hydrogen peroxide is sitting.

Detergent

Adapted from My Healthy Green Family, this detergent recipe mimics the effects of Tide, without the toxic, potentially cancerous ingredients. The soap gets rid of impurities and oils, the washing soda both cleanses and softens, the baking soda removes stains and odors, and the salt prevents fading.

Ingredients:

• 1 bar vegetable-based glycerin soap, grated finely
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup coarse salt

Directions: Grate the bar of soap. It can be scented according to your olfactory preferences, but make sure there are no artificial perfumes. Combine the grated soap with the remaining ingredients and mix until evenly combined. When not using, store in an airtight, glass container. Use in dosages equal to what any regular detergent company recommends.

Softener

Instead of using softener, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle. Baking soda is a natural softener and isn’t less irritable to your skin as are chemical-ridden store-bought brands.

However, if you have the time to put together a more effective and aromatic softener, in a bowl, combine 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/2 cup water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved. Next add 2 cups of white vinegar, but slowly, as the mixture will foam and rise slightly. Once it has settled, add about 15 drops of your favorite essential oils. Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container. Use the same amount you would if adding normal softener to the laundry.

Wrinkle Releaser/Dryer Sheets

To prevent wrinkles, take 1 teaspoon of the extended softener recipe and mix it with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray lightly onto wet clothing, just out of the washer, before putting into the dry cycle or hanging to dry.

Dry-Clean-Only Clothing Deodorizer

To remove the stink from clothes that require dry cleaning only, vodka is a handy tool. Simply spray vodka all around the clothing item and let it hang overnight to dry. Vodka has anti-bacterial properties that get rid of the smell, surprisingly without leaving any vestiges of vodka aroma behind.

Images: Gemtek1, Tim Samoff, Kathie Lapcevik, TPapi, Catzkill, Lordelo

The post 5 Ways to Wash and Freshen Your Clothes Without Chemicals appeared first on EcoSalon.

In which we are asked to consider the assinine.

I was so baffled when I came across this video that I had to watch it twice. It’s a spoof video about a health & safety officer (played by Chris O’Dowd) for the Topless Female World Trampolining championships, which, produced by the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign and CoppaFeel!, is intended to raise awareness about male breast cancer. Beyond the failed attempt at what appears to be a combo of an Eastern European and Scandinavian accent (because those people are good at gymnastics and being topless, right?) it’s pretty much just one long video objectifying women.

What do topless trampoline jumping women have to do with raising awareness about breast cancer? I am not entirely sure, except for the fact that if you’re wanting to talk about breasts there are A. Lot. Of. Them. And derrieres too, just for fun. Keep in mind though, there’s not a male breast in sight, which was supposed to be the thing we were being made aware of in the first place.

There is certainly nothing wrong with raising awareness through edgy campaigns, but when they come at the cost of objectifying women and sexualizing a serious issue you have to sigh and give a hearty, WTF?

The post WTF.com Coppafeel! Breast Cancer PSA? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cabbage just got more interesting.

I have a huge crush on kimchi. If I see it on the menu, chances are you can find it in my mouth several minutes later. The spicy cultured treat is a Korean staple – it is served at almost every meal and Koreans are known to pack in 40 pounds of kimchi per person, each year!

The base of kimchi is cabbage. Cabbage lowers blood cholesterol, prevents cancer, and contributes to better digestion. In many cultures, cabbage juice has been used to relieve stomach ulcers. The vegetable is a great source of B vitamins and omega-3s and contains approximately seven times more vitamin C than an orange. Like  garlic and onions, cabbage also boasts a high sulfur content, which helps to fight infection.

Aside from the benefits of cabbage itself, kimchi should be praised mostly for what it accumulates during preparation: healthy bacteria. The cabbage rests in salted and spiced water for a few days or weeks before it is served, contributing to the growth of lactobacilli, which are healthy probiotic bacteria that balance the intestinal tract and help to alleviate digestive problems. For this reason, kimchi is a great companion to every meal.

However, one of the downsides to ordering kimchi at a restaurant or purchasing it from a grocery store is the unknown factors – what kind of salt was used, how much sugar was added, and whether sneaky ingredients, like fish sauce, are in the mix. You can never really know. That’s why I decided to make my own kimchi, but in the most unintimidating and frills-free way possible. That way, I could enjoy it all the time knowing exactly what it contains and without the begrudged process to get there.

