Haven’t we been over this before? We mean the whole battle over smoking being cool. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, when we beauty docs were either little girls or not even twinkles in our parents’ eyes, smoking in movies and TV was all the rage. If you were a femme fatale, detective or tough guy, you had to be wreathed in cigarette smoke. But by the 1990s society and public health efforts had effectively countered the image of smoking as the essence of coolness, in part with smoking bans and advertising like the famous faux-Marlboro billboards where one cowboy says to another, “Bob, I’ve got cancer.” Essentially, we thought we had this smoking thing licked, but apparently—and disturbingly—we were wrong.
Now comes a study from the University of Staffordshire in the UK showing that Brits age 17-24 worry about the effects of smoking on their appearance but most don’t intend to consider quitting until they see visible signs of damage. Now, smoking has always been more of an issue in Europe, where it’s widespread, but this is a very dangerous attitude, especially if it’s reflected here in the U.S. First of all, damage to skin and teeth occurs at the microscopic level long before it’s visible to the naked eye. Second, and perhaps more important, smoking may be the single most damaging thing you can do to your general health, and as we’ve said before, health is beautiful. Health is a stage of the Beauty-Brain Loop, so if you negatively impact your health, you’re going to harm all the other aspects of your beauty.
Public officials in the UK have said that they intend to use the results of the study to create a series of new public service advertisements highlighting the ways in which smoking can damage the looks of appearance-conscious young people. Well done, but why wait? Let’s bring the news to the people right now! These are some of the major ways in which cigarette smoking damages your skin, hair, teeth, and overall exterior:
Smoking releases free radicals in your lungs, producing an inflammation response throughout the body. This affects the skin by accelerating cellular breakdown, producing wrinkles and the gray pallor commonly known as “smoker’s face.”
It reduces the level of oxygen in your blood and thus depletes the collagen in your skin. This can cause sagging and a premature aging.
The reduced circulation caused by smoking also causes the skin to become thinner, making fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.
It yellows teeth and causes bad breath.
Smoking is also highly addicting because the nicotine and other addictive chemicals go right to the lungs and bloodstream, so it’s very easy to get hooked. Young smokers are very vulnerable to this rapid physiological addiction to tobacco.
We could go on, but why? It’s common knowledge that smoking is terrible for your body, inside and out. We’re not sure that any public service ads are going to dissuade youth, who always think they’re immortal, but it’s worth a try. If you think about the effect that smoking has on Inner Beauty (making you feel bad about being a smoker and not being able to quit) and on Environment (repelling other people who hate the smoke and ruining the area around you), there may be nothing more toxic to the Beauty-Brain Loop. We’ll keep an eye out for similar research in the U.S….and hope for better results.
Well, so much for the idea that doctors are any more “recession-proof” than anyone else.
We’ve heard that statement a lot recently. Along with morticians, peace officers and firefighters, physicians are supposed to have some sort of “Get Out of Recession Free” card when it comes to an economic downturn, presumably because people still get sick, need therapy and so on. But we’ve already seen evidence that it’s a false idea, as hospitals are losing money and some are threatened with closure. So it should come as no surprise that cosmetic surgeons are seeing a downturn in their business.
After all, people are already delaying treatment and skipping medication for serious health problems because they lack health insurance or can’t afford the co-pays, so it’s hardly a shock that more are passing altogether on elective procedures. That’s what the Chicago-based American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery says is happening. In a survey of 242 members released on January 14, the Academy revealed that nearly 80% of cosmetic surgery practices had reported a drop in business, with the average being a whopping 50% reduction in the third quarter of 2008.
The Economic Impact Survey also showed that more and more patients are choosing cheaper, less-invasive procedures than when the economy was strong and they felt flush. In fact, since all cosmetic surgeons have to train in another specialty before going into cosmetic medicine, the survey found that about one-third are going back to former areas of training such as general surgery, ear/nose/throat or obstetrics & gynecology in order to make a living during these tough times. Those who don’t want to go that route are shoring up their practices with cosmetic procedures that are more commonly done by a dermatologist: fillers, Botox, liposuction, chemical peels and microdermabrasion.
In fact, these non-invasive or minimally-invasive options are just about the only cosmetic procedures that are becoming more common, with reports coming in that the rates of Botox injections are actually up around the country. What does this say about us as a people, especially since just a few posts ago we reported that people are still spending on beauty products such as cosmetics and skin care products? Well, it’s obvious that there’s an inverse relationship between the cost of the procedure and the willingness to have it done. A $30 jar of moisturizer is fine, but $2,000 for an eyelid lift…that’s going to have to wait until the stock market goes back up.
