Share and Voice: Blog on Award

So I just got the blog on award for my last share and voice about paper towels vs. hand dryers! I received this award from Dr. V. for the Health Educator in me. I had a question, so I found answers. So now it is my turn to pass on the Blog on Award. There were a lot of really great posts, but one that I thought was really cool and also demonstrated good Health Educator qualities was Hannah's Share and Voice on Air Pollution and Environmental Justice. I really liked her post because it related really well with the Documentary that we just watched in class, "Green". Her post shows the health disparities that low income and urban communities face. Please check out her post. It is really shocking! Great job Hannah!!!



Award Instructions

1. Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.
   
2. Create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).
3. Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).
4. Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post.
5. Publish the post.
6. Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.
7. Continue the process...

Have a Great Day!!!

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

For this Eye Opener I went onto the webiste, Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database, to see how bad one of my main cosmetic products is for the environmetn. This website didn’t have my exact mascara color, but the information below is for the closest option. I currently wear Cover Girl – Very Black, Waterproof, Lash Blast Mascara. The website had waterproof, black brown Lash Blast Mascara. So here are my results from the website:





COVERGIRL LASH BLAST WATERPROOF VOLUME MASCARA, BLACK BROWN
last updated: 04/01/08 brand: Cover Girl by Procter & Gamble




SCORE
4
moderate hazard (out of 10)



BETTER PRODUCTS
13% of mascaras have lower concerns




INGREDIENT CONCERNS
Percentage of ingredients in this product that meet these criteria:

Ingredients in this product are linked to:
Cancer
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Violations, restrictions & warnings
Allergies/immunotoxicity

Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes

This manufacturer:
Compact for Safe Cosmetics signer
Conducts animal testing

Ingredients from packaging: Petroleum Distillates, Polyethylene, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Carnauba Wax - Copernicia Cerifera, Trihydroxystearin, Propylene Carbonate, Pentaerythrityl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Tall Oil Glycerides, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylparaben, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide - May Contain, Ultramarines - May Contain, Talc - May Contain


Directions from packaging: Discard bottle cap.Replace with brush and close cap completely before first use.




Warnings from packaging: Safeguard Purity: Always handle/apply in a careful, sanitary manner.Don't share or add anything to mascara. Treat applicator in a hygienic manner, don't reuse in a new case.Don't use if change in odor or appearance occurs. Cap tightly.Do not dilute.Never use if your eye is irritated, infected, or scratched.In extreme cases, eye infections can lead to blindness.Consult an eye doctor immediately in case of injury.

I thought that this Eye Opener was really fun and interesting. I never really thought about how my mascara is effecting the environment. Now I know, how cool!!! The one thing that made me the most upset about my results was that my cosmetic item is tested on animals. That is reallly disappointing to me. :( I have never really looked at the packaging before to see if the product I am interested in tests on animals, so I guess I can maybe try to check the packaging next time. I really don't want to wear something that has been tested on animals.

One thing that I found incredibly intersting is that on the website, the same mascara, that wasn't waterproof, had a score of 8! That is twice the score of my waterproof mascara. How weird. I expected my waterproof mascara to be much worse becuase manufacturers need to add something to the original formula to make the mascara waterproof, so I just always assumed that that chemicle would be worse for the environment. So I guess this information makes me feel better about my choice.

Maybe in the future I will research some of my cosmetic items before buying them so that I can see how bad they are for the environment. Thanks for reading!!

Have a Great Day!!!