Lips Against Lead

Over time, those who wear lipstick containing lead are at risk of absorbing high levels of a neurotoxin that may cause behavioral, learning and other problems.

There are no F.D.A. standards limiting lead and other toxins in lipstick. It is up to manufacturers to decide which safety and efficacy tests to perform on their products. Cosmetics companies are required to list their “intended” ingredients on labels but lead is considered an “unintended” by-product of the manufacturing process!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a consumer database where it lists the ingredients in more than 42,000 products. Its Campaign for Safe Cosmetics did an independent study in 2007 and found that one-third of 33 lipsticks had lead in excess of 0.1 parts per million (p.p.m.), the federal limit for candy. Now, price had nothing to do with lead levels - less expensive brands have been found to contain no lead, whereas a branded tube contained 0.21 p.p.m.

When asked if consumers should be worried about lead in lipstick, doctors, including Dr. Sean Palfrey, a professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University and the medical director of the Boston Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, said, “Yes, these are small amounts and if you licked your lips once you probably would not cause damage — at least not to adults,” he said, adding, “Lead is a substance that builds up in the body over time, so small amounts applied daily can add up and stay in our bodies.”

Dr. David Bellinger, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health who has conducted studies on the health risks of very low lead exposures, agreed that “no level of lead exposure appears to be ‘safe.’ ”

Personally, Canadian government should be commended as an exemplary authority that takes the welfare of its nation into its governance holistically. Read how Canada is addressing this here.

Also, consumers should demand their right to health as well. Doing this adds pressure to manufacturers to be more ethically responsible. For a start, cautious consumers can turn to organic personal-care products and support the “Lips Against Lead” campaign to ban lead in lipstick. Read the full article here.

Healthy Face

Using the zones and the Face Map as a guide, you are able to conduct a quick analysis of your facial landscape to preliminary determine the current state of your health, Subhan Allah:

Zones 1 & 3: This zone is the "sister" to the bladder and digestive system. If you breakout frequently in this area, it means you need to drink more water and eat more "whole" foods.

Zone 2: The middle of the forehead, between the eyebrows, is related to the liver. Congestion in this zone indicates over consumption of alcohol, rich foods, and possibly a food allergy (such as lactose intolerance).

Zones 4 & 10: The ears are related to kidneys. If you notice that your ears are very hot, you might be stressing them out - drink plenty of plain water and cut down on caffeine and alcohol.

Zones 5 & 9: The cheeks often give an accurate glimpse into any respiratory distress. Smokers or people suffering from allergies generally experience fine, broken capillaries or congestion in this area.

Zones 6 & 8: The eyes are truly a window to the body's health because they're related to the kidneys. Dark circles under the eyes, signal dehydration and poor elimination of toxins.

Zone 7: A reddened nose can indicate heightened blood pressure, or the early stages of rosacea. Congestion around the upper lip can occur if you use comedogenic lipsticks or liners.

Zones 11 & 13: If you've had extensive dental surgery done, you might notice a breakout in the jaw area.

Zone 14: Include your neck in your daily regimen - its skin is just as fragile as that on your face, so it definitely needs to be taken care of.

[Source: Dermalogica]

Halal Skincare

Alhamdulillah... you'll now be able to see more halal skincare or cosmetics advertised in the papers or media. This shows that Muslimah consumers are getting more knowledgable about the need to remain pure in order to extend sincere ibadah to Allah SWT.

One high-end brand that is getting rave review from UAE and Canada is One Pure Skin Care. I actually contacted them to suss out the viability of them distributing their products in Singapore.

And recently, another halal skincare equivalent, Jerneh was introduced in Malaysia. Personally (not that I'm bias), it has an edge over One Pure simply because it is tailored to Asian skin.

Out of curiosity, I'm keen to experiment and see how similar or different they are, including the cost! I'll probably get a sample for the One Pure set and seek the help of my cousins in KL to get the Jerneh set for mum. Will let you in on the verdict after I complete my experiment so stay tuned!

Afterthought: And then there's SimplySiti from Malaysia and Wardah from Indonesia. Muslimah in the region are 'spoilt for choice'. It is recommended that we be mindful of tabarruj (Display of beauty) and what is permissible in Islam. Wallahu'alam bissawab (Allah Knows best).