Chemical Cosmetics

Do you love your cosmetics? Love your perfume and shower gels? Can't do without them? Me neither. My love for my mascara and perfume got me wondering what ingredients were in them.

When we choose food most of us, more often than not, look at the content - the amount of calories, fat or carbohydrates. I know I do with every piece of food that I put in my mouth and as a result I wondered what was in the cosmetics that I use religiously every day.

I started by looking at the ingredients. I couldn't even pronounce half of them but I noticed that quite a few products contained 'parfum' and names ending in , 'paraben'. On one bottle of, Boots Cucumber Skin Moisturiser, for example, I found five parabens and two parabens. So what do these chemicals really do for (and to) my skin?

After going through my cosmetics cabinet I found that almost every item contained at least one paraben and at least one parfum. As these chemicals came up quite a bit I decided to research them on the Internet.

I was surprised to find that there are quite a few websites on this topic. I was also amazed to find that parabens and parfums are among the worst chemicals in cosmetics. The only other serious chemical that I didn't find in any of my cosmetics was Phthalates, pronounced tha-lates.

Finding out that these chemicals are extremely common and quite dangerous I researched them more intensively. The more research I did the more worrying it became; one website told me that the average woman could be exposing herself to 175 potentially harmful chemicals every day.

Parabens, I discovered, are the most commonly used cosmetic preservative. They are normally found on labels as Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben and Proplyparaben. The really scary point about this chemical is that UK research identified parabens as being linked to cancer. Many scientists also agree that they act as oestrogen mimics in varying degrees, with Butylparaben being the most potent. A study of breast tumors found traces of paraben in every single sample. This is extremely worrying for people using skin fresheners, moisturisers and cleansers on their body every day.

Parfum (fragrance) is thought to account for as many as 15% of all allergic reactions in eczema patients and this trend is increasing. Parfum is found in perfumes and neurotoxic solvents associated with central-nervous-system disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. The twenty most common fragrance ingredients include: citronellol, bensyl alcohol and limonate, (a cancer causing carcinogen.)

Phthaltes are linked to cancer and reproductive birth defects. The sad point about this chemical is that it is not needed in cosmetics. They put it in to stop cosmetics smearing. It can be difficault to find out if a phthalate in in your cosmetics because they are often not listed.

Three big name companies have volunteered to take out phthaltes from their cosmetics. These companies are: Body Shop International, Urban Decay Cosmetics and Aveda Corporation. Two other big name companies have already taken out phthaltes from their nail varnishes. These companies are: Estee Lauder and Procter Gamble Company. (The Procter Gamble Company owns companies such as, Pantene Pro V, Herbal Essences and Clairol.) They know this chemical is in their cosmetics and that it is harmful to humans yet are only prepared to take it out of their nail polish.

These chemicals have also not been tested properly. Although the finished products are tested for immediate skin reactions, these chemicals actually take years to take effect.

You may think that if it is going to take a couple of years to take effect then what is the point of caring? The point is that instead of using your normal cosmetics you could be using organic cosmetics that do exactly the same job but cost a little more. In the past I have spent around six pounds on a moisturiser from Boots with parabens and parfums in it when I could have spent two or three pound more for a moisturiser without any cancer-causing carcinogens or birth defect-related ingredients in it. Organic cosmetics may be a little more money but I know that I would rather pay that extra bit of money than have my likelihood of having cancer in the future increase.

I used a questionnaire to find out what people thought of these chemicals and what they would do from now on when buying make up and shampoos. 70% of the people I asked said that they would definitely spend more money on organic cosmetic as long as it worked as well as the cosmetics with the chemicals in. 90% of people also thought that the companies knowingly selling these products with chemicals in were unethical.

If mascara, perfume or toothpaste can be created and effective without the chemicals, why put them in? It is unscrupulous and at our expense. Estee Lauder's annual revenue is $4.7 billion, so they can definitely afford to cut out the chemicals.

I know now that I will be checking the ingredients list when I'm out shopping for both my food and cosmetics...will you?

Haute Couture...Becoming Accessible?

After reading an article in, The Guardian, about London Fashion Week I felt myself disagreeing with the writers opinion.

The article was mostly about the new fashion for the upcoming Autumn/Winter 2010 collection and the designers. The same sort of article anyone would hand in about any of the fashion weeks; Paris, Milan, New York etc. However the opinion on the clothes was that they were becoming more accessible for Jane Doe, the housewife down the street.