It’s a practice of patience, sure, but in the name of all the balance and restoration that kimchi provides my body, I vow to prepare it with similar gusto. Luckily enough, you can get on with your life for a few days while the kimchi does its magic. Do try this recipe out and you’ll have the most delicious and addictive digestive aid ever made.

Enjoy!

Homemade Vegan Kimchi

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 large Napa cabbage
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons sea salt
• 6 scallions
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 two-inch nob of fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons Korean chili powder (kochukaru)
• 2 tablespoons Nama Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2-3 slices apple

Directions:

In a glass quart, dissolve the salt in the water.

While the salt dissolves, core the cabbage and roughly chop the leaves. You can pull the leaves off so they remain full and intact, or you can do what I did and simple cut through the body of the cabbage.

Pull apart the individual pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pour the salted water over the cabbage and massage the leaves until they wilt and reduce slightly in volume.

Transfer the salted cabbage leaves into the glass quart, pushing down with your fist so that the leaves are tightly packed.

Pour the remaining salted water into the quart so that all the leaves are completely submerged. Seal the top of the glass jar and store at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 24 hours.

The next day,  drain the cabbage leaves from the water and rinse, reserving the salted water for later use. Place the leaves in a large bowl.

In a food processor, mix the garlic, chili, scallions, ginger, and soy sauce until mushy.

Massage the spicy mixture into the leaves so that each one is evenly coated. Toss in a few slices of chopped apple. The sugars from the apple will help the fermentation process.

Tightly pack the leaves in the same quart-sized jar, making sure there are no air pockets.

Pour some of the reserved salted water over the spicy cabbage leaves so that they are completely submerged. It is important that there are no air pockets.

Seal the top with a lid and store at room temperature away from sunlight for at least 3 full days. During this time, the kimchi will ferment, developing healthy bacteria. As long as the leaves are submerged, they will not mold.

Enjoy with chopsticks aside a Korean-inspired meal, or any meal!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Recipe: Getting Probiotic with Homemade Kimchi appeared first on EcoSalon.

Avon has long been a major player in the fight against breast cancer. But why do they continue to use chemicals that have been linked to cancer in its products?

Last week, Avon rolled out its latest effort at corporate transparency: Avon’s Calling, a blog focusing on issues related to social responsibility and the global cosmetic company’s three “pillars:” sustainability, philanthropy, and female empowerment.

While greater transparency is always a good thing, one has to wonder whether what the blog will do to mitigate criticism against Avon, particularly around its reported history of “pinkwashing” – promoting the fight against breast cancer with pastel pink ribbons, while continuing to produce products using chemicals linked to cancer. There are also accusations of greenwashing with Avon’s Hello Green Tomorrow initiative – though the campaign aims to “save the rainforest,” Avon utilizes palm oil in many of its products, which is a major cause of deforestation (though with its Palm Oil Promise, it is trying to source more sustainably). And then there are the numerous lawsuits recently levied against Avon, on everything from animal testing fraud to bribery of Chinese officials.

In short, it’s been a rough couple of years.

That aside, Avon’s dedication to corporate responsibility dates back to the days before CSR was a marketing buzzword. Founded in 1886, the company was created with the commitment “to meet fully the obligations of corporate citizenship by contributing to the well-being of society and the environment in which it functions,” states Avon’s website. Today, it is one of the world’s leading cosmetics companies, with over $11 billion in annual revenue. The company is based on an affiliate business model, in which independent “Avon Ladies” sell products and earn commission on sales. Historically, this model helped to revolutionize female entrepreneurship by offering women a chance at financial independence during a time when it was unheard of.

The Good

The “pillars” of Avon’s corporate responsibility efforts – the empowerment of women, sustainability, and philanthropy – have been at the heart of Avon’s operations from the very beginning. One of the company’s largest ongoing projects is the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which is aimed at funding research and access to quality care. Now in its 20th year, the project has donated more than $740 million to the cause, making it one of the world’s leading corporate supporters of the fight against breast cancer. Among the successes that Avon lists on its website:

• Linking more than 15 million women around the globe to early detection programs and mammography screenings.
• Educating 100 million women on breast health
• Expanding into 55 countries
• Enabling access to care for underserved populations
• Providing $175 million to breast cancer research projects since 1999
• Creating Love/Avon Army of Women, a program designed to accelerate the pace of prevention research by enlisting more than 350,000 women (potential study volunteers) for this effort.

