by Susan Cann on November 26, 2011
A group member wrote:
“Is the world ready for this view? There is more to looking youthful and feeling attractive when you learn to tap into your inner anti-ageing power. It’s also about fulfilling an inner potential.”
And I responded:
There is more to looking **your age** and feeling **self-acceptance and self-confidence** when you learn to tap into your inner **knowledge of your place within nature.** It’s ALL about accepting your past, living in the present, and acknowledging that aging and death are all part of life.
I have no desire to stay “youthful” and I think “anti-aging” is a crock devised by cosmetic manufacturers to sell more product to insecure women who don’t feel “beautiful” unless their skin is untouched by time. I want to be healthy, and enjoy every stage of life I am in. I enjoy aging, I have creative energy, and I’m feeling much mellower now that I have more years of life experience. If wisdom was revered in our culture, wrinkles would be considered… “beautiful.”
by Susan Cann on June 22, 2011
I’m curious to know how “pure, natural, and healthy” skin care manufacturers respond to questions from environmentalists and health advocates about their continued use of ingredients such as petroleum byproducts, imidazolidinyl urea and parabens. They address the issue as related to their affect on the human body (“Used in percentages far less than 1%, the risk of skin absorption from a topical product applied in such small amounts to limited areas of the body is extremely low…”), but not on how the ingredients are affecting the environment, including aquatic life.
Many companies also claim to be environmentally friendly (“Our goal is to provide consumers with safe and effective products and use recyclable materials whenever possible.”) How do they address proponents of the Precautionary Principle, in other words, “better safe than sorry…” Why wait for “conclusive studies” to discontinue using these ingredients, when many recent studies from independent researchers around the world raise concern and are advising caution? I’ll go with the “better safe than sorry” philosophy, unless my life is being threatened…
Some companies will invite you to join the “2.5 billion dollar Anti-Age industry…” Yes, there’s lots of money in convincing women that aging is bad and wrinkles are ugly. But that’s a whole Pandora’s Box in itself. I would rather convince women that healthy skin and a sparkling, self-assured smile are beautiful, and wrinkles express character and a life well-lived.
