by Gillian Deacon – $26.00
This readable and informative book by author Gillian Deacon provides well-researched knowledge about many popular beauty products that contain toxins. A very helpful list of the most used toxic substances in personal care products is provided for quick and easy reference as well as a chapter on Label Reading 101. (For those who want details on every cosmetic and how safe it may or may not be, the Cosmetic Safety Database can provide this information – www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
A chapter on Greenwashing discusses one of the author’s pet peeves. Many well-intentioned consumers buys products because they have been led into believing they will be better for the planet and their family’s health. Greenwashing is corporate trickery. Many companies (a) make claims that mean nothing; (b) commit the sin of omission; and/or (c) create fanfare over certain ingredients while omitting others.
The P’lovers Book Club compared notes about how each of us have been mislead by reading a list of ingredients, believing we were purchasing ‘green’ ingredients, only to find, in small print at the bottom, a list of toxic elements. The author tells consumers to be vigilant about label reading.
Another chapter on ‘Pinkwashing’ is very disturbing! Popular and longtime cosmetic companies put out information about giving part of their profits to Breast Cancer or other cancer groups for research and yet, all the while, their products contain toxic, and often cancer-causing substances.
On a practical level Gillian Deacon gives us recipes for non-toxic and effective products we can make in our home. She reminds us that there is no need to buy overpriced and dangerous products. Also included is a list of safe green companies and products that can be purchased locally.
The book gives a comprehensive overview of what lies beneath the gloss of the beauty industry and how we can reduce the chemical burden on our bodies and the bodies of our loved ones and on our planet.
P’lovers’ next book is ‘Grace River’ by Rebecca Hendry, a novel about the people of a smelter town in the interior of British Columbia and what happens when a young environmentalist arrives in town to investigate the toxin levels in the river.
Tags: P'lovers Book Club