Avon fundraises for these efforts through various methods, like hosting the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series and selling Crusade Pink Ribbon fundraising products, which currently include pins, tennis bracelets, ear buds, scarves, and nail polish.

The Bad

Despite its philanthropic efforts, Avon has been criticized by researchers and advocacy groups for positioning itself as a leader in the fight against breast cancer, while continuing to use hormone-disrupting ingredients linked with cancer, like parabens, phthalates, synthetic musks, and triclosan, in its cosmetics and personal care products. The company has often been singled out by Breast Cancer Action’s Think Before You Pink™ campaign, which aims to encourage both companies and consumers to think more critically about breast cancer fundraising. The watchdog group coined the term “pinkwasher” in 2003 and has since addressed pink ribbon marketing by companies including Yoplait, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.

Last year, an academic article in Environmental Justice furthered the debate. In the report, titled “Pastel Injustice: The Corporate Use of Pinkwashing for Profit,” authors Amy Lubitow and Mia Davis highlighted Avon’s “Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer” campaign, which promoted six shades of lipstick whose proceeds would be donated to breast cancer research. Citing the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database, Lubitow and Davis stated that the lipsticks “may have contained ingredients that disrupt hormone functions (which is in turn linked to breast cancer)” and that according to the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, more than 250 Avon products listed in a database “are listed in the “highest concern” category due to the presence of hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and possible carcinogens.”

Soon after the publication of the Environmental Justice article, Lubitow and Davis published a related piece in Forbes on pinkwashing, lambasting it as “the co-optation of breast cancer symbolism by corporate actors who stand to profit from the use of breast cancer awareness imagery.”

Breast cancer is useful for corporate cause marketing campaigns because it is a disease that many people are intimately familiar with (currently, one in eight women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer) and it is associated with beloved family members and friends … In addition, women control somewhere between $0.70 and $0.85 of every household dollar spent, so marketing in relation to women’s health is a logical business move. 

The Forbes article again spotlighted Avon cosmetics, but this time, Avon responded. Tod Arbogast, Avon’s vice president of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, sent Forbes a letter disputing claims about the cancer-causing effects of hormone-disrupting ingredients like parabens. Arbogast stated that “scientific bodies have extensively studied the safety of parabens” and “not a single government-scientific body has determined that parabens are unsafe,” but that Avon has eliminated parabens from “some products where there are safe alternatives.”

Soon after the letter was added to the original article as an addendum, Lubitow and Davis bit back with a letter of their own, disputing Arbogast’s claim that the health effects of parabens have been adequately studied and reinforcing their previous claim that “chemicals that cause cancer or have been linked to cancer have no place in consumer products.”

While we applaud the efforts to reduce the presence of toxic chemicals in Avon products, we maintain that continuing to build brand recognition through breast cancer cause-marketing while continuing to sell products that are not completely free of toxic chemicals is a harmful contradiction.

The Questionable

Avon’s track record in the world of corporate responsibility hasn’t just been impressive – it’s been groundbreaking. As one of the first major corporations to make issues like sustainability, philanthropy, and female empowerment exist at the core of their business, Avon has set a CSR standard that has been followed by many of the companies that have proceeded it.

But as we noted in the recent Behind the Label: Tommy Hilfiger, there’s a difference between donating to good causes and doing good business. It’s common to separate noble corporate responsibility goals from profit-driven business practices, and indeed, that is what Avon continues to do by utilizing cancer-linked chemicals in their products. Sure, spending more to produce products with natural ingredients may result in less profit, which may mean less money for philanthropy. But perhaps a world that is freer from cancer-causing toxins will be a world where less of that charity is needed. I hope that’s one issue that the company will address on Avon’s Calling.

SEE ALSO:

Behind the Label: The Body Shop’s ‘Against Animal Testing’ Campaign

Behind the Label: McDonald’s See What We’re Made Of Campaign

Behind the Label: Burt’s Bees

Read more Behind the Label here.

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