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HBOMaxsNot So Prettydocuseries doesnt skirt around its message: The beauty industry has a dark underbelly.
Courtesy of HBO Max
This is a conversation that is massive and nuanced.
(Some of the sources included in the filmhave raised eyebrows.
The docuseries also highlights the risk that using hair relaxers has, predominantly on Black women.
On TikTok, videos of people watching the series and subsequently throwing away their makeup have gone viral.
It’s why scientists critically evaluate all information.
“It would be naive to say that chemicals don’t affect our overall health picture.”
Dr. Lucky Sekhonis a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at RMA (Reproductive Medicine Associates) of New York.
She is an assistant clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
I watched the series in one sitting and was like, Oh my god.
I did not think it was fear mongering, personally.
Endocrine disruptors do exist.
We harness that fact in medicine to treat different problems.
Sometimes the environment is the trigger that sets off that problem.
You think youre buying it from somewhere where it’s vetted and going to be safe.
You don’t have to buy your kid a makeup kit.
I’m anti-unnecessary exposure.
I view using fragrance as an unnecessary exposure.
And I think sometimes people overestimate that.
I tell my patients to venture to avoid BPAs, phthalates, and fragrances.
There can be a weak binding that over time could definitely have effects on someone’s overall health.
“Without fear-mongering and causing excessive anxiety, it is helpful to have these types of conversations.”
It’s not just based on theory, it’s based on actual clinical studies that we have.
That cosmetic would still be functional without the fragrance.
“Its really the dose that makes the poison.”
Dr. Evan Riederis board-certified physician in both dermatology and psychiatry.
He serves as a full-time faculty member in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone.
The documentary does a good job of bringing to light some of the chemicals that people are concerned about.
I thought that was nice.
That’s one area that dermatology sometimes falls a little bit short.
I think it’s very noble that people likeDr.
“It is somewhat simplistic to label certain ingredients as necessarily ‘good’ or ‘bad.'”
Plastics marked 1, 2, 4, or 5 are safer.
Use metal or glass [whenever possible].
It’s really the dose that makes the poison.
The primary source of BPA for most people is through the diet from food and beverages.
Is the product being washed off?
Is it being left on?
There are a lot of question marks out there.
You dont want to cross over into the level of engendering more anxiety than may be required.
Chemicals are really important.
People forget that there arepreservativesthat are really important because they prevent skin care from going bad on the shelves.
If you eliminate a preservative, a substitute ingredient must be used to replace it.
A lot of fragrances probably do havephthalatesin them.
I can understand that.
But if you want to put a little fragrance on, it doesn’t bother me.
That was really nice to put a spotlight on that population.
“Everybody’s aligned in not wanting people to get sick.”
Acrylates are known causes of skin contact dermatitis.
Other ingredients like acetone may also cause respiratory issues.
It’s not an easy topic.
“Overwhelmingly, the products on the market are safe.”
Jen Novakovichis a cosmetic chemist.
I liked some of the focus of episode two [Nails].
Known health issues fromthis exposure include nausea, nose irritation, headache, and shortness of breath.
Ventilation is important, particularly for nail salon workers that are exposed regularly.
Even still, the industry made a conservative shift from removing [dibutyl phthalate] from products.
Episode one looked at asbestos in talc, and that is a really important issue.
We’ve come a long way.
This is a pretty big deal from the FDA.
“There are legitimate risks to professional relaxers, but these risks aren’t applicable to at-home products.”
There are legitimate risks to professional relaxers, but these risks aren’t applicable to at-home products.
The main issue is exposure via inhalation.
Overwhelmingly, the products on the market are safe.
There haven’t been any studies to show an increased risk or increased rate of mesothelioma with makeup use.
Most people who have mesothelioma are males who are exposed from working conditions.
If you’re concerned [about talc], there are plenty of talc alternatives, notably corn starch.
DEP does not pose known risks for human health as it is currently used in cosmetics and fragrances.]
Phthalates likely ended up in their formula from packaging.
These would have been at levels still demonstrated to be safe.
Phthalate-free is a risky claim because of all of this.
“Risk depends on exposure.
This is a fundamental thing.”
Companies have to disclose their ingredients.The exception is fragrance.
The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) sets standards for the industry to comply with.
Not everyone is going to comply to IFRA, but the large companies do.
There are so many different ingredients in fragrance.
Dove, as an example, wants their Dove smell to be only Dove.
They want that to be protected.
It would be great if brands were listing known allergens on ingredient lists [of their fragrances].
With that said, larger companies are starting to list their ingredients in [fragrance] formulations onSmartLabel.org.
Proctor and Gamble, as an example.
you could actually go look at all the ingredients if you so choose.
A take-home for the average person: Science literacy is super, super important.
There’s so much misinformation out there.
Risk depends on exposure.
This is a fundamental thing.
This includes your likelihood to get cancer.
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