Clearly, we still are willing to spend money and invest in our looks. It remains a priority for the same reason we discussed in that last post: because it gives us control over some aspect of things when it seems like everything else is spinning so out of control. But we are becoming more luxury-conscious, and there’s a self-imposed “frugality line” that we won’t cross. Hard economic times cause most of us to “reboot” our priorities and take a hard look at what is worth paying for and what must be put off, and the answer is different for everyone. For some women, getting a regular microdermabrasion treatment in her dermatologist’s office will remain a priority even if she can’t afford a new pair of shoes; for another, she’ll make her own facial scrub with kitchen ingredients or do without.
Our theory is, the more your outer beauty is a critical aspect of your self-image and the more your self-esteem depends on it, the more willing you will be to spend money you might not have on cosmetic treatments. The more comfortable you are with yourself on the inside, the more likely you’ll probably be to go back to basics until things turn around. Inner beauty, thank goodness, tends to be free. As the economic situation plays out, we’ll see if our theory is correct.
We’re fortunate enough to be in Washington, DC with hundreds of thousands of our closest friends for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. It’s an incredibly exciting time, and when we think about Obama’s message of “Change,” it’s impossible for us not to put that in the context of our favorite subject. So at a time when change is on everyone’s mind, how will you change the way beauty impacts your life in the coming year?
In keeping with the political news that’s on everyone’s mind, we’ve organized our ideas according to our own imaginary presidential cabinet. If Barack Obama had these as his priorities, we don’t know how the economy would do, but we do know the entire country would look and feel fabulous.
State: In the spirit of foreign relations, you could reach out to people in your life with whom your relationships haven’t been as close as they could be and find the beauty in them.
Treasury: At a time when the economy seems to be in for a prolonged slump, get creative and find ways to get quality beauty and skin care products for less. Share your secrets with friends and invite them to share theirs with you.
Agriculture: Discover natural and organic cosmetics and beauty products. There are many sources for these; see our last posting about the Ecocert designation, which guarantees that your product is 100% natural.
Health and Human Services: Adopt at least one healthy new habit, such as working out five days a week, eating fish at least twice a week, or taking up meditation as a daily practice. Do something great for your body and watch it become more beautiful.
Commerce: Get into the community and bring your beauty business to locally owned businesses like hair salons and makers of handmade cosmetics. You’ll meet new people who will be grateful for your patronage, make new friends and feel like a part of the fabric of where you live.
Labor: Make your work environment more conducive to beauty by doing everything from getting an anti-glare filter for your computer to take the strain off your eyes, taking 15 minutes a day to walk around the building or do deep breathing, or simply filling your workspace with beautiful things.
Interior: Work on your Inner Beauty by taking a candid look at behaviors that have caused you pain in the past, such as jealousy, being passive when you should be assertive, or beating yourself up for little things. Vow to become more aware of these behaviors and work to turn them into positive energy.
Housing and Urban Development: Beautify the physical space where you live. This doesn’t to be expensive; it could be a matter of lighting, plants, music, fabrics and rearranging the things you already own. But a beautiful physical environment makes you feel more content, peaceful and in love with your own life.
Change will be on everyone’s mind as this exciting year moves ahead. How will you change yourself for the better? Please share your stories with us on Comments. And to paraphrase our new president: “Yes you can!”
Remember when the words “organic” and “natural” used to mean something when you saw them on a product label? We used to assume that when we saw those terms, what we were putting on or in our bodies was as pure and unaltered by chemicals as possible. Now, that’s not always the case. For one thing, the Food & Drug Administration has become very lax in the rules about what is allowed to be called “natural” in packaged foods. Now an ingredient that was derived from a natural source but has been processed to a fare-thee-well can be called “natural flavoring.” As for organic, it’s become such big business that huge corporate agriculture can gotten into the game. So-called “Big Organic” is competing with the mom-and-pop farms, driving down prices, and lobbying for weaker organic certification standards—all to get a piece of the booming $30 billion pie.
What does this have to do with beauty? Plenty, because there’s concern these days about the profusion of dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and skin care products, from parabens to phthalates. Certainly, we’re all looking for the products that will protect our skin and keep it healthy and attractive, but at the same time, we don’t want to slather ourselves in chemicals that can cause allergic reactions, immune system problems, hormone disruption or worse. But with the words “natural” and “organic” compromised and turned into marketing slogans, what can women trust to ensure that they’re getting the chemical-free products they seek?
There is a certification standard that can be relied on, called ECOCERT®. ECOCERT® is an internationally recognized organic certification managed by a French company. Its use guarantees that products bearing it have been formulated and manufactured with ecological responsibility, and that 100% of the ingredients are of a natural origin. Companies can only gain ECOCERT® certification if:
No pre-treatment is used in any of the raw materials found in organic products.
All suppliers pass an extensive quality and purity review before their raw materials are approved.
Manufacturing and packaging facilities pass a rigorous inspection.
All packaging is recyclable.
