Reading Guide-Not Just a Pretty Face

Reading
Guide
Not Just a Pretty Face:
The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry
by Stacy Malkan
w w w. d av i d s u z u k i . o rg / b o o k c l u b
graphic support: saniqk design studio / saniqk.com
Welcome Readers!
Thank you for participating in the David Suzuki Foundation Book Club! It’s an opportunity for Canadians
to take part in a broader discussion about our shared future. Whether you gather online or in your local
communities, we hope the conversations inspired by reading our selections will motivate everyone to
work together to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future.
Not Just a Pretty Face reveals the dark and ugly secrets of the beauty business, and the health hazards
contained in products most of us use every day. Author Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign for
Safe Cosmetics, also points readers to helpful and healthier personal care solutions. Read more on her
website.
This reading guide is designed to help generate meaningful discussions around the issues of balance
and sustainability. We hope it inspires you to reflect on your relationship with the natural world and the
impact you want to have on the planet. It includes discussion questions to get conversations started and
ideas for taking concrete action individually and as a community.
We hope everyone involved in the David Suzuki Foundation Book Club is inspired to initiate change at the
local level. Please join the Book Club Forum and share your reflections!
Warm wishes,
Aryne Sheppard
Manager of Community Leadership
David Suzuki Foundation
w w w. d av i d s u z u k i . o rg / b o o k c l u b
Discussion Questions
1. Before you read this book, did you know there were harmful chemicals in your personal care products?
2. As explained by Jane Houlihan, the US cosmetics industry’s self-policing review panel “’…is dominated by dermatologists and almost all their decisions are driven by consideration of skin irritation or sensitization’” (NJPF 61). Who are the experts that should be reviewing products before they are released for sale to the public?
3. Anne Larracas from the Philippines comments on the pressure for people all over the world to look ‘Western’, “’It’s the best thing to look Caucasian and blonde, with pretty light skin’” (NJPF 68). Felecia Eaves attributes this to “the whole legacy of racism, the feeling that you need to look a certain way to be accepted in this society” (NJPF 70). Is there a relation between cosmetics, health and racism?
4. What is our responsibility as consumers to each other’s safety? To the environment’s health? To the health of nail salon workers and other estheticians?
5. As Felicia Eaves notes, “’the whole crazy reason women do all this stuff to our bodies in the first place [is] because of a lack of self-esteem and a need to feel accepted’” (NJPF 70). How does self-esteem tie in to our addiction to dangerous cosmetics? Would you ever go to work without makeup on?
6. “’They make the chemicals, they run the treatment centers, and they’re still looking for “the cure” – no wonder they won’t tell you about breast cancer prevention’” (NJPF 83). What’s wrong with our system if the same industry creating carcinogenic chemicals is also creating cancer medication and leading the pink ribbon campaign? Had you ever heard of ‘Pinkwashing’ before reading this book?
7. Only 5% of research funded by the National Cancer Institute is allocated to cancer prevention (NJPF 82). Yet 50% of cancers are preventable. Why do you think our society has focused “all our attention on ‘early detection’ and ‘cure’, which is important for women who currently have cancer, but keeps us from the equally important effort of preventing women from getting the disease in the first place” (NJPF84)?
8. Life is so busy. How is the average person supposed to keep up with the information regarding toxins and environmental threats? What can you do to stay informed without getting overwhelmed?
9. At the end of the book, Malkan quotes high school student Erin Schrode “’We can’t change the environment single-handedly, but we can certainly try, and in the process inspire others to do the same. This is simple. We must think tactically, know our facts, establish a strong platform, and pass laws to create change’” (NJPF 150). What prevents corporations from changing? Are legislative restrictions the only way to prevent companies from using toxins in their products?
w w w. d av i d s u z u k i . o rg / b o o k c l u b
Photo credits: Tabrandt and Envios via flickr
Take Action in your Community
Use the activities listed below to bring your book club conversations to life! Take David Suzuki to work!
Start simply
Don’t panic. When you run out of a product you’re currently using,
replace it with a less toxic alternative. How do you know what’s less
toxic? Avoid the ‘Dirty Dozen’. This website can help you find safer
cosmetics. Note: in some cases products sold in Canada might be
made with different ingredients than the U.S. products analyzed
there.
Read labels
The best companies list ingredients on their packaging, and,
generally speaking, the shorter the list, the cleaner the product. This handy shopping guide will help.
The US Environmental Working Group also has a ‘What Not to Buy’ list.
Let your voice be heard
Write your favourite company and ask them to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. If you’re in love
with a product but not its ingredients, write the manufacturer and ask them to stop using toxins. Ask
your neighborhood shops and spas to stock healthier choices.
Share
When you find reputable, safe personal care items you like, tell your friends.
The more people purchase cleaner cosmetics, the more companies will start
putting them on the shelves.
Reduce
It’s the first of the three eco-Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), and the most important. Can you lower
your personal toxic load by reducing the number of personal care products you use in general, or by
simplifying your daily routine?
Do It Yourself
The easiest way to know what’s in something is to make it yourself. Find recipes and how-to videos for
cosmetics and home cleaners from Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki’s Queen of Green . Hold a ‘green spa’
party and make batches of stuff with your friends - they make great gifts, too!’
Go bare-faced
Organize a makeup free day at work, or at school, or when you go out with friends. Some people feel
naked without makeup – a great opportunity to discuss beauty myths.
Make your workplace scent free
Scent-free is the new way to do business. Fragrances in cologne, perfumes, soaps and shampoos come
from a variety of synthetic chemicals that can trigger allergies or asthma attacks - a huge concern if you
work with young children or the elderly. Smelly synthetics can cause headaches, dizziness and loss of
concentration - not a distraction anyone wants in the workplace. Go to work fragrance-free, and then
ask your workplace to ban unhealthy scents.
Dispose safely
If you’d rather stop using a product, consider mailing it back to the manufacturer. Include a note
explaining your choice and asking them to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. Or check out how your
town or city handles household hazardous waste. Find an eco-depot near you at: www.productcare.org
or www.earth911.com
w w w. d av i d s u z u k i . o rg / b o o k c l u b
Photo credits: Jenny Silver and Linda Mackie