The hem lines were coming down, albeit not by much, but not round our crotches anymore. This was seen as a positive move from the designers as well as the different feeling the audience had whilst watching the show, "the collections that make you smile rather than making you feel cool". I disagree completely. A fashion show should make you feel 'cool', the clothes should look 'cool', they shouldn't make you smile. You're not going to remember a simple, pleated, pink, below the knee, up to the neck, knotted in with a belt dress by Christopher Kane in a years time that simply made you 'smile'. However you will remember Keira Knightley's, eggplant taffeta, Vera Wang dress she wore to the 75th Oscars. That is a dress to remember but it is only accessible to the size zero millionaires. This is how I think it should always be.

I love flicking through photos of different fashion shows and looking at different dresses, zips, buckles, wings, shoes etc and admiring them. I admire them for the imagination the designer must have had when creating the outfit, I admire the model that is tiny enough to wear the clothes and I admire the clothes themselves. The colours, patterns and out-of-this-world innovations. These clothes are not just slung in the wardrobe and thrown out to Oxfam when they don't fit anymore, they are works of art. They are to be admired and cherished and inaccessible. It is a sad day when Haute Couture becomes accessible for the lady down the street. The day I see a mother, with a gaggle of children in ASDA wearing a Dolce and Gabbana coat straight from the runway, is the day I no longer wish to watch the catwalk and the new seasons line up.

Designers should not have to think about their hem lines, the size of their shoulder pads or if the dress is a little too see-through. They should create whatever they can imagine up, with no holds barred. Their designs shouldn't be relevant to the real world, hell, they shouldn't even be made for the real (size 14) woman. Haute Couture is a world of its own, with no rules and regulations. The designers make the clothes to be looked at, to be admired and to show the world the designs for the following season. The only designs that should be accessible to the real world, on a normal wage and with a normal sized body are the knock-offs on the high street. Shops like Top Shop, River Island and Next look to the runway to see whats 'in-season', they copy it and make it accessible to the real world. It is their job to do this, not the Haute Couture designers.

I am probably within a minority with this opinion. That the catwalk shouldn't be for every woman, however this is the innovative world I love to look at. I love to watch and be inspired. I don't draw up my shopping list whilst watching the shows, I watch in awe of what has been made and how they look. This is what I truly believe Haute Couture is about and how a fashion show should make you feel.

British Journalism Training Council

I read today that Winchester University's Journalism programme is the course of the year to be on. This accreditation has come from the British Journalism Training Council. I feel very proud and lucky to be on such an amazing course and working with very talented people that have worked in the business for many years and that can bring a lot of knowledge to our course and share with us.

I feel that this is the best start I could have in my career as a Journalist and I am very excited to have Jacqui Thornton teaching me everything she knows about the business. Jacqui Thornton is a journalist that was the former features editor of The Sun and writes a lot of articles for Cosmopolitan. Being an avid reader of Cosmopolitan and mainly wanting to work in features for magazines, I feel that I am going to learn a lot from this very important and knowledgeable lady.

I look forward to the year ahead at Winchester University.

A Guide To... Egypt

There are many guides, all over the Internet about what you should take, how you should act and horror stories about the food, people and illnesses. After spending two gloriously hot weeks in Egypt earlier this year I thought I would give a first hand account of what to look out for and take with you.

Before You Leave:

- Inoculations. If you are staying in Sharm El Sheik there is no need for malaria jabs as there is only one, tiny section in the middle of Egypt across the Nile that is a hot spot for malaria. Just make sure you take repellent spray and try to have it included in your sun lotion too. Everyone needs to have Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid. Most people that have already been abroad will only need a booster of Hepatitis A or B or not need them at all. There is no cure for Rabies so don't touch any animals whilst your out there.

-Hotels. I stayed in The Sierra Hotel which is an English 4/5 star Hotel. In Egypt there ratings are about 1 or 2 stars less than our rating. Which means that if a hotel is rated 3 stars in Egypt it is about a 1 star in an English equivalent. I definitely recommend going all inclusive as there aren't many places to buy food in Sharm, just make sure you go for a high star hotel.