One of the best things about seeing the ECOCERT® certification is that it has nothing to do with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which certifies food products but has no jurisdiction over color cosmetics. Many women assume that the government oversees the content of such products, but that’s not the case. That’s why ECOCERT® provides such peace of mind: you know that a responsible testing body has determined that the contents of what you’re putting on your skin is completely natural. And if one of your New Year’s resolutions was to live greener this year, this is a great way to know that you’re spending your money on products that are gentle on natural resources, reduce pollution and help support small farmers and companies. That’s beautiful in many ways.
Stay beautiful (and look for our reports from the Obama Inauguration),
Unless you’ve been living in seclusion on a deserted tropical island for the last year (lucky you), you’re quite aware of the Big R: Recession. We’re in one, it’s ugly and it looks like it might get a lot uglier. People are cutting back on everything from travel to buying new appliances, rediscovering frugal activities like gardening and do-it-yourself repairs, and clipping every coupon in sight to try and save money. You may already be doing some or all of those things yourself in an effort to survive the tough times. So what are we to make of this news?
According to a survey of more than 11,500 people in more than a dozen countries including Brazil, Greece, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, Britain and the United States, people are still spending the same amount on cosmetics and other beauty products as they did before the economic collapse. The data show that 41% of the people surveyed planned to maintain their spending levels on beauty products such as cosmetics, skin care products and hair care products, while 55% of respondents said they would spend more on healthcare products and only 17% would spend less.
What does this say about us? Does it makes sense that we’re cancelling vacations, not buying cars and washing machines and counting pennies at the supermarket, but still shelling out for Garnier and Neutrogena? We think that it does. Everyone needs to feel they have a sanctuary, especially when times are hard or frightening, as they are now. For women, that sanctuary often becomes the knowledge that no matter what else happens, we are taking care of our appearance and our health. It’s an aspect of control; we cannot control the Dow Jones average, the housing market or whether we’ll be laid off next month, but we can control how we care for our skin, watch our diet, style our hair and so on. Paying attention to and money for self-care products gives us a psychological safe harbor for our Inner Beauty, a little bit of armor for the world that lets us say, “At least I look and feel good,” no matter what else happens.
So shop smart and save where you can, but if you feel the drive to care for your looks and your health while you’re cutting back everywhere else, don’t feel guilty. Allow yourself a little indulgence. Keep taking your vitamins and omega-3s, keep using moisturizer and sunscreen, and treat yourself to some time getting your hair or nails done once in a while. It doesn’t make you wasteful. It makes you wise. Spending a few dollars on beauty is a small price to pay to keep your spirits up and help you feel like you can take on an increasingly harsh world.
A few weeks back, we blogged about a new reality show, “True Beauty,” premiering this year on ABC. Supposedly, the show would feature the usual collection of contestants who, while they thought they were being judged on their external good looks, were actually being judged on their “inner beauty.” Well, we’ve seen the premiere episode and it wasn’t exactly what we were hoping for. We applaud the producers, including Tyra Banks, for bringing the issue of inner beauty to the fore, but we had something different in mind. And since we try to be positive on this blog, we’re going to offer our constructive criticisms on how “True Beauty” could become a truer test of bona fide Inner Beauty.
Make the setting more natural. Right now, the show’s setup is pretty typical: take a bunch of people, stick them in a house, and let personal conflict erupt. Instead, we’d love to see the show be more natural and unforced. Follow the contestants around in their personal lives with hidden cameras and audio to see how they interact with others. Inner beauty is about self-esteem and seeing the beauty in other people and the world around you. Do the contestants treat themselves well or engage in damaging self-talk? Do they treat others with compassion and respect? Do they maintain a positive frame of mind? Those are questions you can’t answer in an artificial setting.
Expand the palette of people. This might not be able to happen until next season, but we’d love to see people who aren’t all great looking be on the show. The contestants right now are all varying degrees of gorgeous, and that doesn’t reflect reality. It sends the message that inner beauty only matters if you also have outer beauty, and that’s not a healthy message to send. Add a plus-sized woman, a geekier guy and maybe even a disabled man or woman to the cast next year and we think viewers will relate much better.
Take more time. The first contestant was expelled from the program after one week and after one not-so-beautiful act (failing to hold a door for someone). Even though it follows the the “Survivor” format of “knock ‘em down one at a time,” that doesn’t seem fair. Inner beauty is a matter of thoughts, attitudes and actions over a long period, not one isolated incident. Heck, even the most inwardly gorgeous of us is inconsiderate or mean-spirited from time to time. Again, we know this violates the “who’s going to be booted next” ethos of reality TV, but it would give each person a fairer shake.
We’re not TV producers, and we haven’t thought these ideas through completely, but we think that in general the result would be a “True Beauty” that was more true to its name: a test of the genuine inner beauty of a group of people. It would also send a more positive message to the audience: that real inner beauty is its own reward, even if you don’t win a spot on People’s Most Beautiful list.
