Breast Cancer Research & Clean Beauty

Hi Friends —
If you’ve been following me for a while, you already know that I’m passionate about many things that I openly share with all of you….cats (duh), my family and friends, the environment, my baby and safe beauty products. I try to keep my blog and posts somewhat eclectic, but while you might have started following to get more information on safer beauty products, you’ve probably felt inundated with the newest aspect of my life: Motherhood. I’m going to shelf that part of my life for this post because I want to take a moment to talk about why using safe beauty products is important, why it matters to me, what you should look for when switching over to clean beauty products, and how to get involved in some powerful research-based volunteer work.  If you’re thinking “eh…this post might not be up my alley—sounds a little hippy dippy,” I hear you, but hear (read) me out.

As many of you reading are likely all too aware, breast cancer affects 1 out of every 8 women. It’s an alarmingly high rate.

In August 2016, I came across an email from the Army of Women, a program committed to breast cancer research. If you haven’t heard of them, definitely check them out — they do GREAT work and make amazing connections with folks who want to get involved in breast cancer research (those currently fighting, survivors, and supporters like you and I).  When I read the newsletter and saw that an organization was looking for volunteers who had never been diagnosed with breast cancer, who lived in the San Francisco area, I knew I had to get involved. I filled out the questionnaire and sent it in. When I was contacted, the woman I spoke with explained the mission of the organization, the who, what, when, where, why’s of the study she was leading, and what my role would be. 
At the time, I was using regular makeup with no emphasis on chemical-free purchases. I bought whatever was on sale, trendy, etc., and never bothered to look at ingredients or consider health-risk factors. This also applied to my entire beauty regimen including my skin care products, hair care, nail polishes, body creams and lotions, shampoos, bars of soap, and anything else that was topically applied to my person. Even the hand soap in the bathroom at work counted as a “product.”
Once I heard and understood the plan, I couldn’t wait to get started and be a part of this ground-breaking research.
Here’s how the study went down:
1. I was instructed to change nothing about my current products, but to carefully log each and every product I applied to my person and the frequency that I used it. 
2. I met with the Director of the Breast Cancer Over Time research team, a breast cancer survivor committed to finding a cure for breast cancer and it’s causes, at a clinic in San Francisco. That same day, I had bloodwork done and a breast cell aspiration. A breast cell aspiration is when a super-skinny fine needle is injected into your breast for the purpose of extracting cells. This procedure took about 15 minutes total. They did provide a fantastic local anesthetic that numbed my breast, prior to inserting the needle—this made it MUCH more bearable. Have you ever seen the show Botched? When they perform liposuction and kind of jab at the fat with the wand? It was like that, only in my boob with a needle. Yes, it hurt—but I kept telling myself there was something that could hurt a lot more: Cancer. Perspective is everything. If this breast cancer survivor next to me holding my hand and telling me to close my eyes could withstand treatment and surgery, surely I could handle a few uncomfortable minutes. 
3. I left the appointment with a bag of natural beauty loot! THIS WAS THE FUN PART! I was given all of the products (which were provided by cigarette tax money from the state of California for the purpose of research) and was instructed to ONLY use those products for the next 30 days. Ladies, this was tricky. No bathroom soap at work — I took my own in. No regular toothpaste. No commercial deodorant. No deliciously-scented drug store shampoo. No cheaply lip balm I had in my desk at work. Only what was provided to me touched my body. 
4. On the 30th day, I returned to the clinic and repeated step 2 on my other breast. Yes, another needle. No, it wasn’t less painful the second time. 
5. Wait for results.
6. Now intensely aware of this mission, I went super “Marie Kondo” to my cosmetics drawer and replaced everything. Suddenly, I was scared to death that I’d been slathering crazy chemicals on myself for the past 30+ years. None of it was sparking joy as I thought about what it *could* be doing to my health and wellness.

This experience was life changing, for me. Although I’ve not had cancer, many close to me have and IT IS PERSONAL. Since the study, I have committed myself to reading ingredients, weighing pros and cons, researching, explaining, educating, volunteering, asking, challenging and helping the fight against breast cancer.  There are more natural products now than EVER before and we should be supporting organizations committed to transparency and toxic-free living. Some of my favorites include BeautyCounter (read their mission – it’s beautiful), RMS beauty, Pacifica, Honest, IT, and Lush. If you’re on the hunt for clean beauty and don’t know where to start, contact me or check out the BeautyCounter website and find a consultant near you (yes, everyone is selling something these days, but if I had to pick one company to support it would be this one and the products are high quality. #NotSponsored #NotAnAd). When perusing the aisles at your supermarket or drug store, look for brands that list “Paraben and Phthalate Free.” These are chemicals that mimic estrogen and disrupt hormones — and they’re STILL allowed in cosmetics in the United States, whereas many other countries have outlawed them. Read your labels!

Final thought: This work is far from over. Breast Cancer Over Time, the organization I volunteered with, just started recruitment for more volunteers for their continued study of the effects of over-the-counter personal care products on women’s normal breast cells. THEY NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS. If you know anyone who might be interested in this research study, you can contact me, visit ArmyofWomen.org and RSVP for the study, or contact Polly Marshall, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Over Time: Polly@Breastcancerovertime.org. You can also donate to their research and work on the BreastCancerOverTime.org website.

#FightOn
Love,Val