Whilst You're Out There:

-Food. I was warned not to eat ice cream, don't have ice in my drinks, don't have fruit or salad that hasn't been washed etc but after three days I did all of those things and felt fine. No matter what you eat or drink in Egypt you will have a jippy stomach. Everyone will go through it and it should last more than a day. True you wont have too good a day but you can still lie by the pool, just make sure you're close to a bathroom or your room. Also there is a miracle pill that I swore by. Its a little yellow packet that will cost you 5 Egyptian Pounds. Of course this will be after haggling as it can be as much as 80 or 90 Egyptian Pounds which is about 15 English Pounds.

-Haggling. I tried this once. I haggled a bottle of sand down to 300 LE from 1500LE. I thought I had done extremely well. That was until I walked away and realised that I had just spent £40 on a tiny bottle of sand. If you're going to haggle make sure you know the exchange rate and what is a fair price of what you are going to buy. Always think about your purchase before you go ahead and enter into a haggling war.

-Natives. They're all very friendly, some a tad over friendly. They will all try and shake your hand, give you a hug. Maybe even a kiss or two but just be careful. When we went to Naama Bay we were frequently being hassled and shouted at to come in to shops, to stop and talk and this left me with an angry feeling, of which meant we never went back to Naama Bay but I'm told that if you go in groups you should be fine.

-Trips. We did a few trips whilst out there and I recommend them all. The Ultimate Desert Experience was amazing. Quad biking through the desert, camel riding as the sun went down and then a Bedouin dinner before returning to base in the dark, in the desert on our quad bikes. There was also Cairo. You can travel there by coach or by plane. We went by plane and by 5pm we were shattered with all the travelling which was nothing compared to the people that went by coach. We visited The Citadel, The Pyramids of Giza, The Sphinx, The Egyptian Museum and T.G.I. Fridays. The Museum was amazing, holding Tutankhamen and many other spectacular, historical pieces of Egyptian History. You're tour guide will be with you from the minute you arrive in Cairo until the minute you leave at the airport. Ours was called Wally and snaps to him for making the day memorable, funny and informational.

Overall, an amazing holiday, an amazing country and amazing people. I will definitely be going again and I recommend to everyone that you should see the Pyramids at least once in your life.

A Guide To ... New York, New York!

Whether you know the State as: "The Big Apple," "The City," "Gotham" or "The Media City," everybody knows of the place and has seen its many defining features a thousand times or more. The City is home to over 8.4 million people of many different backgrounds from all over the world, and walking the streets this is very apparent. Whether you're in Manhattan, The Bronx or Queens you still have the warm fuzzy feeling that you are in the City where everything happens at any time of the day. The City that literally never sleeps, being able to get an Oreo cheesecake at three in the morning and a cab at four. Being able to walk the streets at any point of the day or night and never being alone. This is the feeling of living in the Empire State that the Business, Fashion and Media world revolves around.

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be able to visit Gotham and walk the skyscraper lined streets that hummed with; sights, smells and noise for every minute of the day and night. A City that I had only ever been able to watch in soap operas and films was now lying beneath my feet. Recognising buildings and streets from my favourite programs. The Russian Tea Room from Gossip Girl and Central Park from Sex and the City. Of course there were many sights that had to be seen before I returned to simple Southampton, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, The Chrysler Building, Central Park, Fifth Avenue and of course hailing a ride or two in a yellow cab.

The sounds of the City never stopped, after 24 hours the sounds became normal and faded into the background. The sirens ringing down the streets and the smells of the underground through the steam grates started to become known as home. As I walked the streets back to my hotel, The Wellington, Times Square started to become the mile stone of us nearly being back in our hotel room. Times Square felt like home, walking through it, knowing the shops, the streets and the vendors on the corner made me feel like a true New Yorker. Storming down the streets as if I knew exactly where I was and where I was going melted me in to the crowd and fade past as an American, not an English tourist.

Knowing that every building, street and park was steeped in history made me want to know more and gather as much information and pictures as I possibly could. I wanted to document every minute of the day so as not to forget how amazing the City is. Also to make sure that this wasn't a dream, that I had actually lived in New York, if only for four days. I am sure to return and would love to live there one day. To work in the skyscrapers and live in a tiny, dingy, smelly six foot square apartment for at least six months. Just to say that I once lived in the City that never sleeps, and that nowehere else I know will ever be as amazing as that one State in America.